DOT inquiry has begun on replicas

[casaleenie]

Thanks Buzz!

[auto10x]

Three cheers for Buzz!!!
auto10x (Bill)

[JWheaton]

I need to add in here.

Primarily for a post count opportunity

Buzz has a point. Bobl has a point. All the rest of you have points

But let me highjack this thread with my point.

I would not be surprised if another agency asked for more lists. That is the current trend from the Feds anyway. Have a question about a topic, they make a list. I believe the Patriot Act that was passed after 9/11 gave the gov't more rights to do such things. I have not been able to read all the act, it is very long, but since it was created and passed in record time I doubt that any of our senators or congressman read the whole thing either before passing it. I digress!

We have 1 more person who has heard about this. So Bobl might have something whether we like or don't like knowing who he is. How many more manufactures have been questioned about the cars? That is what I am curious about. What do they have to say?

Jamie

[Back in Black]

That whoever bobl is, he has done us all a favor by getting the current situation aired out again, as far as Big Brother. As far as the gov't is concerned, the 'crats want us all to be ignorant barefoot washerwomen that pay a lot in taxes

[Mark IV]

....I jus wanna ride my motorsyckle.
Rest assured, although I have NO direct conection to the orginization that has been accused of importing the rollers as "motorcycle parts" I can bet the farm they do not do that. No need to, it is perfectly legal to bring the rollers in as "Automobile chassis". See the customs dept. website and search for catagories, they are doing to the letter of the law. More so than some domestic manufacturers who are building "turnkeys" that are NOT legal. Hey, I don't really care but if we are gonna point fingers, lets point 'em at the guilty.

Rick

Rick

[petek]

Rick, are you sure you don't want a pickle?

Something to consider. Given the number of cars produced every year, what percentage are Cobra replicas? So why the heck would DOT bother with such a tiny percentage?

Oh... and would any manufacturers like to join in on this thread and confirm the receipt of a letter from the DOT? (Heck, if you already received the letter, "they" know you. You're not going to become a target if you've already been hit!)

[Buzz]

Apparently he is as he said someone who has more than a little interest in the hobby. Check the following link and go to the bottom of the page:
http://www.cobracountry.com/pegasus/

Back to the real important issue, though - sudden scrutiny of the industry by the government could have serious implications for the manufacturers and dealers as well as future owners. Could it also have a "retroactive" impact on current owner/drivers in the form of forced compliance to current regulations?

[Excaliber]

Doubtful any rulings would apply "backward", Thanks for the Heads Up,,,bobl,,,,masked man,,,,,or "pegasus" dealer.
Ernie

[dscott]

This has been one fun thread! I got a letter today from the DOT. Oh wait, it's for a credit card from the Dimes or Turkeys bank. Hmmm. I'm pre-approved. Well it's off to the CIA briefing, oops,I mean the Cobra building business, oops I shouldn't have said Cobra. I didn't mean to imply I build them, I should have said I provide a labor service to many fine customers around the country. Wow a $5000 credit line! I think I'll change my name to DV, nope that's taken, maybe VD, yea thats it!
Don (don't tell anyone my real name)Scott

[good2go]

I dont spend much time here since my real interest is performance cars, actually driving them not just chatting about them. Mine happens to resemble a certain 60's car that was named after a snake and is blue and white but- thats not important.

I have had mine for going on five years and am a charter member of this forum,- but thats not important. In the time that this forum has been active it has been informative, entertaining and often funny. Now a days it seems to often have a vindictive hostile leaning which may just be a reflection of today's political and social problems. Or it may be a reflection of many people just jumping on a bandwagon of "cobras" much like the RUBS did with the Harley Davidson sport. If I have to explain RUBS then you wouldnt understand but again- thats not important.

As far as the post that started this thread some of you may not be aware that just one DMV investigator in California (named Kent Nichols) has been responsible for having over 80 registrations pulled on cars that had been on the road for several years. This single state worker just got a hard on for these cars and has done a lot of damage. If the person posting this info is just bringing it to our attention than we should look into it if it affects us. If not-than it really isn't important.

I own my car and have no intentions of selling it or buying another. I have nothing to do with any facet of the auto industry. Don't look for hidden agendas or sinister motives in this post since there aren't any!! I have no fear in posting my name since I have a small barking dog and a large caliber handgun!! LOL


See you all on the road or at the track.

Dave Phillips

[petek]

Buzz ... interesting!

