texas title issues revisited

[G-Pete]

So folks, the title is issued. The journey is over and everything is honky dory.

As mentioned before, the compromise was to put a little plate on the "door post' to satisfy the DMV requirements . Here some pictures of that....

[G-Pete]

....and she has now the custom plates....

[Grey 65]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Paul,

good luck to find a ASE master mechanic certified A1 trough A8 for $14.50. The requirement is not a "normal" state inspection. The car goes on the lift and every bolt, connections, lines, welds, mechanical, electrical and fluids will be checked.

All that took 1 1/2 hrs including test drive. I had to pay the shop where the mechanic works - I think for all that work and someone check my work and I get thumps up from someone who knows what they doing, it is $280 worth.

Pete,

I know of a place that has three (3) ASE Master Techs (A1-A8) and they charge $14.95.

Firestone Complete Auto Care
5758 Rufe Snow Drive
North Richland Hills, Tx 76180

Kevin.....

[G-Pete]

Kevin, I'm pretty stunned. I called them and sure they have an A1-A8 master on staff. The boss said - leave it here for a couple of hours, make sure everything works and we will do it ------ for $14.95

This is a 20 point inspection plus brake test. The technician signs that paper ....."I have inspected the vehicle listed, and certify it is structurally stable and meets the necessary conditions to operate safely on the public highway"....

wow, and they can and will do it for $14.95

[Grey 65]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Kevin, I'm pretty stunned. I called them and sure they have an A1-A8 master on staff. The boss said - leave it here for a couple of hours, make sure everything works and we will do it ------ for $14.95

This is a 20 point inspection plus brake test. The technician signs that paper ....."I have inspected the vehicle listed, and certify it is structurally stable and meets the necessary conditions to operate safely on the public highway"....

wow, and they can and will do it for $14.95

Oh yes... They did mine this morning.... I made sure they actually did it for that price before I posted it....

You gotta learn to trust me.. I told you that Germany was going to win the WC and they did didn't I......

Kevin.....

[G-Pete]

So they filled out the VTR-852 (Rev 2/14) and gave you a copy of the current certifications A1 thru A8 of the ASE Master Technician?

Hey wait a minute, I thought your car is already titled in Texas?

[Grey 65]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

So they filled out the VTR-852 (Rev 2/14) and gave you a copy of the current certifications A1 thru A8 of the ASE Master Technician?

Hey wait a minute, I thought your car is already titled in Texas?

Yes, VTR-852 (Rev 2/14) all filled out and signed by the tech along with 2 copies of the techs certs....

Yes, it was already titled in Texas but there was an error on my title that I didn't catch when I had it titled originally and my local DMV wouldn't fix the error without all new paperwork...

Monday I will go to DMV after work to file for a corrected title now that I have all the paperwork the lady said I needed to have to get them to fix THEIR error.

Kevin.....

[dallas_]

Originally Posted by Grey 65

Firestone Complete Auto Care
5758 Rufe Snow Drive
North Richland Hills, Tx 76180

Kevin.....

That's great, but does anyone know of someone else who can do this in the North Dallas area?

Last time I went to the Ford dealership at 121/Tollway, but they don't have an ASE guy anymore.

[paul cass]

Hey guys. I haven't had time to write a follow up to this story. It is quite lengthy but I will try to print it in the next week or so. I will say this. If you check around you shoud be able to find an ASE Master Tech that will work with you. Usually they work at a garage not at a dealer. After doing some research I found that there were a couple here in Corpus Christi. Through a friend I found one that was not anal and did the inspection for $70. Unfortunatley the State does not suggest a set fee so it is up to the Tech as to how much he wants to charge.

[Howard Jones]

I am just about to finish a Race Car Replicas SLC. I currently live in California but bought a little land in Texas and plan to build a house there just out of the city limits of New Braunfels.

My question is would it be better for me to wait until I am living in Texas to register my SLC or do it here in Calif, then transfer registration to Texas.

It's not the money I am most concerned about but the difficulty. I know how to do a kit car in Calif as I also have a GTD GT40 and did that here under CA SB100 several years ago.

