Anyone know what's involved in registering something along the lines of a Factory Five to be street legal in California?
More to the point, how does smog law affect one? Do you reg it as a 196X Cobra, or do you reg it as the donor car for the motor (i.e. '89 Mustang GT), or does it get reg'd its own special way?
Thanks!
You're looking for an SB100 exemption (Gooooooogle). Basically, it lets you smog the car as a Cobra. There are 500 every year, and they typically get snapped up pretty much immediately. In other words, you're probably going to have to wait a year :)
If you head over to www.ffrog.com you will find a forum dedicated just to the SB100 process its that big of a pain in the butt.
Be extremely careful buying a unfinished/finished kit without a SB100 number or a MSO documentation that you will need to get it registered. Most specialty construction titles are good on VW pan built cars but not much else.
The DMV does not take lightly you trying to get around the system and the cops that are CARB trained are on the lookout for kits.
I will tell you that I have been in the line first day at the DMW with a 11:00 appointment and not gotten a build slot. 500 sounds like a lot of cars but its the equivalent of giving one car a year out is some states based on the population numbers. Every kit build and every fiberglass rod has to go through this and there are a ton of people building these things.
Okay, let's say I can't get one of these SB100's. Then what? Do I even have the option to reg the car as what the engine came out of? Or am I just not able to reg it?
What about registering it out of state and then trying to bring it in?
wearymicrobe wrote: I will tell you that I have been in the line first day at the DMW with a 11:00 appointment and not gotten a build slot.
You are the first person I've heard from that has tried to get one and failed.
I'm not sure how you deal without an SB100. In the case of an engine swap, you have to meet the smog of the engine - and the engine has to be newer than the chassis IIRC. For a fresh kit car, you may have to meet current emissions as a new car and continue to get smogged. GM Performance Projects is planning an emissions-legal LS3 kit, it was unveiled at SEMA. Might be an option.
Dex, GTFO out of Cali and the problem gets exponentially easier to deal with.
I am pretty sure that SB100 cars are smog exempt
turboswede wrote: Dex, GTFO out of Cali and the problem gets exponentially easier to deal with.
Yeah, but nowhere else in the U.S. has the combination of geographical features and climate that I like. I like my summers hot and dry, my winters cold and wet, my humidity to be under 80%, my roads to be windy and going through mountains, and my job market to keep my employed enough to enjoy all of the above, hahaha.
That, and the SO is pretty firmly rooted where we are. I think she'd kill me if I made her move away.
I stand corrected, sorta
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/spcns.htm
DMV said: Specially Constructed Vehicles- Emission Control What is the Specially Constructed Vehicle Emission Control Program? Existing law requires most 1976 and newer model year vehicles to pass an emissions control inspection (smog check) prior to original registration, transfer of ownership, and every second annual renewal. Since Specially Constructed Vehicles (SPCNS) are homemade and do not have a manufacturer-assigned model year, they must be taken to a Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) Referee Station for the original inspection. Upon completion of the inspection, the referee will affix a tamper-resistant label to the vehicle and issue a certificate that establishes the model-year for future inspection purposes. Per California Vehicle Code §4750.1, the first 500 program applicants in each calendar year may choose whether the inspection is based on the model-year of the engine used in the vehicle or the vehicle model-year. If the engine or the vehicle does not sufficiently resemble one previously manufactured, the referee will assign 1960 as the model-year. After the first 500 vehicles have been registered in any calendar year, all others will be assigned the same model-year as the calendar year in which the application is submitted. Previously registered vehicles may be included as one of the first 500 applicants in a calendar year and apply for a different model-year determination. What is an SPCNS Certificate of Sequence? An SPCNS Certificate of Sequence identifies a vehicle as one for which the owner may choose emission control inspection based on the model-year of the engine used in the vehicle or the vehicle model-year. The certificate is issued by DMV Headquarters and will be mailed 7-10 working days after the application is accepted by your local DMV. The certificate must be presented to the BAR Referee Station at the time of inspection. Per statute, only 500 certificates can be issued in a calendar year. Once the yearly allotment has been issued, applicants must wait until the following year to apply for a certificate. SPCNS Certificates of Sequence cannot be transferred to a different vehicle or reissued in someone else's name. The seller of a vehicle must provide the buyer with the SPCNS Certificate of Sequence along with the bill of sale and any additional registration documents. In addition, fees deposited in one year cannot be held over for the next year's allocation of certificates. Note: Due to the limited number of SPCNS Certificates of Sequence available, you may wish to submit your application for registration in person at a local DMV office.
