Registering New Cobras in WA.

[Ron Going]

I'm new to the NW Cobra Club, but did see a thread about how to register a newly completed Cobra Kit. I just finished an ERA 289 FIA and got the State Inspection/ Licensing completed. For anyone who is about to do this, I'll pass on a lesson learned. The DOL has two options when you license your car. They can license it as a "kit car" or they can license it as "replica". If they do it as a kit car, it will be licensed by the year it was built (i.e. a new car). If they license it as a replica, it can be licensed by the year it is replicating. I registered my FIA as a 1966....therefore no smog worries. The registration will be as a "RCOBRA" with a vin number from the kit MSO or the ID stamped on the frame. If your local DOL will not do this, go to a different office. I know this can be done, I just did it in Tacoma. I would be happy to pass on more details if you want to email me. Good luck.....will see you all this year sometime at a Cobra function.

[ALLEN ENGLISH]

Ron thats good information, i'm sure it will be helpful for others. BTW my wife has a friend with a place in the Whidbey Island area and family at Friday Harbor. We are planning a drive up that way with our cobra this summer some time to visit the family. It would be cool to have a look at you FIA when we are in the area. I'll post again when we are on our way out that direction.

[Michael C Henry]

When did they start that option?Is there any milage resrictions?My car was liesenced in wa in 2000.It came from Nevada as a 66 Cobra replica and they changed it at the WASP station out on 112th.I was lucky I could show the date of manufacture of the body and chassis.I still have Smog inspections in 2006 and 2008 then in 2009 it will be over the twenty-five limit.

[Ron Going]

Mike,

To my knowledge it has always been this way. I moved up from Calif. in 1988. At the time I had a Contemporary 427SC that had been registered in Calif and needed to be licensed in WA. Even back then the new WA registration was "RCOBRA", the year was 1966. I think the determining factor here is the DOL office that you go to. Some are more helpful than other, some are more knowledgeable. I went to the office at S. Tacoma Wy and 56th. They were great and fully understood the difference in a "kit" and a "replica". The subject of mileage never came up and did not appear to be a factor. I have no idea of the chances of changing an existing kit designation to a replica. Now that I think about it, I may have done things out of order and it may have helped. I went to the DOL office BEFORE my WSP inspection to get a 60 day temp license. That DOL office is the one who designated my car a replica. When I went for the WSP inspection, the officer just filled out the inspection paperwork. The registration was already established as a replica by the DOL office. That sequence of events may be the key.

Ron

[Michael C Henry]

In 95 I had a copy made at the public library from RCW reg which stated that I could regester it as the year of the car it replicates.In 2000 I bought an older replica in RENO that was allready regestrered as a 66 Cobra replica, but that wasn't an option here they had changed the regulation to the year of the date of manufacture of body and chassis. and regestration starts with "kitV" The only bright spot was it was allready 16 years old.
I now hear that the cops are upset because KIT_V does little to describe the vehicle they are looking for. They changed my cars identification description from out of state. I'll see about changing it when they call me and offer to do it for free. They can go try to milk money from someone else.

[Jake]

Ron, I thought I would further muddy the water. My Superformance is registered as a 1999 Cobra replica. I wish they would let me switch it to a 1965.

Jake

[CoBro]

Unfortunately, the problem is that most of you guys brought out of state cars into Washington and have to deal with the WASP. Any out of state car is subject to reaming by the State Patrol. Ron in Gig Harbor built his car here and was able to get the mid 60's registration. No emissions testing! No way would I let some kid jump behind the wheel of my car at the smog testing facility. I wonder if that dyno they have tests horsepower!
I waited patiently to buy a WA car so I wouldn't have to deal with the guys with the funny hats.

[Bob Parmenter]

Originally posted by CoBro


Unfortunately, the problem is that most of you guys brought out of state cars into Washington and have to deal with the WASP. Any out of state car is subject to reaming by the State Patrol. Ron in Gig Harbor built his car here and was able to get the mid 60's registration. No emissions testing! No way would I let some kid jump behind the wheel of my car at the smog testing facility. I wonder if that dyno they have tests horsepower!
I waited patiently to buy a WA car so I wouldn't have to deal with the guys with the funny hats.

Hi guys,
Just wanted to clarify some most likely unintentional misinformation just in case some other Washingtonian pulls this up in a search. Bringing a titled car in from out of state does not entail an automatic inspection by the State Patrol. That program was dropped about four years ago. As examples I've titled three replica cars during the last few years that had out of state titles specifying them as the year they were meant to replicate. All three, two hot rods and one Cobra replica, sailed through the process without inspection and were re-titled in Wa as; e.g. 1932 Ford, 1927 Ford, etc. because that's what the former title said.

Ron's correct in stating that there are different results from different offices. When I did the Cobra replica it had been formerly titled as just "Cobra". The clerk's computer wouldn't accept that, the only "push button" choice he had was "Shelby Cobra". Okay, I'll go with that!!

I realize the guys in Cali are going through fits in this area right now, and given that our state is at least just as money grubbing that in the future we could have the same or similar issues, right now it's not a hinderance to bring in a titled car from out of state.

