AZ. Registration

[Bruce Robles]

Hi, I have relocated from Washington State to Surprise. I have a Kirkham 427 Roadster I need to get registered here.
Washington didn't have smog BS to deal with.
The car has an aftermarket Bear Block Motors FE 484 in. side oiler block with 1965 casting numbers ETC.
I went to AAA to get some info from them, and they said that since the title shows the car as a 2004 model year (build date) it would need to be smogged.
On the title it also says under Series and Body Style-'65 427RDSTR.
I left California after I bought the car because of this crap. Can anyone advise me on registering a Cobra Replica here in the Phoenix AZ. area?? I always thought it was the year of the engine that was what got their hackles up and '65 and earlier were exempt.
So is it the year the car was built by Kirkham, FFR, Superformance, Shelby or whom ever, or the year of the engine that constitutes whether you need to be smogged?
I know a guy who built a '32 Ford fiberglass coupe, no Vin# with an '85 350 Chevy with dual quads and they didn't hassle him.
Maybe the girl at AAA didn't no what she was talking about??

[DWRAT]

Here in AZ it's the year the car represents.
Go the MVD and get the title transferred to AZ and at the same time you can have it titled as a 1965.
No smog needed.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by DWRAT

Here in AZ it's the year the car represents.
Go the MVD and get the title transferred to AZ and at the same time you can have it titled as a 1965.
No smog needed.

Hold on Dan - That is a correct statement only for newly issued AZ titles. Bruce says he has a Washington title that already lists the car as a 2004, so if he takes that title into the Az DMV office, then they are going to do a title transfer using the same 2004 model year, and YES, the car will then be subject to emissions testing. Arizona DMV will NOT change model years on any existing title, for any vehicle...

Bruce, it is more expensive to go the route I am going to suggest, but it is the best way to get the Arizona title to reflect the 1965 model year, and get you out of the emissions trap. What you need to do is take your car down to the Arizona DMV office, get it physically inspected, and then initiate the application process for a NEW title- Tell them the car has never been titled since it was built (They will ask you for an MCO/MSO sheet, so if you don't still have that document from Kirkham, then you will need to make up a story about that, as well), or tell them that you lost the title, or that you just bought the car on a Bill of sale from a guy in Alaska -

They will probably make you purchase a surety bond, which could run up to a couple bucks, in order to insure the title, but in the end, your Cobra will have an Az title with the model listed as SPCON, and 1965 as the model year.

I wrote detailed steps about this process before. Please read:

New Cobra Title & Registration in Arizona

[DWRAT]

Here's a post from the past you may want to read.
Several have already done it so unless something just changed hopefully it will still work.
Can the titled year be changed in AZ?

[moore_rb]

Karlos's suggestion in the thread that Dan linked to:

You shouldn't have any problem, but I would not offer any more information than they specifically ask for. Take the car for inspection, without any license plate on it and don't mention that its already titled. You may want to remove a vin sticker, if there is one and the inspector will issue a new number, corresponding to the new title. Just thinking these ideas might avoid complications. I may be off base with these ideas, but its what I'd do in the situation.

Is basically the same advice that I offered, and it should work to get a new SPCON title, with the 65 model year on it.

But I stress again, that the OP said he already has a title, and when you take an EXISTING out of state vehicle title into an Az DMV office, they will NOT change the model year - they will only do a title document transfer (which only costs 12 bucks, and takes about 20 minutes); but all the information from the out of state title will be transferred across to the Az title (unless the out of state title is 15 years old, or older, in which case Az would also begin the process of issuing you a NEW title document).

There is a difference between transferring a title, versus getting a new az title- they are 2 separate processes


EDIT- Another thing I thought of that is related to all of this- If you go the route of getting a new Az title in order to change the model year, then you are also going to get a new VIN number that AZDMV is going to rivet to the car; and a new VIN number will mean that any existing insurance policies tied to the old VIN will need to be cancelled, and new insurance policies purchased.

[CSX4815]

When I moved from CA my title issued by CA DMV said 2004 special construction. I took the car to be inspected by the ADOT compliance officer here in Bullhead along with my CA title and registration and they issued me a new AZ title and registration with new plates in no time at all. Car was titled in AZ as a 1965 special construction Shelby Cobra. I was told that AZ is one of the few states that title a replica as the year of the body. They were very helpful and a pleasure to work with.

