ERA#749 Passed Ct. Inspection
 

My latest experience with the inspection process was as follows:

1. Obtained the inspection request form B-269 by request online
2. Went to Enfield DMV and payed the inspection fee ($88) No limit on time
before you go to inspection. You can go to any CT DMV office
3. Two weeks later went to Weathersfield. Unloading from flatbed is a pain
as there is no longer a large area behind the station. You drive from back
to front of station and hold at the stop sign for permission to proceed.
4. Told to pull in right side of building where inspector checked ERA
serial number.and then you roll over 4 rug covered lumps on
the floor. I think this test checks ground clearance.
5. Next test you back out of building and move to left hand bay which has
the lift. Inspector starts looking over underside of car. While
this going on another inspector is going over paperwork.
That is where the first problem came up.
Even though I had the ERA invoice for the car showing the purchase
from ERA they wanted the invoice that ERA would have when they
bought it. The inspector called ERA and they faxed the invoice to
DMV. This seems wrong to me as my last Cobra did not require me to do
that. Inspector had a problem with dust boot on clutch cyl
touching edge of block but another inspector said it was OK
6. Finished off with brake test on skid pad. Told I passed and given
paperwork to go into the main DMV building and pay the $50 fee for the
VIN number. Went back to inspection building and an inspector was
waiting to put the number on
7. Loaded car up and went home. Now waiting for insurance card. Had
a hard time getting quotes, most likely my age? (69)
8. Could not get a good answer on what happens after Oct 1. It may be after Oct 1 before I get to register it as I now have the dam flu!

#4 is checking toe.

Thanks Jay, I wasn't sure what #4 was. I did not drive over anything like that with my first Cobra. Also the problem with the invoice was for the transmission. Somehow I left the word transmission out!. Must have ben a "senior moment".

RENE,

Congrats on passing.......

Congrats on getting through Weathersfield in the first shot. You may be wise waiting until October to register it, as the Vintage plates will save you plenty of cash on property tax.

Guys, I'm not sure we will get antique plates and the property tax relief. I've heard rumblings that the cars will still be called composites with the year they are registered , but have the model designated as "Model: 1965 Cobra"
Typical of DMV we most likely won't know until October.

RENEW1.......nice post with details to assist others in CT that do not have the recent experience.

For those that do not know, RENEW1's ERA was mostly home built, painted, FI installed, engine, etc., etc., , nice accomplishment on his part to pass the inspection scrutiny, especially on the first attempt.

Regarding the Oct 1 date, the 4C's and lobbyist do not have any current updates.

RENEW 1, that's still young:

" Had a hard time getting quotes, most likely my age? (69) "

Based on what I heard at the inspection process and again what I got from DMV this morning, I deceided to register my Cobra today and not wait for Oct. 1. I could not get a straight answer from DMV employees about how the new law was going to be implemented. I still want to drive mine before it gets too cold and not deal with any DMV problems so I registered it today. The process was not without minor problems. Because I had taken delivery from ERA in 2006,
I did not have any proof of payment of sales taxes other than ERA invoice. They wanted the proof of sales tax section filled in on the request for registration form. A few calls to someone within DMV and they accepted the ERA invoice with a warning that that section should be filled in by ERA in future.
Second minor problem was they wanted the Certificate of Origin. My last Cobra CO was taken by inspectors and I did not need it for registration. Fortunately I had the paperwork in my car and was able to give it to them.
Also reminded them that there was no emissions inspection required just to be sure they didn't enter me into the system.

I went through the same process two years ago in Weathersfield. I made sure Peter gave me the original invoice before going there (I built my car too) and had the MSO and a pile of receipts, as well as the title for the car that the engine and trans came from. You cannot have too much paperwork when going to DMV in CT.

Latest CT DMV Crazziness
 

Received a change in registration notice from DMV today changing the CT issued VIN number to ERA749 but still as a 2009 composite Cobra. This isn't what was supposed to happen. We were supposed to be registered as the year the car replicates. My original registration had the CT VIN on it. I have no idea what the title will show when I get it. I do know that a lot of people at DMV did not want to implement the new law.

On Oct 9th, I had sent to the DMV via an e-mail, a request on the status of updating the DMV web sites with the changes to the law effective Oct 1, have not received a reply. In checking the sites, no updates as of 10-26:

E-mail request included along with the links to the DMV web sites and R-157 pdf:

Senate Bill 1073: AN ACT MAKING REVISIONS TO STATUTES CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES,

Sec. 33. Subsection (b) of section 14-16a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2009):

Includes: " The model year designation for the purpose of registration of a modified antique motor vehicle or a composite motor vehicle shall be the model year that the body of such vehicle most closely resembles "

DMV in CT. is so screwed up that the governor wants to close all offices and turn over DMV duties to the state police. Right now it's a pissing contest as no decision has been reached as of yet. Time will tell...

4 Hour trip to DMV
 

Spent 4 hours at CT DMV trying to find out why VIN was changed. Started at the information counter, girl never saw anything like that before. She had me sit down with a supervisor who was also clueless as to why the number was changed. Ended up at the Title window on 3rd floor and they started a search.
Turns out a "new" employee in working on Title paperwork saw the ERA serial number and assumed the CT VIN was in error. They appologized and had me wait while they deleted all computer files on the car and started all over again. I left there with my registration, my title, and an appology.
By the way they still would not give me any info on the new law in effect OCT first. They all seem to know about it but don't have any details.

Whenever I read these horror stories about registration in other states it makes putting up with a little rain more than worth the inconvenience.
Registering my Cobra consisted of:
1. Walk into DMV office with my MSO from ERA.
2. Walk out to the car with the DMV rep. and check that then VIN plate matched the number on the MSO.
3. Walk back in and give them $50.00 for the first 4 years (an extra $10.00 for the plate "ASSSSP")
4. Drive the rest of the way home.
Total time: 20 minutes.
Can't believe what some other folks have to go through to get their cars registered. Shows real dedication.
DonC