Scratch build websites and sources?

[Chris P.]

I finally looked into titling and registering a scratch built car in Oregon (not resembling any other car) and came up against a huge roadblock: emissions testing. Unlike a brand new replica which uses as the model year the model year of the car it is a replica of, a brand new scratch built car's model year is the year it actually is completed. Oregon's emissions testing uses that to determine testing requirements so tada - I need the latest OBD system in the car (well - actually no older then 1996). I'm basically looking for people who went through the same thing and have helpful pointers. I figured this board might be a good first step into finding that info. Anyone have any resources or links concerning this?

[Jim Dewar]

Chris P.
You may check into some sites online that help you title vehicles in other states(Maine is one)that have more lenient laws and then apply for your home state registration(title). People do this often with vehicles that don't have title(esp.antique cars)

[Chris P.]

Yeah, I thought of that. I just need to find a state that will title it according to engine or something else, then someone to title and register it for me as if it were their car, then sell it to me for $1.

Boy I started out all excited with this and bam - roadblock. My other option is to accept the fact that I may have to use a newer engine and get my hands on a newer wrecked car and just use that engine and entire electrical system. (And learn ODB systems to boot.)

Thanks for the reply.

[Chris Kouba]

Chris-

What are you building and how far along are you?

I am in Portland too and have had to deal with emissions testing for my rally car. You may want to find a friend to share your title who coincidentally lives out of the DEQ region. Does nothing to impact your (or your friend's) insurance or insurability or ownership of the vehicle, just sends the title to your friend's house instead.

That might get the registrar to sign it up for whatever year you want it to be, or tell them it was never titled (but technically finished...) and you just restored it to be roadworthy and registered.

My experience with ODOT is they run a pretty loose ship for registration. I took a fully rally prepped (full cage, nascar door bars, full skid plates, straight pipe for exhaust, etc) group 2 VW GTI to get registered. I had the proper paperwork (title + bill of sale) and there was no problem. The only inspection they performed was the VIN sticker in the door.

I know you won't have the title and VIN, but my experience with them is there will be a way to make it happen if you're creative.

Drop me a line if you'd like to chat more.

Chris

[Chris P.]

I only barely started design. I want to make a mid engine car - I was planning on a mid 80's BMW 3.5 liter straight six (I'm a BMW guy - I drive an old 2002) and use the common Audi 016 tranny (cost reasons). My intention was to slowly gather pieces as I find them or need them for design purposes. The body I am designing as well. I want something unique. I started looking into the titling and emissions issues now in case something like this might come up.

I don't know anyone outside the DEQ boundary - I've thought of that as well. I have three routes at the moment - build my car but with a replica body on it (that may limit me in design in some ways though) and use a very old engine the doesn't need emissions testing - then they'll only see the car once and I can put my body on it afterwords. That's expensive and alot of work. I could also just grab a newer engine and OBD harness, learn OBD and use that. I could also write to the DMV and DEQ to see about getting some leniency. It's actually quite ridiculous that the same exact car (even with the same engine) but with two different bodies - one a replica the other a one off which the DMV calls "assembled" - could have different emissions testing requirements.

Anyway, I'm guessing not very many people, if any at all, actually have built a car with their own body design in Oregon.

Thanks for the input.

[BenL]

[ QUOTE ]
You may check into some sites online that help you title vehicles in other states(Maine is one)that have more lenient laws and then apply for your home state registration(title). People do this often with vehicles that don't have title(esp.antique cars)

[/ QUOTE ]

You may want to be careful going that route. Last year there was some discussion on this forum about a company in the South that got shut down for playing games with titles. A bunch of their customers got in trouble for using their services and providing false information (like claiming that a brand new Cobra kit car was actually built in 1964).

Here's the link: http://www.gt40s.com/ubbthreads/show...p;Number=35826