Moved From NY to Texas

[Franky 427]

Greetings,
I have just moved from NY to Texas and I am a bit worried about registering my cobra here. My car is titled in NY as a 2007 Custom.

According to what I am reading my car is required to pass emissions based on the year it was assembled. This was not required in NY. My car was an all new build. I would like to change my Title to a Texas Title with a 1965 Replica as the year, but I cannot do that without an inspection. I don't think I can get it inspected with a 2007 year, because it requires emissions. it seems like a circular problem.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Appreciate all your help.

[1966Snaake]

Hello Franky!
Dependent on exactly where you are in TX, the registration process could be fairly easy: Contact your local DPS office (TX state troopers) and they will be glad to direct you to a state inspector who will look your vehicle over and give you the required paperwork to title your vehicle as a homebuilt. Otherwise, you may tell your insurance company to name it a 1965 Cobra replica, take that piece of paper to any safety inspection station and for about $15, get another piece of paper to take to the county tax assessors' office and receive a new Texas title and window sticker. Best bet: contact one of the many local Cobra clubs and get the local inside scoop on how to do this the easy way.

Best of Luck, and welcome to Texas!

[Seagull81]

Where do you live, Franky? That will help the locals with advice. Also keep the end of March open for the Texas Cobra Club Spring Meet in San Marcos. We have a blast and would love to meet you.
Texas Cobra Meet

[am9648]

For a custom registration, this is the path to follow:

The DMV has embodied the guidance from the legislature in the Assembled and Rebuilt Vehicle Manual. You need to download that and read the portions that pertain to assembled vehicles and custom vehicles. Your cobra will become a Custom Vehicle, Replica 1965 Ford.

The DMV is very strict in the manual .. The VTR 852 for a new assembled vehicle must be signed by an ASE Certified Master Technician who is current in categories A1 through A8. The technician must provide you with a print out of his certificate status report that shows he is current in all 8 categories (that is what makes him a Master technician).

The steps are in this order:
Get an insurance card that describes the car as a "1965 Ford 2DR Roadster (or Convertible) Replica."
Go to the county title clerk and get a 30 day paper tag so you can legally drive the car to the ASE inspection and certified public scales.
Have the ASE inspection done and VTR 852 signed (the ASE will need to see the insurance card)
Have the car weighed and get a weight certificate at a truck stop

Proceed to the county title and registration office with the following:
VTR-61 Rebuilt Vehicle Statement, bearing the signature of the assembler, plus the invoices for chassis, motor, trans,
VTR-130U Title Application
VTR-852 ASE Inspection augmented by the ASE Certification print out from the inspector,
Weight certificate,
Photo or rubbing of the VIN plate,
3 photos of your car,
1 photo of an original 1965 Cobra,
Title
Your checkbook.

By the way I am located in Houston.

Hope this helps!

[Franky 427]

Hi Thanks very much for the advice. I will look into it further. One trick is I no longer have the MSO (it was surrendered to NY to get my NY Title). I may not be able to follow this path, but I will certainly update y'all.

Thanks so much guys.

[SSSammy]

... so the process is slightly different than what am9648 describes above. You do not have the MSO. Your NY title rules as far as what the VIN is and the year. In your case, you will be filling the forms out as "2007" year, make "ASVE". On the 852 form is where you add that it is a "replica 1965 Ford"

The steps are the same, otherwise. Get an insurance card for a 1965 FORD Replica. Then get the VTR-852 done by the Master ASE Technician, get a copy of his certificate. Go get a weight from a certified public scale. You do not get a state emissions inspection like regular cars. You will never need an annual inspection. The VTR-852 blows that away.

Make sure the title clerk understands you are titling an "Assembled" vehicle, "replica 1965 FORD", and you are registering a "Custom Vehicle." Your plate will read "Custom Vehicle." It's two separate processes.

You already owned this car in NY, so you don't owe any sales tax.

Read the "Assembled and Rebuilt Vehicle Manual" for more understanding!

Sam

[Franky 427]

Originally Posted by SSSammy

... so the process is slightly different than what am9648 describes above. You do not have the MSO. Your NY title rules as far as what the VIN is and the year. In your case, you will be filling the forms out as "2007" year, make "ASVE". On the 852 form is where you add that it is a "replica 1965 Ford"

The steps are the same, otherwise. Get an insurance card for a 1965 FORD Replica. Then get the VTR-852 done by the Master ASE Technician, get a copy of his certificate. Go get a weight from a certified public scale. You do not get a state emissions inspection like regular cars. You will never need an annual inspection. The VTR-852 blows that away.

