Ok, now that I've done everything and I am happy, I believe it's a good time to tell the other quebeckers how it works around here. This way you will KNOW what to expect, unlike me, so you won't end up with surprises and anger, which 99% of the time yield to waste of money and time.
It is a very long process, designed to discourage as much people as possible from building a car (that's what the DMV told me).
But it's a fair process in the end if you are fair with yourself, your build and the SAAQ engineer. It will pay in the end, trust me. But if you try to sneak something in, you might get caught bad.
Yes your are allowed to modify the frame without being asked for an FEA report (pricey!!), but it depends what you modify and how. I do not know the criteria here, the best is to tell the engineer. If you don't, like me, you have to pray he won't ask you questions. I was also able to design and weld my own engine/gearbox supports and he never asked a question about this. But YMMV, be very careful if you modify the frame, even the smallest parts. QC is not IN or MT.
First of, with an FFR kit you don't need to contact the DMV to get the approval at the start of your project (DESV department, email is on the SAAQ's website, search for "handcrafted car" or "vehicule artisanal SAAQ", most of you speak French anyway) . If however you plan on doing something out of the ordinary (something different than a Subaru engine in the 818, moding the frame, body, etc.), then I highly suggest you contact them and tell what you have in mind. This will save you A LOOOOOOOTTT of troubles later on. Trust me!!!
After you get your kit in a glider mode (wheels, s/w, no engine, no wiring and nothing else), I suggest you contact them to clear out what you have to comply to. The 3 documents they say you need to read are INCOMPLETE and WRONG. There is MUCH more to it and a few things are not right or in a big grey zone you need to clarify before you build. Also anything that would look not safe, you have to get approved. If you have doubts, ask him.
Pay a LOT of attention to the lights. These are the major issues with kit cars, especially the no-replica design of the 818 and especially its front end. Good luck on this one finding approved turn signals that will fit with almost no modifications, took me 40h to find them and they were a WAG. F*ing lucky I got.
Make sure you get your car "pre-approved" by the engineer, which means at the end when your body is on and everything working as a car, send him about 70 pictures (the engineer will tell you what he wants) of your ready-to-go car and if he approves, then you can move on to the next steps. Have the engineer be with your throughout your project, so won't need to re-do some of your solutions, like I did. That really really sucks and is very frustrating, especially when you pull 3000h on your kit.
So far no fees involved. The engineer is free! Cuz your TAXES pay for him, hahahaha. Well, mines too!
Now you're pre-approved and ready to go?:
- Contact the police (YMMV here, you might have to call 911 like me or a different number, depending where you live. It will be either a local police or the SQ. Sometimes you may be asked to bring your car to THEIR place, sometimes they will come at your place. The police will check your parts, normally the important ones only. Make sure you have a tracability on the engine and gearbox!!!!!! The best is to have a VIN for both. If not, serial numbers. I do not know what happens if you got neither. The police does NOT have any other means than you to trace your parts and make sure they aren't stolen. I thought they had a database of engine/gearbox serials so when a VIN (car) is stolen it automatically flags the serials as stolen. But they don't. They try to find the VIN based on the serial, but you can do the same. Call the manufacturer or the place you bought the part from, they will follow the same path. If you don't find the VIN, they will most probably not and approve your parts then). This service will cost you a certain amount, depending where you live. In my location it was $112 dead. BTW all prices are CAD of course. It may take a lot of time before you get your appointment, it depends. Could be a week, could be a year (a snowmobile once waited 8 months). This is the worst part of the process, the most unknown and impossible to plan any further.
- Then you need to officially weigh your car. This can be done prior to the police too. "Contrôle Routier SAAQ" is an excellent place, but mines also can do it, although for those you will probably pay.
- Once the police issues you the form, it is used to get your VIN. They will tell you but you have to send the ORIGINAL form to QC along with a $33 cheque. YMMV again but in my case it took exactly 5 business days to get the VIN back. You have to send a LETTER with some specific info in there, the police will tell you and the SAAQ's website does as well.
- At the same time you get the VIN, the "mandataire" will receive it too, cuz in the letter you told them to send the VIN there. They will call you for an appointment to rivet the VIN plate in place. You should ask to pass mechanical inspection at the same time.
- Then you pass inspection, pay a certain amount for the VIN plate installation and inspection (something like 35 bucks for the VIN, the inspection is around 250+taxes but I don't know if it varies from place to place). They may install the inspection's sticker at the same time or give it to you later for installation.
- Then you wait until the engineer validates your mechanical report.
- Once approved, you wait for the mandataire to call you back, you get your sticker, mechanical report and SAAQ approval (a copy) from them, given to you by the mandataire. The original of the SAAQ approval will arrive by mail to you.
- Then you can go to register your car. They should charge you the QST on the imported parts of the kit, cuz customs only charged you PST. And of course the std fee for registering the car.
- Then you have to get your car evaluated and send the report to insurers. This can be done before but the report needs the registration paper (green) in order to be completed.
- Once you get your insurance, you're off for a WELL deserved drive.
Make sure you got all papers and invoices EVERYWHERE you go. For example at the registration desk, the SAAQ's website tells you you only need 3 documents. But in fact your need like 7-8!!! Always bring all papers and invoices with you until you get your insurance and can drive the car.
One thing to note, all across the process, people are NOT familiar with kit cars. They know about "rebuilt" cars and antique cars, but NOT kit cars. You have to repeat 1 million times what your car is to make sure you don't go in the wrong place throughout the process. This is valid until the very end at the registration desk and insurers. It took me 45mins to register the car at the desk, the lady had NEVER done that in 20 years. And the insurer thought it was a rebuilt car and asked me to have a mention on the registration paper that says "rebuilt", which I cannot have and will never have, it's a kit car, not a rebuilt of an existing VIN. Be careful guys.
One last thing, FFR's frame number WILL be used at the very very very end of the engineer's process. You will have to prove what yours is and provide the number.
About 25 kit cars are approved per year by the SAAQ.
I could also list you the Indiana's and Montana's steps but they are only 1 step that can be done the day after you know your FFR's frame number, so I won't bother piss us off. loooollllllllllllllllll
Now go in your garage and build!!!!!