Just to clarify what Mrmustang is saying. If the car is titled in another state just take that title and get a regular NJ registration, and as long as I do not try to get historic plates I will not throw up any red flags?

On a different not is anyone going to the Chester diner this Sunday?

Correct.......As for the Sunday breakfast, I'm attempting to attend but may have a family breakfast conflict....As always, only time will tell.


Bill S.

Not so fast. You will still have the emissions angle to deal with since you are not getting QQs... right MM?

Emissions are dependent on the year of the block, or the year listed on the title.....The good news is that you do not have to go to a state run inspection station and can go to your local "friendly" private inspection station. ;)


Bill S.

Jpit. Just checked via a google search re the motor / trans in the Silver FIA in Washington. Out of curiosity. It is an aluminum block 4.6 Liter DOHC v8 mated to a Tremec T45 5 speed. That is the motor / transmission combo that the SVT put into the Mustang Cobra model in 1996 - 1999, 9.85: 1 compression ratio, 305 HP at 5800 rpm, 300 ft lbs torque at 4800 rpm. Nice motor for a cobra. They also used it again, modified a little, in the Mustang cobra in 2001 - 2003 - putting out 15 - 75 additional hp, depending on the set up (convertible had more). So rather than being radical, it is a real nice, highly driveable, but powerful motor. Not sure if the owner in cobra bought one from SVT, or a speed shop. He would be able to give you the full story.

If you want an FIA, then by NJ standards you should find one with a 289. This is not how it should be, but rather how it is. I love the 4.6 engines too, but it is a difficult sell. We are all at the mercy of a DMV on the day you are there. If you have a particular engine then you need a particular set of equipment. Mass. got a nice bye for 1 year and then it is business as usual.

For JPit I don't know if it is a case of body style vs. quiet exhaust? The slab side look is fantastic, it's just a very limited market.

Operating in the NE I have to watch so many different laws it is mind numbing.

...and just when you think you got it figured out along comes some guy that "got lucky at his local DMV" and wonders why some people are having so much trouble! :)

That was my case....I'll be moving from TX to KS sometime soon and so I contacted the sheriff's office regarding their registration inspection. The last car I registered in KS had to be inspected by the sheriff's department and they had to find 2 VINs on the car....the sheriff had a book explaining where each car's VINs could be found.

Good luck on that one with a Cobra, particularly one with a chassis made by a racing company....so I contacted the sheriff personally to explain the situation. It didn't hurt that he remembered me from high school and that he was the one who had done the inspection on my Honda 6 months ago. He listened carefully to the story and said as long as the VIN on the dash was the same VIN as was on the title, he'd sign off on the inspection.

Sometimes it's not where you go, it's who you know (yeah, I know the rest....:3DSMILE: ).

Hope your experience is as easy as mine will be!

Cheers from Dugly :cool:

Exactly how is the car currently titled?

Year:
Make:
Model:


Bill S.

That sums it up. You can have a different experience any day. On the other hand you have Tax Collectors, who are very good at discovering the oversight. And then the phone rings, and then you have to meet with the supervisor...

Support SEMA, when someone makes the effort to right the laws, put your best foot forward.

These are limited use vehicles for enthusiasts. It's a win-win-win but we have to make it happen.

Jpit. I emailed the gent with the Silver ERA FIA .. had to find out more about his motor. He bought the drive train for about $8500 then had the motor disasembled, polished, ported, done by a West Coast Ford motor guru. (Craig Blood and Dave Bliss .. apparently build motors for some real speed machines www.shelbysupercars.com

The block is one of the early 1996 vintage blocks .. these were cast IN ITALY by TEKSIO ... the same company that casts the aluminum blocks for Ferrari. The car - on a chassis dyno tuner - put 320 hp down to the rear wheels. Pretty slick. Very drivable SVT cam set up - stock cam, valves and crank that came with the motor for the Mustang Cobra ... just everything balanced and polished. SWEET!!! A really neat motor with some cool history .. designed for the Mustang Cobra .. aluminum block ... cast in Italy in a real specialty shop. I like it a lot!!!

Rickd, I am still waiting on the exact informatin from the NJ DMV on what and how to get a car registered in NJ. My understanding is that car will be subject to 1996 emmissions requirements since that is the year of the engine block. Is there anyway that engine would pass?

While I am not familiar with the car in question, I would guess that that is a mod-motor, and IIRC those are computer controlled. Therefore, the emissions would be constantly monitored and the intake charge adapted to make sure the exhaust readings are within specs.........I could be wrong, but if I'm not, that car should pass a sniffer test.

Cheers from Dugly :cool:

I'll ask again, what is the car currently titled as? Feel free to PM me, or pull me a side at the breakfast in Chester and we can discuss your options.



Bill S.

Jpit .. I emailed the owner of the silver FIA .. asked if he thought the '96 fuel injected motor would pass an emissions test .. and if there is a facility near him where it could be tested. Also asked how he currently has the car registered. I pm'd you his email address for any future questions. I will let you know his response to those questions as soon as he gets back to me. You should speak with Mr. Mustang and others with NJ experience. It can come down to knowing which DMV office to go to. I have seen that from personal experience in Florida. Some people have had to make repeated visits with all kinds of documents and receipts. I know an office where there is no problem. "Have car - get registered", no component receipts, etc. Just a bill of sale, manufacturer's certificate of origin .. 5 minutes .. you're done. So check for anyone who knows of an office in a small town, where they actually know the people working in the office. It can GREATLY facilitate the process. The only comment from the DMV clerk was "hey that's a pretty blue" ... what other color ... it IS a cobra (now I'm not sure if Mr. Mustang could register a GREEN ONE in Florida!!). Good luck and have fun. You learn a lot doing research. If I had been aware of the fact that SVT had an aluminum block motor in '96 ... I might have tried to track one down.

JPIT - another recommendation for NJ registration information. There is an ERA Owners Registry www.eraregistry.com

This is an owner maintained site .. you can click on a "owners by region" tab and it will show the names and in most cases email addresses .. for owners in the Mid Atlantic States. I checked - and there are SEVEN ERA owners in New Jersey on the site, and I believe all had their email addresses. So with Mr. Mustang and these 7 owners who are in NJ ... you should be able to get all of the "hands on" tips you need to evaluate the registration challenges you will face. Suerte (good luck)! Rick

The Silver ERA in Washington State is registered as a "1964 kit car" and has collector plates. The owner is originally from New Jersey. Said due to being from Jersey originally he was paranoid about emissions. The motor does not have catalytic converters on it .. but did pass emissions testing.

I need to know exactly what the following reads on his current title:

Year
Make
Model
Body style



Only then can I tell you whether NJ will take it at face value or not.


Bill S.

Jpit .. FYI the Silver FIA in Washington state .. passed emissions testing in Washington...same specs re 1996 motor as NJ. Relatively high compression (9.5:1) + fuel injection = clean burn. The owner has catalytic coverters .. but removed them before testing. So they are available. The Ford 4.6L aluminum block "modular motors" ... reportedly ... according to the owner ... are not stamped with date or serial numbers???