Windshield required. in CA. ?

Mesa · 07-12-06, 12:14 PM

For persons who might know the answer.

Are dot class windshields required for a vehicle to be registered in California?
Are any windshields required? (as in North Carolina). Could you regester a T70 spider with the plexiglass wind deflector only.....?

Ron Earp · 07-12-06, 12:41 PM

Don't know if it is required or not - I couldn't find anything that defined "windshield". One one interesting sentence from the NC DMV manual:

"1. Windshield wipers shall not be approved if:
(a) The vehicle is not equipped with a windshield wiper or wipers,
provided the vehicle has a windshield."

This indicates to me that vehicles without windsheilds are okay.

Best,
Ron

Howard Jones · 07-12-06, 01:10 PM

I broke my windshield a couple of years ago and while I was looking for a source I considered using a lexan replacement if I came up short. In the end I did find a new glass windshield.

Beyond the reasons not to use one on a street car, I never really got a straight answer from the DMV, BAR, or the Highway Patrol on this. I made at least two calls to the BAR and DMV in Sacramento and asked a couple of CHP and local police officers. Everyone had a different answer from why not to what is lexan? It will really come to the highway patrol sign off when you get your Vin tag put on.

If the CHP guy doesn't reject it then you will get by. At least that would be my guess. Most people will assume that the windshield is glass and be looking for cracks if they inspect it at all. If the first CPH office rejects it I would just go to another one and try it there. Once the title/registration process is done there really won't be another official reason to have a look at your car for the rest of it's life in Calif.

All in all I would try it and if you can't get it signed off then you would have to sorce a glass windshield.

SpyderMike · 07-12-06, 05:28 PM

I have a Porsche 550 Spyder registered in CA under SB100. No one looked at the windshield. Many of the spyder replaicas that I know of have small plexi windscreens and are registered no problem (mine has a speedster glass one). Mine car has never had wipers.

When I took it to the CHP for inspection - they just placed two VIN stickers on the car and that was it - they checked nothing about the car. DMV just checked paperwork and collected $$. BAR just determined it was a gross polluter and gave me my smog free sticker.

Mike

SpyderMike · 07-12-06, 05:49 PM

link to the applicable (I think) CA Vehicle Code:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd12c4.htm

Mike

Mesa · 07-12-06, 05:55 PM

Thanks guys,
Good info.
Mike has anyone documented their SB100 experience on this forum? Howard gave me what he could remember of his SB100 passage. I just want to make sure I don't make any misteps I can't 'take back' when I go through the process.

I have not done a search on it but I will later this evening.
TIA

SpyderMike · 07-12-06, 07:17 PM

I can document my experience - I have to delete the explicatives though. I did a write up on another site and will see if I can drag it across. All in all it was not bad - you just have to be patient.

I dragged my registration out over 10+ years and used temp operating permits to drive it during that time. Then SB100 came along and I took advantage of that. DMV was real nice about giving me temp operating permits for 4-6 months a whack as I was "building" and "testing" the car for years. As long as they got paid they seemed happy.

Mike