[Jack21]

States are pretty much coerced by Federal grant money, highway, education, Police, etc. to enforce certain standards. Like emissions.

Just compare what you pay in Fed, and State income taxes and it becomes clear how the tax dollars get distributed.

For the unwashed masses of unmodified, bone stock, grocery getters, and commuters, emissions is not that big of a deal.

Specialty, restored, and custom built vehicles account for an extremely small percentage of vehicles, irregardless of the State in question. The DMV counter clerk will know virtually nothing about classification, and registration of your car. (That's assuming English as a second language has been moderately sucessful by the DMV clerk.)

To make matters worse, 50 States have 50 different sets of requirements for registration, safety, and emissions. You MUST be an educated consumer in this respect by knowing what your particular State requires for registration, emissions, and emissions exemption. In many cases, you may have to build your car with your first priority being getting it registered with favorable emissions requirements, e.g. emissions exempt. Then re-building it for your performance requirements.

Sharing this information here, or by private e-mail on a State by State basis is essential. What the State fraud investigators are looking for is stolen cars, or parts, re-introduced through new registrations and titles as rebuilt from "junk parts" sources. Popular cars such as late model BMW's, Lexus, Preludes, Infinity's top the list through "Chop Shops". This is where your State DMV is focusing it's attention. Cobra? What the hell is that???!!!

Cobra builders are not doing anything illegal (much less Felony illegal) by attempting to register their cars as emissions exempt (or emissions compliant consistent with year of original manufacture, '63-'66). You need to find the right niche to complete the registration process specific to your State. What you're trying to avoid is attempting to meet '99 emissions standards with a '66 engine.

What we're trying to do is give you the How To, and options to doing this for your particular State.

In retrospect. There was the "Registration Engine". A '64 - "66 289 SBF or 390 FE. These were bone stock, steam cleaned, running engines, installed in a car for registration. Once registered, the registration engine was returned to its Galaxie, T-Bird, or whatever. Then, a Cobra engine was installed in the Cobra.

Many of you early '70's muscle car owners will remember this one. The annual emissions parts box. You drove the car year round with your aftermarket parts, but once a year, you had to go through emissions. You put your OEM parts back on the car for inspection. To pass, the engine would barely run. In some cases, the car would not be drivable to the inspection station and would have to be towed. Get your sticker, get towed home, reinstall driving components, and you're good for another year. Radical cases involved a complete engine swap to the original engine, just to get the damned emissions sticker.

Another example. Pure commuters/grocery getters. Had '84 & '86 Oldsmobiles nearly identical. '86 passed emissions, '84 would not. Swapped carb off '86 onto '84, and '84 passed. Next year, switch carbs back. Did this every year for about 14 years until both cars disposed of.