I would be very careful to go in and misrepresent the car as never been previously registered. Very careful! As I said my previous title from CA said 2004 and my new title said 1965 spec con. Good luck.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by CSX4815

When I moved from CA my title issued by CA DMV said 2004 special construction. I took the car to be inspected by the ADOT compliance officer here in Bullhead along with my CA title and registration and they issued me a new AZ title and registration with new plates in no time at all. Car was titled in AZ as a 1965 special construction Shelby Cobra. .

Yes, because you took the car in for inspection, they issued a new SPCON title.

If you had just taken the title document in, they would have just done the title document transfer.

Always take the car in for visual inspection.

[DWRAT]

Originally Posted by moore_rb

Yes, because you took the car in for inspection, they issued a new SPCON title.

If you had just taken the title document in, they would have just done the title document transfer.

Always take the car in for visual inspection.

So your saying I was right???
It can be changed, just needs to be inspected.(that's part of going to MVD)
I think AZLimey just did the same thing 2 weeks ago.
Arizona is Easy Peasy.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by DWRAT

So your saying I was right???.

Yeah, I guess so...

But then again, I think I told Danr HE was right one time, too, but it turned out I was mistaken...

I posted an awful lot of words, just to make a simple point (which was: Take the car in for level one inspection, don't just take the title in to do a quick transfer )

If the document is all you have, then the document is all they will go by.

[DWRAT]

Originally Posted by moore_rb

I think I told Danr HE was right one time, too, but it turned out I was mistaken...

Danr was never right.

[Bob Broberg SPF667 460BB]

I see you guys are getting the posting drift: PICK ON DAN! (Or Karl)

AZ Bob

[moore_rb]

Boy, in all this discussion about how to re-title your car Bruce, we all forgot to say

WELCOME TO ARIZONA !

Hope to see you at the myriad of car events around town. If you can, run out to Saguaro Lake next Saturday and meet some of the local Cobra crew... Including Danr and Karl.

Once you meet them, you'll see immediately why they are the favorite "targets" here in the forum (Both are really nice guys, who are both tough enough to take it... )

[CSX4815]

Yes absolutely! Welcome!

[AZ Cobra Mike]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Mine is 2007 ASVE (assembled vehicle) model 1965 Shelby cobra coupe. Florida title

I was told by Dmv agent to get classic car insurance that listed car as 1965 Shelby cobra and they would title it and no emmisions due. They were specific about the classic car insurance for the no emmisions.

I'm going to Dmv next week to title and register so all help will be very handy.

AZ Cobra Mike

[DWRAT]

Originally Posted by AZ Cobra Mike

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Mine is 2007 ASVE (assembled vehicle) model 1965 Shelby cobra coupe. Florida title

I was told by Dmv agent to get classic car insurance that listed car as 1965 Shelby cobra and they would title it and no emissions due. They were specific about the classic car insurance for the no emissions.

I'm going to Dmv next week to title and register so all help will be very handy.

AZ Cobra Mike

You need to have a level 1 inspection (by appointments only in most cases) and then you can title it as a 1965 and not worry about emissions.
OR
Leave it titled as a 2007 and get classic car ins and then you can skip emissions. (I don't know the second option first hand but I know Dr.Duc posted about it in the past.

[mikiec]

Hey, Bruce. Welcome to this group of wackos. If you can make the RTE 66 run I would love to see the Kirkham.

Let us know how your registration works out. If it gets the SPCN then no emissions needed. New law about 3 years ago or so.

Mike

[AZ Cobra Mike]

Originally Posted by DWRAT

You need to have a level 1 inspection (by appointments only in most cases) and then you can title it as a 1965 and not worry about emissions.
OR
Leave it titled as a 2007 and get classic car ins and then you can skip emissions. (I don't know the second option first hand but I know Dr.Duc posted about it in the past.

The level 1 is easy. I can have one of my guys at work sign it off. Thanks for the info. Nice to have options. If it's just as easy, I will title as 1965 and maybe save issues later if and when I go to sell it.

AZ Cobra Mike

[mikiec]

Go with AZ Cobra Mike. Fast, easy and legal.

[Bruce Robles]

Thank you all again for all the input. Hope to get this done soon and I can come to some events and meet with you. Hopefully before it gets to hot to drive the beast.

Bruce

[Mesa Mike]

ME too. Moved from CA and easy-pezy as 1965 Cobra. Was registered in CA and Hand crafted auto replica under HB100 in 2001.