[G.R.]

Originally posted by CoBro


Unfortunately, the problem is that most of you guys brought out of state cars into Washington and have to deal with the WASP. Any out of state car is subject to reaming by the State Patrol. Ron in Gig Harbor built his car here and was able to get the mid 60's registration. No emissions testing! No way would I let some kid jump behind the wheel of my car at the smog testing facility. I wonder if that dyno they have tests horsepower!
I waited patiently to buy a WA car so I wouldn't have to deal with the guys with the funny hats.

The only reason I had to deal with a WASP inspection was because of a Illinois clerks typo on the title, the typo had one extra digit that the computer wouldn't accept. So I had to go to the WASP inspection to have the vin/mso verified. All in all it was an enjoyable experience at the inspection station. 10 min for the inspection and verifiaction and about another 40 min with 5 patrol guys going all over the car, asking questions, asking to sit in the car, things like that.
When we moved here from CO and relicensed/titled our cars here 10yrs. ago we didn't get "reamed" by WASP never had to see them....But the DMV 'reamed us" big time. I paid more on my then 4yr old truck alone in fees than we did in CO on my wifes '95 Honda LX wagon and my '91 Chevy 1 ton 4x4 combined. And the roads there are in better shape.
Where's all the money go that they collect in this state from all the fees/taxes they charge?

[Sydney]

I just returned from the WSP inspection station in Spokane. They had the rule book out and followed the kit car page to the letter. They labeled it exactly as it was worded on my MSO. They called it a KITV that is a replica of a 1967 Shelby Cobra. The rule book says that all kit vehicles must include the word "replica". I asked about replicas as opposed to kit cars, and they couldn't find anything in the book about replicas, just kit vehicles.

They spent a few minutes verifying numbers and quite a bit of time going through all of my receipts since I had no donor car. They recorded invoice numbers of the major components and stamped them.

Of course they took some of pictures and sent them around to coworkers across the state. Apparently they don't get so see many very nice cars there. After a couple of phone calls, they let me choose the model year between the date on the MSO '03 and this year '06. The rule book says they can do that. The model year just can't be anything before what is on the MSO. I chose this year as it gives me a full 5 years before I have to go through the emission process.

On the emission thing, they recommended that I go to a test station before I have to get tested and talk to the manager about what I have. Apparently they will work with you. I asked about out of state cars, and they said that the WSP doesn't have anything to do with them. It is all up to the Dept. of Licensing.

All in all my WSP experience was pleasant. The fellas there were very professional and nice. I'm off to the Dept of Licensing tomorrow. We'll see what that brings.

Sydney

[jwd]

Sidney,
I just went through this whole thing with the Dept. of Licensing and the Dept. of Ecology. On this side of the mountain (west), if you have a MSO, you don't have to have the car inspected by the WSP. You just go in with your MSO and receipts and you'll leave with your plates in less than 5 mins.

[ERA713]

Jwd,im going to be doing this soon with a era 427. engine is in shopand car should be finished by september.is the mso the cert of origin?I would really like to get my car liscenced as a 66 cobra.bypassing the wsp would be a plus.thanks jim.

[jwd]

ERA713, I sent you a PM.

[Sydney]

Just returned from the Dept. of Licensing today. They didn't seem to think I needed the WSP inspection. I'm glad I had the inspection though because the WSP changed the model year from '03 to '06 which helps me out. The DOL wanted to only use the year that's on the MSO which is '03, except I had a statement of fact from the WSP that said '06. The bottom line is I got my plates in about 10 minutes. Yahoo!!

Sydney

[jwd]

Congrats. Now go put some miles on that bad boy.

[Mastiff107]

I purchased an out of state ("Tpiini's") which is registered in KA as a "1998 Special Construction". The car actually has a 1966 289 engine. Gig Harbor DMV told me they go by the way it is already titled from the other state and I can't change it to "1966 Replica" or anything else. Anyone know different (I had been looking at an out of state registered as a "1966 Cobra Replica" and I wasn't gonna have to do dick but pay my money and get my plates w/ no inspections.

[Mastiff107]

Something tells me that this is going to be more trouble than the paperwork I did while trying to adopt a beautiful 17 year old, well developed girl from Scandanavia, but that's another story...

[kidcobra]

Mastiff
It is easier then you think it is going to be.
It will take a few days and some time on the phone and two trips to the emissions station. I brought mine in from OR and I didnt have to deal with any vehicle inspections just emissions.
If you need any help let me know. You can get it done in a day if things work out right.
Matt

[skibum2]

Bought mine in California and the Washington state licensing agent didn't know what a "spec const" vehicle was... went to WSP in Eastgate and he looked at me and said, and I quote "what are you doing here?"...No inspection required if she had known how to do her job, So he inspected the numbers and signed off and it took all of 2 minutes... Took longer to get out of the inspection station with all the inquiries... thats all that I had to do...

[Michael C Henry]

I wished they would have gone with what Nevada had on my car . Seems every station does it some way different than any other station.