If I move to Texas

Howard Jones

Supporter
How do I registar my GT40? It is currenty up to date in California as a specially constructed vehicle. And what about my SLC? It will be a track car at first but I think it would be a good idea to registar it and then I can convert it to a street car later if I want to.

Any Texans out there who knows how hard this is?
 

Jack Houpe

GT40s Supporter
Howard we met in Monterey one time when you were standing on the main street of Carmel, I doubt you remember me but if your ever up in NW Arkansas please let me know, the light is on and the door is open.

Texas is not a difficult state I believe you will like it there, you should PM Kirby Schrader, he will fill you in.
 

Kirby Schrader

They're mostly silver
Lifetime Supporter
How do I registar my GT40? It is currenty up to date in California as a specially constructed vehicle. And what about my SLC? It will be a track car at first but I think it would be a good idea to registar it and then I can convert it to a street car later if I want to.

Any Texans out there who knows how hard this is?

Howard,

It should be a piece of cake. You are bringing an out of state car into Texas that is already registered.

You get insurance.
You go to an inspection place. I used an 'oil change' place called Kwik Kar just around the corner from me.

I insured it as a 1966 Ford GT40 MkII, but State Farm has it as a GT40 Mach.
I haven't bothered to get that corrected.

They look at your insurance, wanted to test the brakes by driving it, but he almost twisted the key off in the console trying to turn it to start it before I started screaming.... Stop! Use the START button!

He looked at the car, looked at me and said... pull it inside... we'll get your inspection sticker done.

Armed with the bill of sale, a title for a Pantera that I took the ZF out of and a receipt for the inspection, I went to the Montgomery county office.

I ended up forfeiting the Pantera title (which was OK... long story) as part of the 'new car' and was given a title to a '2007 Assembled Vehicle' with a note in the comments section saying Ford GT40 MkII. Oh, and a set of license plates.

That did it for me... Done and dusted.

Now then... I think the SEMA thingie about replica cars applies now in Texas, but I am of the opinion that you let sleeping dogs lie. I don't mind.

You should have no problem. Once you get here...
Get your insurance here in Texas.
Get your inspection done and a sticker on the window.
With your California title, your inspection receipt and your insurance card, go to your county office.
Get your car registered.
Done.

Hope that helps.
Kirby
 
Here's my write-up from last spring registering in Southlake:

Re: Texas Finally Implements Replica Bill
- Titled, registered, plated today in line with Texas custom vehicle legislation effective 29 Mar 2012 as 1966 Ford GT40 replica
- Only real non-standard requirement (ie, tracing vin, motor #s, and trans #'s considered std) was have to go get a certified weight from local truck stop (2620 lbs for MkII, 427 FE sideoiler, edelbrock heads, RBT)
- Since its a custom, never has to have safety or emissions according to new rules since it is inspected one time up front by ASE certified master technician

Bottomline;
- Texas legislation worked as advertised.
 

Howard Jones

Supporter
Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......................................................................................................

Texas posistive

Half price houses and twice the size.
Big enough lot to build huge shop
No state income tax (12% raise right there)
Wash on property tax
I spend a couple of thousand a year to resister our 5 cars (I bet it's cheaper in Texas)
The sales tax in calif is 9..10% I can't keep track anymore...... Texas?
I can keep my guns
calif is lost to commies and getting worst every day
Wife would leave tomorrow
GP track down the street
Gas is cheaper and so is everything else
Air Conditioning

Texas Negative

Hot with humidity
Daughter not done with school

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm...................................

patience grass hopper
 
Howard,

What areas of TX are you considering? As far as humidity is concerned, ours is almost always very low at our properties in West Texas. Our ranch East of Dallas has a higher humidity for sure, but closer to "civilization" (ie, Dallas). BTW, it's for sale :thumbsup:. You can find it listed on LandsofTexas.com. 28 AC with horse barn/apartment, small shop, 5 horse shed/turnouts, cross fenced, electric gate entry, custom home, oak trees!

Actually, I can fully understand waiting for your daughter to get through at least secondary school. Plenty of great universities to choose from in our state (Ha!! I've been to most in my education and teaching career).....

PM/mail me with any questions and I'll try to get answers for you.

Doc
 
You will like it in TX for all of the reasons Howard mentions. It does get hot but you never really notice it much as you go from an air conditioned car to an air conditioned room.

TX is very replica car friendly too as Mark mentions.

It's not (almost heaven) West Virginia, but it isn't half bad here at all. :)
 
Gee Howard you could move up the coast here to WA! No income tax, lower sales tax than CA, much lower property cost. Only we have our humidity in the winter and TX has it in the summer! We've got a SEMA registration law for your GT40. You could keep your guns and smoke pot up here as well!
 

Jack Houpe

GT40s Supporter
I left CA in 1980 and raised my kids in AR which was the best thing I could have ever done, I love TX and West Texas is great except for the wind which only blows when I am there. :)

Howard we still have a home in Northern CA which was going to be a retirement home, its now a lost idea and the cost of living there is crazy as you know.
 

Howard Jones

Supporter
Been looking at a triangle with a perimeter on Austin (north to Georgetown), San Antonio, and the area around Dripping Springs or maybe a bit west. Sorta San Marcos more or less.

Wife must have Costco, Walmart, and a large indoor shopping center less than 30 min drive. Also Hospitals close by if my wife wants to work (nurse).

I like neighbors and don't really want to live in the sticks, but want enough room for a nice house, pool, shop. 1 1/2 to 2 ac flat usable ground. Local hot rod club and car guy infrastructure a big plus. Cable modem and TV also important to me.

