Bill,
Thanks for chiming in.
However, I will say again there really is no other option but to go collector status registration ( of course after you complete your title/safety inspection) assuming the car is titled as a modern vehicle. Again NJ will make you title the car in the year in was completed. Other states have different laws. Some of these other states let you title the car in the year the car is supposed to replicate.
From my experience there was really no benefit to a "vintage" block. Unless you can get the vehicle titled as say a 1965 you still have the modern day safety issues to deal with. I cannot comment on whether the process is at all easier with a "vintage" block. I am just saying that there seems to be no real benefit of a vintage block in and of itself.
The real key would be to be able to title the car as a '65 ( or any other year pre-emissions). Since this is all but impossible today in NJ we are again back to the collector car registration and a 3000 mile a year limitation.
So again don't sweat the whole vintage block thing. If you want, get a new Ford crate motor or maybe a new Shelby block. The only thing you will have to deal with is the mileage limitation which really isn't that bad.
CB
PS. I went through the NJ title/registration process in the Fall of 2005. Only other advice I could provide would be to buy a used car which is already titled
.