Wow one more reason that state can fall in the ocean and I won't care. How is it that the state that has arguably the best whether in the country sucks so bad.
An SB100 car is essentially smog-exempt, really. 1960 smog is really easy to deal with 
And while it might seem nasty, not every state offers such a clear path to registration. Until a couple of years ago, newly minted kit cars in Colorado had to meet the emissions rules of the year in which they were registered. Yup, you'd have to make your Caterham with a crossflow somehow meet 2008 emissions regs. An SB100 is a much easier thing to deal with.
As I mentioned, I've heard lots and lots of horror stories about how hard it is to get one. But with the exception of wearymicrobe, every single person that I know of who has attempted to get one has succeeded. It's about being prepared. The four guys on the Locost forum who tried to get one this year all pulled it off, saying they got issued permit #156 at around 8:30 or so.
I've heard rumors that it was actually a couple of months before they all got allocated last year. I haven't been able to verify that, so I suspect it's just a rumor. Some GT40 builders have reported far fewer people in line this year than the past as well. It stands to reason that they'll be easier to get when money's a bit tight.
ReverendDexter wrote:turboswede wrote: Dex, GTFO out of Cali and the problem gets exponentially easier to deal with.Yeah, but nowhere else in the U.S. has the combination of geographical features and climate that I like. I like my summers hot and dry, my winters cold and wet, my humidity to be under 80%, my roads to be windy and going through mountains, and my job market to keep my employed enough to enjoy all of the above, hahaha. That, and the SO is pretty firmly rooted where we are. I think she'd kill me if I made her move away.
Sounds like Oregon to me!
In reply to Keith: I heard of a horror story from a man who's friend's Jaguar ss100 did not even make it to the smog stage and got rejected. He did not ground all his lights, tail lights, etc. And DMV failed him on that. After spending close to $37,000 the unfinished ss100 sits in his garage. Now his cat and dog live in it. I personally have a Jaguar ss100 myself. But I bought it from a dealer in California. They passed smog for me before they sold it to me. They failed smog once and fixed the leaking gas fume area, then it passed and sold it to me. The smartest thing to do is locate a dealer inside California which sells kit cars, buy from the dealer. Maybe you will spend 2 thousand extra. But trust me, no headache. Because you know your car is at least legal. Plus finding insurance for your kit car is also another red tape. Not all insurer covers kit cars. Hagerty insurance told me I need to have another car that's 5 years or newer in order for them to insure my kit car. That's their policy, and they specialize in kit car policies.
Yeah, it's in the insurance issue that is one of the major roadblocks for me. Who insures? How much?
Seems to me, Alex, that your friend's friend could have put just a bit more effort into finishing his car. Shoddily built cars should fail safety checks regardless of the state - California has nothing to do with the failure of the friend's friend's Jaguar to be roadworthy. As you said, it never got to smog. I don't consider that a story of a failed SB100 attempt. Heck, you don't even need to have anything but paperwork to get one of those. One of our customers got his SB100 before his kit even made it into the US.
Hagerty will insure some kit cars, but not Cobras. Generally, you'll end up with an agreed value policy. Ask around.
People like to diss California for all sorts of stuff, but the SB100 thing makes getting a specialty car registered a breeze. Anyone complaining about how terrible it is has either not prepared - which is easy - or just passing on hearsay.
You'll need to log in to post.