And that was good Don... whoops, I mean VD

[aumoore]

Ford (Chevy and Dodge could be put in here too)probably builds more gas guzzling SUV's and Pickups in one day than all the Cobra Replicas ever built. Big brother is wasting its time chasing hobby cars instead of monitoring the big automakers.

I do think a lot of the manufacturer's are playing with fire by offering turnkeys instead of just kits or turnkey minus. I do wonder what level of completion will fit under the Fed's definition of kit or unfinished car. Could you have the motor sitting in the car and just not hooked up?


P.S. I own a Cobra and a Gas Guzzling F150 SuperCrew that gets 19mpg on the highway. My wife has a V6 Mini-Van that only gets 21 on the highway and my old v6 taurus only got 24mpg when it wanted to. All those tree huggers driving their old VW bugs can kiss my chrome bumper because my LEV Truck gets about the same gas milage and puts our less emmisions. Now my cobra might be killing a few penguins though.

[Great Asp]

Hound Doggy!,

"cobras as car parts and/or motorcycle parts without rousing the suspision of some of the feds."

Quote from the Great Asp!;
"SPF cars are brought into this country legally as an "Assemblage of Parts". Not motorcyle parts."

Eric

[Mark IV]

...Yeah, what I said!

Believe me, Mr. Price has WAY too much invested to play with US Cutoms by mis-representing what Superformance imports.
He is a very intellegent person and would not risk his operation to make importation somewhat easier.

The problem is when a manufaturer installs and sells a complete turnkey car. A turnkey would be subject to all current DOT/EPA standards i.e. passive retraints, emmissions and such. Obviously no "cobra" replica, original, reproduction (insert your preferred title here) does.

It is a shame in some respects that auto registration/titling is not done on a federal level as there would be a consistant, level field and uniform rules. As has been discussed here there is a hodge-podge of different rules and regulations that apply. The turnkey issue however is a federal rule and those who violate it only bring closer scrutiney upon the rest of the industry.

Rick

[mr bruce]

Are the SPF cars subsidized by the South African government? Are the other recent offerings from there also subsidized?

[BANDIT 1]

I don't know if Shelby's big mouth has brought down any of this or not. What I do know is that Shelby has said that he is working on a "new Cobra with Ford" and that probably means that he is very happy and willing to help bring down the entire industy, after all with him being with Ford for the "new Cobra's", why would there even be anymore Shelby continuation cars?

[viper-168]

OK, I have to say something here. If buzz's connection is right, I know this "bobl" guy and he is NOT a gov. employee. He is a owner of a gun shop here in Kansas City. I know this guy, and IMO I would not take anything he says for gospel.

[TerrysSPF]

I don't know if bobl is selling guns or cars (or both), but if the bobl that started this thread is the same bobl that advertises on Cobra Country as the President of Pegasus Performance (Bob Lockett) than he does have a interest in this for sure. However, he may have brought this upon himself by advertising that they sell TURNKEY cars, which would fall under all DOT / EPA standards, which means he would be playing with fire. Who knows, perhaps C.S saw the advertisement, or heard of the company, and brought it to the attention of the proper officials. Or, (not wanting to blame C.S. for everything like some do), perhaps the "proper officials" found out for themselves. What IS taking place though (IMHO) is that people / companies who are insistant on selling Turnkey Cobras and trying to skate around the current laws / standards that are in place, draw attention to not only themselves, but to the rest of the industry including "Kits" and "Rolling Chassis". If it starts to appear that this industry or "hobby" is getting TOO big, then you can bet that someone will try and do something about it (for a number of reasons). .....and who that "someone" is could be a number of people, and / or groups.

[Excaliber]

"Turnkey" IS the problem!

Ernie

[TomH]

Originally posted by Mark IV


...BTW, remember when they said all Series 1 cars "had to be built as 1999 models due to our exemption" four years later are they still building 1999 cars? OH, wait, thats right, you can build and "old" model year if the parts have been laying around!

Pardon the low number of posts, but according to US CFR § 85.2302 / 85.2303

A model year:
- means the manufacturer's annual production period (as determined under § 85.2304) which includes January 1 of such calendar year, provided, that if the manufacturer has no annual production period, the term "model year" shall mean the calendar year.

and

A specific model year must always include January 1 of the calendar year for which it is designated and may not include a January 1 of any other calendar year. Thus, the maximum duration of a model year is one calendar year plus 364 days.



Accordingly, partying like it was 1999 would appear to be over.