Texas 33 owner may move to CO - what's the Registration like?

[RoadRacer]

Hey, I'm in San Antonio, TX today, building a 33HR, and wondering what it's like up there in Denver, CO area. In TX it's pretty simple and no emissions tests.

How is the CO process?

It may not be a quick move (office there is planned for 2018), so should I try and finish and register in TX first, or CO first?

Thanks for your advice!

[DaveS53]

I can tell you that it's not easy. I spoke with someone who finished a T-bucket build a couple of years ago and the process sounded awful, but to be fair, so was his car.

I was advised by an owner of several show quality cars to go another route - buy a title from a local salvage yard where they also sign the form that states that the VIN number inspection has been done. Then all you do it go to the county clerk's office and get a tag and new title. The only potential hitch is an old title may not pass the nation-wide VIN number check. I've had a VIN show up it two other states. That makes the title worthless. My car is titled as a '38 Ford that's worth $250. The VIN number is stamped into the frame. I get a 5-year collector vehicle tag at little cost and pay almost no property tax. There is no inspection or any special forms to fill out.

If you go the proper route, you will need receipts for all major parts so they can charge you sales tax, if not already paid and come up with a high value for property tax. The car must be trailered to the Highway Patrol inspection site. That alone is a pain. The car should be exempt from emissions inspection. You will need windshield wipers.

Here's a link to more info:

http://www.dmv.org/co-colorado/other...f-vehicles.php

http://www.dmv.org/co-colorado/forms.php


http://www.bipac.net/semaga/TagTitleToolbox_CO.pdf

[Derald Rice]

There are 2 possibilities for you to go in Colorado with your 33. One is the street rod process, and the other is the kit car process. I am not familiar with the street rod program, and it has been a few years for me, but this is from the MileHiCobraClub website, and it is still the general string of events:

Question:

How do I get my Cobra Replica Registered in the State of Colorado?

Answer:


This is older information so assume the State has updated various elements. Also, a visit to the DMV and a request for a current "Kit Car" Title and Registration package will update you on the process.

It does take the various governmental entities awhile to process the forms. I have tried to make this as detailed as reasonably possible to help you with the process. Be aware the State updates its procedures periodically.

These instructions are generally for the Denver Metropolitan Area. They should be similar in other counties.

Note: You will be making payment each time you need something, Checks will work fine, I do not recommend cash, you may need a record.

1. Go to your local DMV office and get the forms for titling and licensing a Kit Car. They are referred to as "Procedure for Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number". The package includes DR 2709, "What you need to do"; DR 2704 "Verification of vehicle identification number"; DR 2426, "Special identification number declaration of facts"; DR2539, "Title information request and receipt"; DR2408, "Application for Colorado assigned vehicle identification number"

2. Collect your major receipts. Engine, transmission, body, tires etc. Put them in a folder that you will be carrying with you. Also, include the MSO (Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin).

3. The car does not have to be painted; you should be willing to drive it on the road. Car has to be safe and in roadworthy condition. Visit your local DMV office and request a temporary paper license for the purpose of getting your vin number verification on your kit car. Have a letter or statement from your insurance carrier that you are covered. The manufacturer sometimes has a vehicle number on the car frame and it should match your MSO paper work. The State Patrol will generally do the inspection.

NOTE: you need a perjury statement on each of your receipts. The perjury statement is on the state forms just copy it all over the place and sign it. If in doubt put it on the document. If you don't do this they are going to say you need a bond. A bond does not cost a lot of money but why go there? Use the perjury statement and you will be okay.

NOTE: you will need pictures of the car to go with the application. Generally one of each side, the front and back.

You can not title your car as a 1965 Cobra in Colorado. You also do not qualify for collector plates. You will want to title it as a "Kit Car", which is only way to be emissions exempt. The year of the vehicle on the title will be the current year you receive your title.

4. Once the forms are understood and filled out, you need an appointment with the State Patrol. In Denver you can call State Patrol at Camp George West and get a time. During the week the wait may be half an hour. On the weekend it could be a couple of hours. The cost is about $20.
NOTE: You will need a way of getting the car to the State Patrol, My Jefferson County Clerk gave me a 1 day permit. In other counties, the Clerk may or may not give you a permit. Some may require you to trailer the car. You will need insurance to get a temporary permit. More on that later.
EDIT: In a lot of counties, inspections can now be done at your place of residence. no need to trailer it to the inspection station.

NOTE: Make a copy of your forms because the State Patrol is going to keep the clerks forms. You want copies of everything.

5. In a few weeks the State Patrol is going to send you a letter telling you the paperwork has been approved. You have to get the car to the State Patrol for them to put the Colorado serial number on the car. The State Patrol in their letter of approval to me said I could get a temporary permit. Show the letter to your local DMV office which will improve your chances of getting a temporary permit. The State Patrol will put the Colorado VIN in the engine compartment, Some of the State Patrol guys will ask you where you want it, others won't, you can always talk with them about it.