Should I just do a SB 100 again here for my SLC and transfer when I move to Texas? Can a specially constructed vehicle legally registered in Cal be re-registered as a similar type of vehicle in Texas and keep the favorable Smog requirement rule. I currently do not do smog inspections ever on my GT40 and no specifications are made for it under SB100 here in CA.

I should add that I have a SBC (sorry Ford guys) with a Holley and a roller cam in the car and I am SURE it won't pass any smog inspection standard. This would be fine here in Calif.

What do you TX guys think.

[SSSammy]

Howard, my opinion only, on your SLC ...

TX, as a default, will go by whatever the CA title says it is. I believe you never lose your SB100 certification, if anyone ever wants to take it back there. When it is being titled in TX you will also want to register it for "Custom Vehicle" plates. This involves the prior action of getting an ASE Master Technician to execute TX form VTR-852 (ASE Safety Inspection and Application for Custom Vehicle or Street Rod License Plates). And your insurance card must reflect that you are a replica of some vintage car. Then you will never need another inspection.

If you want to wait till you move to start the process, you can do that. See the adjacent thread (Texas ASVE Title ...) for the checklist. It takes some preparation. You will be titled as "2015 Assembled Vehicle, Replica: 1968 Ferrari - or whatever" you will owe no 6.25% TX sales tax on the purchase. You will have to figure out what you are a replica of, I think. Pick something similar that existed back when

Good luck!
Sam

[Howard Jones]

I think that is perfect for my GT40 replica. It was done under SB100 several years ago and in currently on the road here.

But..........my SLC isn't a replica of anything really. Certainly not a old car from the pre smog days like my GT40 or Cobras. And that is really my question. What to do with a modern design kit car like a GTM for example with a old school engine in it that will never pass any smog rules.

I have been told that my new TX County is a "good" one for this issue but if I might talk to somebody in the kit car community in TX maybe I could figure out what to do.

Again, I am after the legal easiest way to go. Not necessarily the least expensive. I have no desire to spend my hard earned bucks on taxes if its not necessary but what ever it takes to get it done legally and with a little bureaucracy as possible is what I am after.

[SSSammy]

I share your concern about the SLC not being a replica. I think you should download the ASSEMBLED AND REBUILT VEHICLE MANUAL and read Chapters 2 and 4 very carefully. On the face of it, they make allowance for assembled vehicles that do not represent an actual make. But the fish hook is: unless you register (separate step from title) as a "Custom Vehicle" you will have to get a 2015 compliant safety and emissions inspection annually. That's why I suggested that you just pick something.

The definition from the manual of a "Custom Vehicle":

A custom vehicle is a vehicle that:
• is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 1948; or
• manufactured to resemble a vehicle that is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 1948, that has been altered from the manufacturer's original design, or has a body constructed from materials not original to the vehicle.

I suspect you may be the first SLC or GTM to come along since all these regs were published in 2014.

Sam

[ram_g]

Sam is correct, however the statement that the specific location was a "good one" for this issue caused me to dig deeper. In fact it looks like Comal County, in which New Braunfels is located, is not currently an EPA "non attainment" area so no emissions testing is required. So if that we're true, Howard could follow the process to title a non-replica assembled vehicle and simply get a safety inspection every year. Keep in mind that airbags etc. are not part of the inspection program, so the car ought to pass.

BUT - there is a catch! To wit, EPA's designations can and do vary! Specifically in the case of Comal County, a brief google search shows that it used to require emissions testing until recently, and I even found a webpage that stated that the air quality was trending in the wrong direction hence it might go into non-attainment status again.

So the bottom line is that registration without the replica status (and hence Custom Vehicle plates) seems like a risky thing to do. You might be fine but you're entirely reliant on an annual basis on factors entirely outside your control. Not where I would want to be...

