Replicars

[wdfifteen]

"Washington joined the growing list of states to enact SEMA model legislation to amend the vehicle titling and registration classification for street rods and create a classification for custom vehicles.. The bill was approved by the Washington State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire.* Under the new law, a street rod is defined as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 30 years old and manufactured after 1948.* Importantly, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble.*

In Washington, making a car with a plastic that looks like a Porsche makes it a Porsche. This is just wrong. It should be titled as a Beck or a VW, not a Porsche.
I'm not well versed on this. Has Porsche licensed its name to Beck and these other companies so they can put the Porsche name on the titles of their creations?

[sc_rufctr]

That's just strange...

So if I build a Ferrari based on a Corvette chassis it will have a Ferrari title???

[Tervuren]

Nothing new here, this means you can build a custom car, and only have to worry about the emissions regulations of what it resembles. It's still registered as the make of whoever built it. It doesn't become a Porsche.

It says model YEAR, not make, model, and year. That means you register a 1953 Beck spider, not a 2011 Beck spyder. I hope that clears that up for you.

Washington just recently adapted kalifornia emissions rules, so this meant your replica/custom had to meet new regulations, but registered as an older year model car, it doesn't have to worry. For example, you can't put an engine that is older than the car in kalifornia. That means you'd have to build your home built car with only a current year model engine. But, if it resembled in some way a 427 cobra, you could use engines from the mid sixties and up.

[willtel]

Who cares? When you go to a car show are you sifting through folders filled with titles or looking at cars?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

Nothing new here, this means you can build a custom car, and only have to worry about the emissions regulations of what it resembles. It's still registered as the make of whoever built it. It doesn't become a Porsche.

It says model YEAR, not make, model, and year. That means you register a 1953 Beck spider, not a 2011 Beck spyder. I hope that clears that up for you.

Washington just recently adapted kalifornia emissions rules, so this meant your replica/custom had to meet new regulations, but registered as an older year model car, it doesn't have to worry. For example, you can't put an engine that is older than the car in kalifornia. That means you'd have to build your home built car with only a current year model engine. But, if it resembled in some way a 427 cobra, you could use engines from the mid sixties and up.

You're right. I read it as "same model AND year." So a Beck Speedster that looks like a 1956 Porsche Speedster is a 1956 Beck Speedster no matter what year the engine etc was made. Got it.

[Mark Hjelm]

I like it !

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Mark Hjelm

I like it !

Me too! We are always whining about the nanny state and here they are giving us a little breathing room.

The 356 in my future is going to have disk brakes! (and probably a fiberglass body)

[Zeke]

I don't think you're reading the sentence correctly. "....same model year...." does not mean same model (brand). SEMA never intended anything like that.

[willtel]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

I makes a difference on a lot of things from from emission standards, to bumper requirements, to seat-belts.

I don't think it does.

These laws are written with the intention of allowing hobbyists to build a car themselves and legally register and insure it once it is complete.

For instance if someone wants to make a '32 Ford and they do so using a fiberglass body and an aftermarket frame they can then register the car as a '32 Ford even though none of the parts they used were around in 1932 and possibly none of them were made by Ford. If they were forced to register it in the year of completion the vehicle would then be subject to 2011 standards and require things like airbags, stability control, TPMS, side crash door beams, OBDII, and the list goes on.

By driving what is effectively a 1932 vehicle the driver can't be (legally) pulled over for something like a seat belt violation because the original model didn't come with seat belts.

The only other option would be to treat all kit cars and home builds as one offs and have a rigorous inspection for them before they can be used. That option is too costly for the government for what amounts to a handful of cars.

[johnsjmc]

Problem here is twofold. Some kitcars are really mostly old VW underneath ,floorpan,suspension etc. with a fiberglass body on top.
At the other end of the spectrum is a car like the factory 5 Cobra . It has a full new frame and suspension and uses doner parts like an engine and some suspension pieces,but is really a new car when completed. What about a car like a Singer 911? How would you title each example???

[Zeke]

In the case of the '32 Ford, it seems that it would be titled as a " '32 special build" not a Ford. But, it's not working that way in CA these days.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by milt

In the case of the '32 Ford, it seems that it would be titled as a " '32 special build" not a Ford. But, it's not working that way in CA these days.