6. Once the State Patrol has installed the VIN tag on the car you are ready to go to the Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Office in Lakewood, its on North Pierce Street. If you are not in the metro area you can call them and ask where you can go closer to you. You do not have to have the car there.

NOTE: Again, make sure that you have a copy of every thing!

7. DMV, by my estimation, does maybe 100 new registrations for new built cars a year. They are not vary familiar with the process. You want a clerk that is knowledgeable about doing these titles. Ask at the front desk or ask for a supervisor.

You will be asked to declare the vehicle value. Don't loose you head here and try to impress the clerk. It must be reasonable to a minimum. You will be paying tax on this value. Don't try to low ball it either, remember you have asked to see a clerk that has done this before.

You will give the paper work to a DMV clerk, remember that you need the perjury certificate, ask the clerk to see if it is on every document that needs it, if it doesn't, put it on the form.

The DMV at the Department of Revenue will keep the paperwork for a while. Mine was 3 weeks, 8 weeks is not unusual.

8. During this time work on getting insurance. If you have State Farm or Farmers, in Colorado they will insure a replica, other majors may as well. A number of owner's have American National Insurance because they will do a "stated value policy" which will require an appraisal. If the policy is not stated value, the insurer generally will depreciate the value over time. Not great for these cars.

If you are getting classic car insurance or commonly known by the name of show car insurance, read the policy. Ask a lot of questions. Most of these policies only cover you on the way to a show, at the show and that's it!!! No deviations to a restaurant or to a motel if you are out of town! Be careful! I cannot stress enough that you may not have coverage. The insurance company is not going to cover a million dollar claim if they don't have too. They are not nice guys, if there is a way out they will take it.

9. Once you have the paper work back from Motor Vehicle Title dept. and your insurance, take your paper work to your local DMV clerk. They are going to tax you on everything you have in the car. Remember the more money you have put into the car the more you are going to be taxed. Get a 60 day permit, it will give you time to do what you need to do next.

10. Emissions. (This is what we had to do prior to HB1776/2007) Not that bad or tough. Here's why I suggested that you title the car as a Kit. Kit cars titled after July of 2007 are emissions exempt.

If you are not titled as a kit you will have to have a tail pipe sniff from the local emissions test facility if you are in a county that requires emissions testing.

If you have a pre 1972 block State Health (Emissions) is going to apply the emission standards of that time. After 1972 you have to meet the applicable year standards. Generally, if you have a Fuel Injected engine, emissions is going to apply those standards, i.e. cat and maybe an air pump, the standards that you meet at the emissions station are going to be tougher.

If you have a carbed engine, and you have it looking like a pre 1972 engine then you will only have to have a PVC valve and if its old enough, maybe not even that. Make an appointment at State Health Emissions downtown on Second Avenue. It’s a red brick building. Give them a call, maybe a couple of weeks wait.

Emissions is going to look at the engine to see what standards it meets. They may look at the block numbers. If the car does not have a serpentine belt or an exotic ignition system or a fuel injection system it is probably going to get pre 1972 standards regardless of the year of the block.

They will punch your numbers into the state computer system and give you a printout of the standards you have to meet keep this form!

Meeting emissions is a matter of going to a local emissions station and have a sniff test performed. I have heard that they have decided that Cobras don't go on the dyno due to liability issues.

For carbed or injected engines that means that they will stick a sniffer up the exhaust and a tach on the engine and you will have an idle test up to 1300 rpm and a higher idle test at up to 2400 rpm.

EDIT: Since the passage of HB 1776/2007, Kit vehicles are emission exempt, but the word KIT is really, really, really helpful if it is used in the venicle description on the title. My cobra is titled as a 2002 KIT convertible

11. When you pass, go to your local county clerks office with your paperwork and the emissions approval (if not exempt) and get your license plates.


EDIT: This is just a guideline, and it does not take the place of an actual conversation with the DMV office that you will be dealing with. They are the ones who will make the process easy or difficult. Not all clerks are familiar with the process, so it does pay to go to the top of the food chain within the office.

This process can take 2-4 months, and if the process in Texas is simpler, then I would definitely try to get the car titled in Texas. Transferring a title is not that hard. Having the word KIT in the vehicle description will help expedite the emission testing hassle .

[RoadRacer]

Thanks Dave. I started that process in Georgia with another car, buying a valid old title. Sold the car before using it though.

Thanks for the links, I'll go read all those but wondered what other 33 owners have done - I see a few in CO

[RoadRacer]

Thanks Derald that is very useful!! Lots to learn here. Doesn't sound too bad not like some other states!