[G-Pete]

Ram, county does not matter. You get a TX title issued not a county title. The next step is to register the vehicle.
The registration requirements in some counties are different. BUT, only about emissions - nothing else. If you don't have the custom vehicle brand you are required to have all safety features of the year of your title.
2015 for an example
Active seat belt restrains
Airbags in front
Collapsible steering shaft
DOT shatter windshield double layer
Side impact bars
Back up light
3rd brake light
Side and rear reflectors
Padded steering wheel

...and this is just the begin of the a long list.

[ram_g]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Ram, county does not matter. You get a TX title issued not a county title. The next step is to register the vehicle.
The registration requirements in some counties are different. BUT, only about emissions - nothing else. If you don't have the custom vehicle brand you are required to have all safety features of the year of your title.
2015 for an example
Active seat belt restrains
Airbags in front
Collapsible steering shaft
DOT shatter windshield double layer
Side impact bars
Back up light
3rd brake light
Side and rear reflectors
Padded steering wheel

...and this is just the begin of the a long list.

G-Pete,

I may have mis-spoken about the difference between title and registration because I applied for all of them together. However the fact remains that the OP could apply for an assembled vehicle title (with no reference to a replica) and then not apply for a Custom Vehicle plate. In that case he would have to follow the standard safety and emissions inspection protocol. For emissions, as I stated, it appears that they are not required at this time where he will be. For safety, I don't know where you got your list, but it is not what is stated on the Texas DPS site. Specifically airbags are not an item of inspection no matter what year your car is, and the list does not vary by model year.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RSD/VI...nCriteria.aspx

05.01 Inspect Every Passenger Car For: (Listed in suggested order of inspection)

* Check for evidence of Financial Responsibility

1. Horn
2. Windshield Wipers
3. Mirror
4. Steering
5. Seat Belts
6. Brakes (system) (Parking - beginning with 1960 models)
7. Tires
8. Wheel Assembly
9. Exhaust System
10. Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)
11. Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models)
12. Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
13. Stop Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
14. License Plate Lamp (1)
15. Rear Red Reflectors (2)
16. Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models)
17. Head Lamps (2)
18. Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number
19. Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old
20. Window Tint.

Furthermore I once had a Honda Accord where the SRS light came on (due, as it turns out, to a faulty seat belt electrical connector). I was told by my mechanic that it was NOT an item on the annual safety inspection and sure enough I received a sticker even with that fault indicator on.

[G-Pete]

Ram, I referred not to state inspections. I referred to titling a new vehicle. The state can title replicas and antiques under a different guidelines and regulations - the title need to be branded the same way.
New vehicles are regulated by the DOT, which is federal and requires all these safety features named above and more.

Start reading here: DOT HS 808 878

Now, here out of the TXDPS manual:
Note: If the 1965 SHELBY replica was assembled in 2014 and was NOT applying
for the Custom Vehicle plate, but instead for any other eligible license plate,
the vehicle would be required to meet the safety standards of 2014.

Safety Standards is the word not TX Safety Inspections. 2015 Safety Standards are found in the link provided.

Texas closed a loophole - if someone tries to go around, they will have a real garage queen.

[G-Pete]

Besides all that - WHO would not get custom vehicle plates to be exempt from yearly inspections (for ever)???

[Howard Jones]

That really helps guys, Thanks, custom vehicle it is then. So maybe a 1966 Porsche 906? Sorta kinda looks like that.

[SSSammy]

Originally Posted by Howard Jones

That really helps guys, Thanks, custom vehicle it is then. So maybe a 1966 Porsche 906? Sorta kinda looks like that.

Ought to be fine. Technically, the manual calls for you to bring a photo of the car that you are supposed to be a replica of. So as long as there is a resemblance in shape ... My experience was that I presented a photo of a 1966 Ford GT40 along with the required three views of my replica. The clerk glanced at the photo of the original and handed it back to me, and selected one of the three replica views and handed the rest back :roll eyes:

As we say here, the most consistent thing between the various county title offices in Texas is their inconsistency.

Don't forget, your insurance card, which is the first step in all of this, needs to describe the car as a "1966 Porsche 906 Replica." That starts you off on the right foot with the VTR-852 form and the ASE inspection.

Sam