Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Cobra, 427 side oiler
Posts: 1,850
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So I just got off the phone with a supervisor in Austin who laid it all out, all the while conceding that the state is *&^%$ up and inconsistent. Generally speaking, the process madmaxx and SSSammy detail is correct:
1. If you have a finished kit that you bought brand new from a kit supplier, you better have the MSO/MCO. If you don't, then you will need a bill of sale for all the sub-components and will have to follow step #2 below. Their sole goal, besides being a pain in the ass, is to be sure you aren't using stolen parts.
2. If you build a car from absolute scratch or assemble it from subcomponents (like a frame from one builder and a body from another,) you will need receipts for these large items as well as the engine, and you need serial # pencil traces from each, if they have them. You then complete the forms noted above, have it inspected and weighed and apply for an Assembled Vehicle Title and the year of the vehicle will be whatever year you apply. Unless you have something to substantiate that its a replica of a Cobra (such as the insurance card and/or safety inspection green receipt,) then there will be no reference to "Cobra" on your title. The VIN will likely be whatever is pencil-traced off of the frame. If there isn't one, TXDOT will generate one for you. If your pencil trace is CSX 3040, then that will likely be your VIN.
3. Effective as soon as TXDPS can start enforcing it, all of these kit cars are going to have to go to a waiver station for inspection if you are trying to register it in an emissions county. In other words, they are trying to stop people from being able to inspect them at a Kwik-Lube or "Pappa Joe's Inspections Inc." The waiver stations have been advised to inspect it as the year for which it is a replica, in this case a ''66 or '67, and to do a safety inspection only, making it exempt from emissions inspection.
4. If you buy an assembled vehicle from out of state, Texas will title it exactly as it is titled in the other state. So for example if I am looking at a Superformance in Ohio that is titled only as a "2007 Assembled vehicle," that is what Texas will use. They will not add any Cobra reference unless its already on the title.
4. For those of you who have a replica titled as a real Cobra, meaning not as an assembled vehicle, they are going to try and chase you down and make you get your car retitled. That should only take them about 50 years or so.
Regarding taxes:
1. If you buy an existing built kit that is already titled, you will be charged 6.25% sales tax on the selling price by the DMV when you title it (unless you buy it from a dealer, in which case they will charge you tax at the time of sale.)
2. If you assembled the vehicle yourself and apply for a title as such, regardless of whether you bought it from a kit maker or gathered up the parts yourself, you do not pay TX vehicle sales tax because as Francis stated, its assumed you already paid sales tax on the items. If you buy the items out-of-state, all the better for you. So if any of you paid TX vehicle sales tax at 6.25% when you titled your car, you got boned.
Now I think all of this BS is withstanding the diligence of the person sitting in front of you when you show up to title it. My position now is as madmaxx stated, get the insurance as a '65/'66/'67 Cobra, get it safety inspected at a waiver station as the same (or at your local inspection station if they will do it) and then apply for an AV title, and you should be able to have the replica year/make/model notated on the title without an argument. But if you are asked to concede to an emissions inspection, run like hell to a waiver station because they know not to require emissions on a replica, regardless of the fact that their website says its now required.
I am already tired and I haven't even started turning a wrench on my car yet....
You are miles ahead of most, most do not consider until after they buy the car and then they are in a real jamb. You can buy a roller, like a spf, bdr, then buy and engine and trans and not pay sales tax. You can even pay someone else to assemble, you managed the assemlby since you directed who to do the work. The example on the form i sent you was he bought a chassis for the truck, then a bed and then a motor so he "assemlbed" and therefore no taxes but he never built the chassis, or bed or motor.
I doubt they will ever go after the guys who title it as a 1965 they have bigger fish to fry and they do not even know their own laws, in additions some title as a 1965 ford so cobra is not even mentioned.
Funny thing is texas law is such they have predetermined values on most cars (honda's fords etc) to determine sales tax, but they do not have them on cobra's so you can write whatever sales price on a used one and that is what you will pay taxes on. Nothing against the law about buying a coke for $60k and a car for $3k, nothing at all. If anyone wants to give me $60k for a can of coca cola I have one for sale, I'll throw a car in with it, LOL!!!
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Cobra, 427 side oiler
Posts: 1,850
Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by madmaxx
You can buy a roller, like a spf, bdr, then buy and engine and trans and not pay sales tax. You can even pay someone else to assemble, you managed the assemlby since you directed who to do the work.
