Texas registration - engine age

[SSSammy]

I made a preliminary visit a week ago to a local oil change/inspection station. Wanted to see if he knew how to do the insp on a replica car. He did not, but he called the local DPS Waiver Station, and spoke to the inspector who was most knowledgeable about replicas. The major points:

1. Replica cars are legal, and may be inspected to the standards which were in place in the year they represent.
2. All of these special inspections are now required to be done at the DPS Waiver Stations .. not at the usual oil change places, etc.

So, I called the Plano waiver station, spoke to inspector "Dan" and made an appointment. He was very helpful and agreeable, although heavily booked. I had to wait 5 days, I think, for a slot. Then, due to mechanical probs .. had to ask for a reschedule twice .. he was agreeable and pleasant about it both times.

Discussing the car with Dan during the appointment, he asked why he was not seeing more cars. Where are they? Why aren't they coming here for inspections, they are supposed to? I said, "Dan, nobody knows ... and the Kwik Kars, etc, continue to inspect them."

End result, Dan drove around back with my car, I was not allowed to watch .. and returned 20 min later, sticker installed He gave me the "green sheet," which was white, to give to the title clerk. Dan said that I would have to bring my car there every year for the state inspection. I think this represents the 2008 process some members here have talked about.

Tip, I had made an extra 5x7 photo of the car (not required for the DPS) and gave that to Dan .. he was tickled to get it Very delighted with the car overall.

In Plano, the Collin Cty Tax Assessor is in the next building to the DPS Waiver Station., so I just walked over ..

The title process I went through closely resembled the one Don Gentry cites below. The exception being that they asked for pencil tracings of the body, frame, and engine. I maintained that the body and frame were bonded at the ERA factory and they were satisfied with one tracing for that. Then I had to execute a "visual inspecton form" that said that I had seen my engine VIN and that it was XXXXXXXXX. Fortunately, I had written down my engine VIN. I suppoes an engine block code would also work, if you were using a new block.

Key facts: Make is "2007 Assembled Vehicle," not whatever make it really is. VIN is your VIN off the MSO. And there is a block for "Replica" on the title where they will ask you what it is a replica of .. I said 1965 Ford. You must bring receipts for body, frame, engine .. tranny was not needed.

Ok, here comes the payoff .. there is no TX 6.25% sales tax on an "assembled vehicle" .. KA CHING!!! All I paid was $105 for the title and registration. I was expecting to write a check for 6.25% of the entire cost of the ERA rolling chassis

Summary .. not necessary to worry about convincing DPS or the Title clerk that you have a 1965 vehicle. The law says it can be built in the current year and replicate a 1965 car. Both the inspector and the title people did not need me to tell them that. And they came up with the assembled vehicle definition, I did not suggest it. I was attempting to call it a 2007 ERA. They vetoed that and said it was "assembled."

Total elapsed time: 45 min for the inspection and paperwork, and another 45 min for the title and registration. Stress factor: High! But the folks were polite, and interested in me getting my car registered and did not want to fail

Sam

Originally Posted by Don Gentry

I just completed this last month and got tags that day and my title two weeks later.

You'll need:
Manufacturers Certificate of Origin (MCO)
Kit receipt
Bill of sale for engine tranny
Picture of car
Checkbook to pay 6.25% tax

Form 130-U
-VIN - (I used the number provided on my kits MCO)
-Year - 1965
-Make - `07 Assembled
-Body Style - 2dr sedan
-Model - Roadster
-Name & SSN

Form VTR-301 - pencil tracing of VIN
Form VTR-61 - Rebuilt/Assembled affidavit
-Vehicle info (as above)
-Inspection green sheet
-Explanation (assembled vehicle)
-Owner Statement (obvious info)
-Page 2 Component Part info
-Frame and Body - Kit company
-Engine/Tranny - Bill of sale info
**Notorized at bottom that they can do at the Tax office
-Weight certification

Hope this helps.