Emissions / Registration Question

ItBites · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 09:02 AM

I've negotiated to buy my dad's '66 Midstates. The car is currently registered in Texas as a 1992 manufactured vehicle even though its a '66 replica.

There is no way the injected, 13.5:1, 427 BB Chevy will pass emissions standards in Maricopa county for a '92 (IM240 Test).

I am very concerned about what to do with the car. If I cannot use it here, I'll have to pass on the purchase and stick with my '73 Vette BB car, which would suck.

Could any of youse tell me how you get yours registered???

Any suggestions (besides putting a 302 ford late model in it - yuk!!)??

Please help as I really want this car (who wouldn't).

need4speed · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 11:18 AM

Typically in AZ a new kit car is registered as the year that the model represents and is designated as a "Specially Constructed Vehicle". This means that emissions are not an issue for Cobra replicas. The only uncertainty that I have is whether or not they would use the Texas credentials or not since it is not a new car and has been previously titled and registered. I am sure that somebody else from the local AZ Cobra Club will speak up on this that has been through this process with an out of state vehicle but a number of them are headed to Las Vegas for the FFR event this weekend and may not respond back until Monday. You can always call the folks at the MVD and see what they say or do a search on this since it has been discussed many times. Good luck.

Alan

JoeLafives · #3 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 01:00 PM

I registered my Unique last year after driving it from NJ. MVD pretty much ignored the title from NJ and created a new VIN for Arizona.

Y-NOT · #4 (**permalink**) 11-08-2003, 06:48 AM

Get the heck out of the valley and move up north - no emissions testing. I might have room in my barn for it here in downtown Paulden. Plus you will have a 25 mile straight road with no side streets to drive it on!
Bill

John-Tucson · #5 (**permalink**) 11-08-2003, 09:32 AM

One of our Tucson guys purchased a FFR in Michigan, it was registered as a 2000 model there, and re-registered it here as a 1965 Ford Roadster. He went to the MVD and read the rules and then spoke with the actual inspectors and didn'y have any problem at all. I registerd mine up there in Phoenix at the I-10 and Broadway MVD and found the inspectors to be friendly, knowledgable and fast. Good luck, John

Carnut427 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-08-2003, 10:03 AM

Unless they changed the rules since I registered mine in '96, "kit cars" are not subject to emissions anywhere by the EPA.
Good Luck,

Dan

vegan2 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-10-2003, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Y-NOT
Get the heck out of the valley and move up north - no emissions testing. I might have room in my barn for it here in downtown Paulden. Plus you will have a 25 mile straight road with no side streets to drive it on!
Bill

Bill: That sure is the case, as I purchased my Cobra in California with no one asking or saying anything about emissions testing (Kingman, AZ). It was a bit of a hassle to get it registered, but I ended up with Historic Vehicle status and that helps, insurance wise.

BPWilliams · #8 (**permalink**) 11-10-2003, 09:46 PM

I also had good luck at the southern / greenfield office. They looked at my car checked the vin plate (that I just stamped) and gave me the title as a 1965 ford Cobra. Not one problem at all, I also have the vintage plates, it throws everyone for a loop. I was shocked that they did not check anything mechanical on the car including the safety features. My tags are very cheap, the way it should be for a weekend car.

Good luck,
Brian
P.S. Get that Chevy out of there and get a real motor!

Karl Bebout · #9 (**permalink**) 11-11-2003, 07:15 AM

Brian, Brian, Brian! Such talk about removing a perfectly good Rat motor.

Aren't you the same guy that has had to miss various functions because he's repalcing broken parts? Fix Or Repair... What???

You know, if CS had had his druthers, and GM had not worried about his creating competition for their own plastic cars, his beautiful ACs would have had cute little bow tie engines under their bonnet. Karlos

BPWilliams · #10 (**permalink**) 11-11-2003, 07:58 AM

Ya Karl, I know what you mean............

The car is down again, I locked up my Gold Track Lock racing Dif. I do not know how this happened, the thing is bullet proof, so I am told. I guess that when you are turning close to 160 at Firebird on the main straight it will find the weak link. Going to pull the rear end tonight and see what's up

Now about that Chevy thing, I was (still am) a chevy buff, but when building a replica of a kit car (original Cobra) I thought it was proper to stay within the lines, but what the heck I even run a Chevy alternator

Some people are purist, and that is not me

That is the reason for building the car instead of rolling it off the show room floor, you can say "I did it my way" (truth, I just like to give you a hard time

)

Keep it above 100....................