You could also buy a completed car, chunk the existing title, and re-apply as a newly-assembled vehicle, thus avoiding the sales tax, if you so had a mind to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by madmaxx
I doubt they will ever go after the guys who title it as a 1965 they have bigger fish to fry and they do not even know their own laws
You could also buy a completed car, chunk the existing title, and re-apply as a newly-assembled vehicle, thus avoiding the sales tax, if you so had a mind to.
Remeber you have to supply reciepts for all the components. I can sell my car for $1.00 or give it away and I am not breaking any laws.
Jim, I had the same ill feeling. But the inspection and title/registration actually only took about two hours because I had all the paper figured out and in my hands and did it in the correct sequence. And everyone was polite .. and I was polite and emphasized my desire to comply with the law.
Just another thing .. if you want to be totally legal as you motor down to the Waiver Site .. stop by the tag office as soon as you have your insurance card and ask for a temporary paper tag. $15. The DPS inspectors were appreciative of that. And I did have to do some test driving to make sure it was reliable enough for a 30 mi round trip.
I just got mine running again last week and took in to the DPS for an inspection. They remembered me from last year and were tickled to see the car again. The inspector has an 8x10 picture of it up on his office wall that I gave him last year
I guess that is an advantage to living in area where there is crime. I was nervous about driving to the inpsection station without inspection or registration stickers, 5 miles from my house, I blew of the $15 tag. I saw 5 cops on the way (HPD) they all ignored me but if I had to do it again for peace of mind driving a new car that you are not familiar with pay the $15.00 for the temp tag, you will have enough on your mind
as you say the idiot at dmv, they are not the ones doing the inspection and have no clue, let them feel rightious getting in ther 1988 escort. Get it titled with replica 1965 under remarks and you are good to go. The key is to have everything in order, and their are a couple forms that have to be notorized. I would have your inspection station write 2006 assembled vehicle and in paranthesis write (1965 replica) then it leads the lambs at the courthouse in the right direction. Long story short the way i found out about this is i was looking at a used spf and he did not have it titled with the remarks. It was simple for him to correct but it took 8 weeks and he sold it out from under me since i would not give him a penny until the title was clean. worked out better anyways
and title procedure now in West Texas. I've been very fortunate so far. I had a local Midas shop conduct the safety inspection yesterday and they wrote down the car info off my insurance card. The insurance card states it's a 1964! The inspector wrote down 1964 on the sticker and white inspection form! Also, earlier in the week. Texas DOT said I can use ERA2114as the VIN.
the Tax Collector office gave me.. Due to size limitations on uploading files, the first page is difficult to read. Send me a PM if you want me to email you a copy.
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Cobra, 427 side oiler
Posts: 1,850
Not Ranked
Update: The State is sending me their "book" on titling AV's. I'll clean up the factoids and post scans once it arrives so that this can be an accurate thread for TX titling.
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Cobra, 427 side oiler
Posts: 1,850
Not Ranked
Only after an hour did I persuaded the supervisor to send me the book, and its an internal TXDOT publication called the "Titling Reqs for Assembled Vehicles." I have been traveling but will post some scans early this week.
Only after an hour did I persuaded the supervisor to send me the book, and its an internal TXDOT publication called the "Titling Reqs for Assembled Vehicles." I have been traveling but will post some scans early this week.
Thanks,
As long as I know the title and the page numbers / section to reference I should be in good shape.
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Cobra, 427 side oiler
Posts: 1,850
Not Ranked
Okay, here are the scans from the book. These are all the relevant pages that I can see that relate to titling an assembled vehicle and a replica. For you detail/conspiracy freaks , the missing page #s are simply the chapter divider pages. I suggest you print these out or save them locally as they are in my Flickr account for now, but who knows what may come of them later.
Cobra Make, Engine: Unique 289 FIA with Southern Automotive 351 Windsor
Posts: 330
Not Ranked
Angelo,
I am going to keep it until the market turns back around. None of the Cobras on ebay, craig's list or Cobra Country are bringing the $$$$ that they should right now. I might as well get some enjoyment out of my "investment", right?
I registered my FFR Spec Racer in 2003 as an assembled vehicle, but my FIA was a "turn key minus" from Unique and I am trying to decide which way to register it. What all did you have to present when you registered your new BD?
Please come by during the Christmas Holidays so that I can see your beautiful new ride, OK?
Regards,
Terry
__________________ http://www.33autos.com Authorized Dealer/Assembler for Unique Motorcars and Southern Automotive Engines.
How-To Guide
, the missing page #s are simply the chapter divider pages. I suggest you print these out or save them locally as they are in my Flickr account for now, but who knows what may come of them later. 
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