I think if you register a build as a 32 Ford you have to come up with a 32 Ford pink slip/registration. Same with most cars like that. That's what I think.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

I think if you register a build as a 32 Ford you have to come up with a 32 Ford pink slip/registration. Same with most cars like that. That's what I think.

You missed my point. If you build a '32 with a glass body over a custom frame with a SBC for the motor, it's a '32 "special build" in WA now. Not a Ford. Not a 2011 model either.

That's what SEMA is trying to do.

[cgarr]

I thought only reproductions could get the okey dokey from the factory not replicas?

A friend of mine built a Travel Air Mystery Ship which the factory issued the manufacture number thus making it a true reproduction.

[Tobra]

so this would be like a 60's Jag

[Laneco]

Our car is titled in Oregon as a "Replica 1955 Porsche Spyder." The states who give this type of allowance are helping keep the hot rod/replica car/kit car business going. They are letting home builders make their own cars and drive them on the street.

I like the idea that Oregon has designed the word REPLICA right on the title and registration. Though it is obvious to even the most unseasoned eyes, that this is NOT an original car, and we never try to pass it off as a real one, there are people who do try that. The water gets pretty muddy when the car, such as that XJ13, or an aluminum bodied spyder, etc., are made as a true duplicate of the original. I think they should still say REPLICA on the title or perhaps REPRODUCTION.

This lets people own, build and drive them, but keeps everyone honest.

angela (honestly driving a fake)

[Zeke]

I don't particularly like the fact that the 550 is titled as a replica "Porsche." And why is it that Porsche AG gets after everyone using their name but a state government?

To me, it should be titled "1955 replica build, 2 door roadster." If someone throws it away and puts the title on an MG replica built on a VW pan, so be it. As long as the chassis & engine serial #'s match the documents.

[Laneco]

If ever a VIN involved, things get muddy pretty quick, Milt. Most of the time, for most of the states, the VIN is persistent. So if it was a 69 VW bug in our state, it would remain a 69 VW bug but could be considered a "rebody." You get into a very, very gray area when you have a chassis with a VIN and you eliminate the VIN or use another VIN without some very serious DMV and legal footwork.

There are a still a few pan built cars out there and this is an easy way to register them in most states. We have two behind the shop that are pan-based speesters (eventually to have turbo subaru engines). They'll be registered as a 71 and 72 VW Beetle rebody. It's easy and makes selling the car a snap.

The thing is, most kit car/replica cars now are built on their own tube frame chassis. There is no donor chassis. You get an MSO with the kit that provides a number that is some states (like Oregon) is used as the VIN. Other states will assign a VIN. It will generally be a non-conforming VIN (e.g. won't be 17 digit, etc). MSO's rock, but many states do not have a clear path as to what to register the car as. In the case of Washington, it has been nicely spelled out, no fancy footwork required.

One major and very important reason for a state to allow the vehicle to be registered as what it looks like (e.g. 32 roadster, 67 Cobra, 55 spyder) is so that the vehicle can be identified for law enforcement purposes. Imagine the 911 dispatcher trying to explain to the police officer that it's a "fiberglass or something, car, ummm...that is got not roof....ummm....it's got two doors....ummm....". Tell a cop it's a Ford Cobra, he knows what he's looking for.

angela

[Laneco]

Especially important if your car is stolen. A replica two-door isn't much of a description....

angela

[Zeke]

There are probably 3-4 iconic kit cars that can be recognized by the brand they replicate. There are many more that I can't even describe well enough to send you on a chase.

I saw a something yesterday that was red and said it was a GT40 on the side with a meatball number. It was not much like a GT40. I think red sports racer coupe would have been ID enough for any LEO.

But to describe those awful things with the chrome flex pipes coming out of the hood as a Mercedes is most likely misleading. Awful old roadster with chrome flex pipes is plenty enough.

But, if Carol Shelby with all of his lawsuits is OK with Factory Five cars being titled "Cobra," I guess I'm cool with it. All Factory Five will call it is a Mk4 Roadster.

This from the FF site: "COBRA, Cobra 427 S/C, and Cobra replica are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company and/or are not used by Factory Five Racing to..."