CT Inspections

[Commodore]

Originally posted by Don


Hi Tom:

To say the least I was very, no extremely, naive as to what to expect in registering my Cobra in CT. The Cobra had all the legal 1966 Ford title, registration , notarized Bill of Sale and safety inspection from the previous out of state owner, 600 miles when purchased. No paperwork from any 3rd party companies such as Titles Unlimited. I had anticipated using these legal documents for registering as a 1966 Ford. The VIN on the Cobra came from a 1966 Ford and all the documents were in order, i.e, matching VIN. The previous owner was a Federal Law Enforcement officer.

The paperwork was accepted for paying the Sales Tax, no questions, as I say to myself, Ah, step 1 is complete, no problem. I also was able to obtain temp plates, not knowing this should not have been done.

I trailered the Cobra to Wethersfield , but drove to the Inspection Lane with the Temp plates, all within the DMV parking lot. Even though I trailered the Cobra, it was not inspected due to the use of the Temp plates and was informed not to use the Temp plates. In Conn., all cars of the homemade, kit car variety, turnkey with or without the drive train being installed by the builder, must have a Safety Inspection first, at least in 2000, and are considered to be a Composite, which is now the vehicle name, year being the year of registration. I now own a very rare make referred to as a Composite. When obtaing the insurance , the Agent commented on the make and stated " oh, you must have a Cobra "

I did not pass on the 2nd trailered visit, improper paperwork. The DMV would not check the paperwork on the first trailered visit. Had to obtain notarized documents proving legal ownership of the engine, transmission and rear end/suspension.( Thank You Don Scott from Classic Roadsters II ). There were also other infractions, such as a nut that was not tight, etc., etc., nothing major. If the paperwork had been in order, I still would not have passed the inspection. Another Cobra in front of me failed for not having heat shields on the side exhaust.

On the 3rd trailered visit, The DMV inspector was very considerate and understood the situation knowing it was the 3rd visit. While on the lift for inspection of the underside, there was a seat bolt that did not have the correct number of threads exposed even though the nut was tight. I was informed this was sufficient reason to fail the inspection, but seeing everything else was OK I passed with a commitment to change the bolt, which I did do.

After passing the inspection, the Anti-Theft unit, a separate group in the DMV, will review the paperwork, especially the Bills of Sale for the Cobra and complete drive train. The 1966 Ford VIN was checked to make sure it did not come from a stolen vehicle. The CT VIN will then be issued and applied by the Anti-Theft officers, who used extreme care in applying the sticker to the door jam. The two officers were very professional and explained each step to me.

In summary:

* Obtain the CT DMV brochure Composite Motor Vehicles R-157, explains the process and requirements. Mention to the DMV inspectors that you are in compliance with R-157. ( Impressive )

* Heat shield for the exhaust was mandatory in 2000

*Yes, do visit the DMV in advance to witness the test procedure. Such as the brake test, you will be asked to accelerate in the test lane and hit the brakes hard with your hands off the steering wheel.

* Yes, check and recheck the paperwork as mentioned.

* I am not aware of the current CT Emissions requirements and whether the Cobra has to be trailered to a garage for testing prior to the Safety Inspection. At the time I had used my temp plates for the testing using the standard for Composite/Kit Cars which would have been the same requirements for a 1966 vehicle, the 351W passed easily. My Bill of Sale for the engine specifically mentioned the year of the engine block.

* Everyone that adds to this thread will have some good advice from their own experiences.

Good Luck, it is possible , but very important to understand the rules . I could have saved a great deal of time had I done my homework. It is both the DMV's football and field.

When the VIN is being applied and with the plates in your hands, the experience of a life time.

Contact me if I can be of any assistance