[DaveS53]

After reading Derald's post I'm really glad I went the old title route. I spent about 30 minutes at the county clerk's office and walked out with a tag. The new title comes later, unless it fails the VIN number check. That's what happened to me, so I went back and exchanged my title for a different one. That took a second trip to the county clerk and $150.

I have my car insured with Hagerty, which is one of the few companies that will insure a car while it's being built. I just notified them when the car was completed and on the road.

[Bob Cowan]

If the car is registered in CO as a Kit Car, it does not need a smog check ever. If you have a VIN and title from another vehicle, then you might need a smog check, depending on where you live.

If you can register it in TX as a kit car, and get a VIN, I would do that. And then it's an easy process to transfer to CO.

[Papa]

If the car has a title from another state and is titled as a pre-1972 (I believe), then it will need to pass an emissions test (just a sniffer test, not the Clean Air Colorado test) to register, and you can register it as a collector car and never have to get another emissions test as long as it remains registered as a collector car. If you register the car as a kit car, it is emissions exempt, but you have to get regular plates, not collector plates. As far as getting the Colorado State Patrol inspection done (if needed), the car must meet requirements of Title 42-4-2## of the Colorado Statutes.

https://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics...shortheader=no

REGULATION OF VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC*
*ARTICLE 4.REGULATION OF VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC*
**PART 2. EQUIPMENT*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
42-4-201. Obstruction of view or driving mechanism - hazardous situation
42-4-202. Unsafe vehicles - penalty - identification plates
42-4-203. Unsafe vehicles - spot inspections
42-4-204. When lighted lamps are required
42-4-205. Head lamps on motor vehicles
42-4-206. Tail lamps and reflectors
42-4-207. Clearance and identification
42-4-208. Stop lamps and turn signals
42-4-209. Lamp or flag on projecting load
42-4-210. Lamps on parked vehicles
42-4-211. Lamps on farm equipment and other vehicles and equipment
42-4-212. Spot lamps and auxiliary lamps
42-4-213. Audible and visual signals on emergency vehicles
42-4-214. Visual signals on service vehicles
42-4-215. Signal lamps and devices - additional lighting equipment
42-4-215.5. Signal lamps and devices - street rod vehicles and custom motor vehicles. (Repealed)
42-4-216. Multiple-beam road lights
42-4-217. Use of multiple-beam lights
42-4-218. Single-beam road-lighting equipment
42-4-219. Number of lamps permitted
42-4-220. Low-power scooters - lighting equipment - department control - use and operation
42-4-221. Bicycle and personal mobility device equipment
42-4-222. Volunteer firefighters - volunteer ambulance attendants - special lights and alarm systems
42-4-223. Brakes
42-4-224. Horns or warning devices
42-4-225. Mufflers - prevention of noise
42-4-226. Mirrors - exterior placements
42-4-227. Windows unobstructed - certain materials prohibited - windshield wiper requirements
42-4-228. Restrictions on tire equipment
42-4-229. Safety glazing material in motor vehicles
42-4-230. Emergency lighting equipment - who must carry
42-4-231. Parking lights
42-4-232. Minimum safety standards for motorcycles and low-power scooters
42-4-233. Alteration of suspension system
42-4-234. Slow-moving vehicles - display of emblem
42-4-235. Minimum standards for commercial vehicles - motor carrier safety fund - created - definition - rules
42-4-236. Child restraint systems required - definitions - exemptions
42-4-237. Safety belt systems - mandatory use - exemptions - penalty
42-4-238. Blue and red lights - illegal use or possession
42-4-239. Misuse of a wireless telephone - definitions - penalty - preemption
42-4-240. Low-speed electric vehicle equipment requirements
42-4-241. Unlawful removal of tow-truck signage - unlawful usage of tow-truck signage42-4-241. Unlawful removal of tow-truck signage - unlawful usage of tow-truck signage
42-4-242. Automated driving systems - safe harbor

[DaveS53]

An out of state car that is emissions exempt in Colorado due to it's age does not get any emissions check, only a VIN number check. It's the VIN check that's a problem, if all that's left of the car is the title and the car is rusting away somewhere. If you have a real car with a clear title, just about any car dealer can perform the VIN check.

[Papa]

An out of state car that is emissions exempt in Colorado due to it's age does not get any emissions check, only a VIN number check. It's the VIN check that's a problem, if all that's left of the car is the title and the car is rusting away somewhere. If you have a real car with a clear title, just about any car dealer can perform the VIN check.

I brought a 1970 El Camino in from California, so perhaps that is why I was required to get the emissions test before registering it? I'm in Elbert County now, so no emissions tests on any of my vehicles!

[DaveS53]

Collector plated cars 1975 and older require no emissions inspection. I guess that's a good reason to get a collector plate. Also, cars 1981 and older have to be inspected every year, if not collector plated.

http://aircarecolorado.com/index.php...n-program-faq/