Make sure the title clerk understands you are titling an "Assembled" vehicle, "replica 1965 FORD", and you are registering a "Custom Vehicle." Your plate will read "Custom Vehicle." It's two separate processes.

You already owned this car in NY, so you don't owe any sales tax.

Read the "Assembled and Rebuilt Vehicle Manual" for more understanding!

Sam

Thanks Sam,
It seems easier than I thought. I was worried my NYS title would cause issues. I have an appointment for my VTR-852 and VTR-64 inspection. I will keep you updated.

[SSSammy]

Franky, The VTR-64 was superseded by the VTR-852. But here's an important tip ... have the Master ASE Tech confirm that he has loaded your VIN to the state inspection data base. That particular act will replace the traditional state inspection that you would do on a normal car. This creates a connection for the registration renewal process next year. While normal cars will need an annual inspection every year, you are exempt. But the registration process may balk if it can't find a record of this original inspection. Good luck!

Sam

[GaryT]

Welcome to the area, we have a lot of cars running around Keller and hope to see you around. There are 4 around the Davis/N Tarrant area.

Gary

[Franky 427]

Hi Gary,
That is awesome. I am right down the street. I live near Rufe Snow and N Tarrant area.

[Texasdoc]

I'm at Keller-Smithfield and Bear Creek. There are quite a few of us in the NE area. We usually try to get together about once a month. We need to get you added to the texting list. Welcome to the area!

[hawk 325]

I just got my cobra on the road last December and I didn't need the weight certificate. I titled my at the Lake Worth office, they are very knowledgeable about titling these cars.

[Howard Jones]

I have asked this before but its been over a year ago. So as not to miss any new information I'll ask again. I have two cars. A GTD40 "replica of a GT40" and a RCR SLC. Both have been titled in California and the GT40 has current registration and plates from California It is also insured in California.

The SLC is also titled in California but the registration is on hold because I wanted to wait until I got to Texas to insure it. If I got insured I could drive it in California now.

The question, taking it one car at a time. Since my GT40 registration is current in Calif, and is titled as a specially constructed vehicle can I just transfer the registration to Texas as a special home built car and avoid the title process in TX along with inspections and smog checks. I would leave it titled in Calif if that makes it easier.

I should add I live in New Braunfels 78130 and I believe this area is not doing smogs.

The second car is a bit different. It's a SLC and is really a track car. BUT it is licensed in Calif, and is also titled as a specially constructed vehicle there. Registration has lapsed because I have not renewed my insurance on it when I moved to Texas. However if I got insurance on it in Calif and sent in proof I could drive it there right now.

What would be the best way to register my SLC in TX? Again I would love to avoid a inspection if possible.

Both cars are in storage for now.
Thanks in advance. Howard Jones

[SSSammy]

Howard,
You have two separate processes to perform in TX: 1. get a TX title, 2. get registered (tag).

I have not see us discuss the scenario where one does not get a TX title, instead using another state title as the basis for a TX registration. So unless someone weighs in with a first hand experience, I'd call the TXDMV in Austin and ask to speak to the Assembled and Rebuilt Vehicle expert. Do not rely on what your county tax assessor (tag office) says, they are not experts.

I recently ran my Kirkham through this gauntlet with a MD title that had not been registered in 8 years. Somehow, it had been tagged in Nevada with a MD title ... I guess NV allows that. I do not believe TX allows it.

So in my experience, with a used "special construction" from out of state with a title, the TXDMV goes by the out of state title on year manufactured. So you end up with a 2002 ASVE in the case of the GTD, for instance. Or whatever year the CA title shows. My 2004 KIRK from MD became a 2004 ASVE in TX. The SLC would be similar.

You cannot get these cars titled or registered in TX without an inspection. The upside is, if you follow the "Custom Vehicle" rules, is that it is not an emissions inspection, it is a road worthiness inspection. See Form VTR-852 for what they inspect. This method requires you to assert that your vehicle is a REPLICA 1966 FORD, for instance. On the SLC, choose something that it sort of resembles. Once this inspection is filed you will never need another inspection as long as you own the car.

So if you have titles for your cars, the TX process does not ask for a current registration proof. You would follow the steps outlined above for Franky. Do read the Assembled and Rebuilt Vehicle Manual April 2015 edition for more details. You will need most of the exhibits called out, but one does not know which ones will be skipped over. All the county tax offices vary on how they implement the process.

Good luck, and report back with your success story!
Sam

[lnfletcher]

Man I'm glad AR doesn't have all of that!