Daughter done with High School and just started Art school. I want to get her solid on her way and then IF we go she can take care of herself. I am retiring summer 2014. So after that more or less.

Dave....I lived in Washington (Westport) for 4 years. I've had enough rain...
 
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I live here already, but want to know how hard it is to import one from overseas. Has anyone got any experience on getting that one handled?

Thanks
Robert
 
Howard: I live in the foothills of hill country just north of San Antonio (Boerne area) and work outside of New Braunfels (between San Antonio & Austin). Been here 25 years. We live on 5 acres in the hills and are 15 minutes to San Antonio. There are many 5-10 year old custom homes on 1 to 3 acres in the $350k-$450k range in the area and the car culture is pretty good. Boerne hosts the one of the largest hot rod meets (outside of the GoodGuys meet) in the state every October. Vintage Air is here as are some other smaller shops. Griffin (the transaxle guys) is about 35 miles away. Send me a note if I can help with any questions.
 

Doug S.

The protoplasm may be 72, but the spirit is 32!
Lifetime Supporter
Howard, the first step is to buy your insurance. Make sure the insurance card says the car is a 1964, 65, something like that....

Take the insurance card to a state inspection station and have the inspection written for the year of manufacture that the insurance card says.

Take both to the county tax office and get ready to pay 6.25% sales tax to get your titled...unless you can get a copy of your sales tax receipt from California, in which case you MIGHT get by for a $100 fee (the base fee for having received the car as a gift).

For a better explanation, go to the Club Cobra website and look in their registration forum....each state is different, but Texas really is very easy!

Cheers and good luck!

Doug
 

Howard Jones

Supporter
Thanks guys for the information. I think I would be doing the GT40 as a pre registered in Calif. moving to Texas thing. Maybe use the Specially constructed Vehicle/Assembled vehicle deal if it's easier. I have all the paperwork from the first time I did the car in Calif. including the tax payment here so it ought to go easy.

For the SLC, I think I would just do it in Texas for the first time as assembled vehicle and save some tax money. Calif is 8% verses TX at 6.5%. Hell that's close to a 1000 bucks right there.

So hows the humidity in San Marcos? The heat doen't bother me really, I won't be working so the hot days can be spent pool side with a mai tai or in my dream air conditioned shop.

I was looking in the 450K to 550K range with about 2 acres in a community of similar homes in the area between San Marcos north to Georgetown and west of I35 more or less. I would prefer not to be in the city limits of Austin, but not more than a hour or so from Austins airport. You get the Idea.
 

Doug S.

The protoplasm may be 72, but the spirit is 32!
Lifetime Supporter
San Marcos is one of the pleasure zones in TX. You are close enough to San Antonio and Austin that there is culture galore, and the San Marcos River is one of the most beautiful in TX. It is spring fed and a warm temperature in the winter when every other river is frigid. The Guadalupe River in New Braunfels comes out of the depths of Canyon Lake, so it is no surprise that it is cold enough to support trout year round. Not far to the west is some of the prettiest scenery in TX and not far to the east is the Sam Houston National Forest and other heavily wooded scenic trips. The college in San Marcos is known as a party school and it shows in the town....not as yuppie as Austin and yet way more cosmopolitan than San Antonio.

I think you'd have great luck finding property and homes in the price range you mentioned near Waverly. Google it, I bet you'll find a lot. Mesquite wooded lots, almost every home is has a limestone exterior, wild deer grazing in the yard. Many of the subdivisions don't even have paved streets, just dirt roads to preserve the country feeling. You are 20 minutes or so from Austin to the north and San Marcos to the south.

Texas has a lot of gearheads, too....Texas Cobra Club has a spring fling in San Marcos every year and at one time there were 200 Cobras and other "Shelby" type cars in attendance. Out west there are long stretches between towns...take your chances or sign up for the Texas Open Road Race. Lots of track day opportunities, too, but most of them are north of the San Marcos area. The I-35 corridor is quite active as far as traffic, and Austin can be a bear at rush hour, but San Marcos is not as bad.

I live in Huntsville, a few hours east, but my daughter lives in Austin and went to school in San Marcos for a few years.

Cheers!

Doug
 
The heat doen't bother me really, I won't be working so the hot days can be spent pool side with a mai tai or in my dream air conditioned shop..

Awwwh Hell Howard,
Won't be the same around here if you bug out! And it's too far for me to drive over to hang out. Make sure you get a BIG house and a BIG shop so when I do make it out I won't have to leave :)...Or maybe you won't remember I'm still there ....

Missed you at Canepa's today buddy. LM Porsche 910 Can AM and Shadow DN4 Can Am cars with bodies off for viewing and 10, yes 10, 959 Porsches.
 

Jim Craik

Lifetime Supporter
Awwwh Hell Howard,
Won't be the same around here if you bug out! And it's too far for me to drive over to hang out. Make sure you get a BIG house and a BIG shop so when I do make it out I won't have to leave :)...Or maybe you won't remember I'm still there ....

Missed you at Canepa's today buddy. LM Porsche 910 Can AM and Shadow DN4 Can Am cars with bodies off for viewing and 10, yes 10, 959 Porsches.

Rob,

I was there as well, I must have just missed you! Quite a place, three 917s (including the 1970 Gulf Daytona 24 winner), six 300SL Mercs, Laguna Seca Can Am winning McLaren M8D, UOP Shadow Can Am car, four 956-962 (including a lovely Ickx Rothmans car), Le Mans Jaguar prototype, an IMSA Jaguar prototype, a huge Nissan IMSA prototype, Tyrrell T34B 6 wheel GP car..........
 
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