Brian

ItBites · #11 (**permalink**) 11-12-2003, 07:11 PM

Thanks all for the replies...

I'll pick up the Cobra over Christmas break. I hope I have as good luck as y'all and get it registered as a '66.

About the historic plates: Does anyone know if State Farm gives any discount for this classification?

Also, has anyone been to Firebird or Speedworld (drags) in one of these things? They don't care about my 12 sec Vette, but this thing is a convertible (and 11 sec)...

BTW my take on the Chev motor: This thing is not a replica. It is a TOY and I'm a long time Chevy guy. Its fiberglass and doesn't have the CVS rearend, suspension, 15" wheels, 1960s tires, or many other things a TRUE replica would. Also, this car has been clocked at 168 mph at Brainerd Intl Speedway (2.73:1 gear) and never beaks - great toy - scary windshield!!!

Sorry to disappoint the "purists", but I like it. I'll drive it like I stole it.

ItBites · #12 (**permalink**) 11-12-2003, 07:14 PM

woops CSV not CVS... My apologies again to the purists. Spell check won't catch everything.

Anyhow, happy motoring!!!

John-Tucson · #13 (**permalink**) 11-12-2003, 10:13 PM

Down here in Tucson, State Farm Ins. does not give any discount for the 1965 registration or Historic Plates. You will have a choice of the amount of mileage per year you think that you'll put on the car. The least expensive is the 1,000 ,miles per year and trailer the car to events. I have rhe 7,500 mile per year and am paying a little more for it. I think that there are three of us in town that have State Farm and no one has had any claims or problems with them. John PS. I really recommend the MVD at I-10 and Broadway, Gordon Levy has all of his done there and they know the Cobra.

Karl Bebout · #14 (**permalink**) 11-13-2003, 06:11 AM

John, what kind of rate does State Farm offer? I'd been with Haggerty for the first couple years I had my car. I'd read a Kt Car magazine article where the Haggerty rep had said that they were getting out of covering Cobras and sure enough, my next premium had gone up 50% and the coverage was reduced. I guess that insurance companies cannot drop an AZ customer but they can price themselves out of business. I checked with several agencies and found that Condon Skelly in N.J. gave me a pretty reasonable rate through Metlife. I think my premium is about $375 a year for $28K valuation, $500 deductible, $300K liability, and full glass, 2500 miles per year limitation. I've been with them two years now and my second year's premium did not increase. I'd checked with my family vehicle provider, Progressive, and their premium was 'way out of hand. Suprising since their rate for my other cars is a whole lot less than anyone else I've shopped. Karlos

John-Tucson · #15 (**permalink**) 11-13-2003, 10:04 PM

Karlos, My coverage is almost the same as yours except for the milage, mine is 7,500 miles a year. My cost is $268.50 per six months or $537.00 a year. Also, I do have other cars insured with State farm. Anyone can drive my Cobra as long as they have auto insutance of their own. John

Marc Walker · #16 (**permalink**) 11-14-2003, 05:17 PM

I just registered mine today. I was hearing different stories from different people so I went to the nearest mvd office here in NW Tucson to find out what my options were. This is what I found out........ Because mine was already registered in Calif ( I moved here from there and brought it with me), they just simply reregistered it here as the same thing. No inspection, nothing. Just checked the vin on the car with the numbers on my existing reg and title. Wasn't any different than transfering the reg on my pick-up. I traded in my Calif plate and walked out with a Arizona historic vehicle plate and a new title for a total of $48.
That's what happens if it's already titled as a pre-smog vehicle just being reregistered here. The other option is to go "downtown" and have a new VIN issued. That would be the deal if it were a new car with a MSO or if for some reason it was titled as a later year where smog would be an issue. The main office will "start over" and invent a new VIN and title it as what ever year it represents..... easy as that. Is Arizona great or what ?
I also just insured it here with Classic Auto Ins (Great American). 3000 mi limit, 250/500k liability and stated replacement value of $40,000.
Annual premium....... $560.

Bob Broberg SPF667 460BB · #17 (**permalink**) 11-14-2003, 10:14 PM

Congrats! Marc, and welcome to AZ. You will like it.
Join us for some fun. We members of the AZ Cobras have frequent events, like this Saturday. Johnex are few and far between. In fact I don't recall any in AZ before you.

Lets Play

Bob