Registration Solution

[Dgc333]

Interesting, wonder how FFR manages the annual excise tax? Maybe FFR is exempt as a ‘Manufacturer’?

If the vehicle is registered in Montana there is no excise tax. That is one of the motivations for registering your vehicle in Montana.

[Badfish]

I get it, but I think it’s surprising that a business owner in a state that has an excise (property) tax would display Montana plates in a state with such tax.

If the vehicle is registered in Montana there is no excise tax. That is one of the motivations for registering your vehicle in Montana.

[Dgc333]

I get it, but I think it’s surprising that a business owner in a state that has an excise (property) tax would display Montana plates in a state with such tax.

Massachusetts is extremely unreasonable with how they treat replica vehicles. It forces people to do what they have to do to be able to drive and enjoy their projects.

An example is a friend of mine has a 32 hot rod that has modern drivetrain, frame, suspension everything but the body. Because the car has an original VIN he is exempt from emissions testing. My FFR 33 is basically the same with the exception of the fiberglass body. Because it has a state issued VIN and the title is labeled as a replica with a model year of 1933 it is subject to emissions testing. Even though it has a factory ECU, cats and evap system and will pass the states OBD emissions test it is rejected during inspection, in order to get an exemption you have to buy a 74 or older car with an equivalent engine that has been registered for at least a year in the last 5 and have it crushed.

[RogerRoger88]

I just received my roadster kit. I live in Georgia and in a county that requires annual emissions tests on vehicles newer than 25 years. For me, I will not be able to title the car in GA because they would list 2024 on the title which would trigger the emissions test requirement. Therefore, I will only be able to get it registered as a 1965 vehicle to avoid that. My preference would be to get it titled for future owners. I believe GA will issue a title if the car is coming from another state with a title.

My thought was to do something similar with titling it in Montana, but then transfer that title to GA. Will Montana issue a title using 1965 as the date? Or do they only use the current year?

[Badfish]

You’re preaching to the choir, check out the links in my autosig for insight on Connecticut abusive vehicle property assessment/taxation. Furthermore, CT DMV refuses to recognize ‘composite’ vehicles as eligible for classic plates, even when 20 years of age.

Massachusetts is extremely unreasonable with how they treat replica vehicles. It forces people to do what they have to do to be able to drive and enjoy their projects.

An example is a friend of mine has a 32 hot rod that has modern drivetrain, frame, suspension everything but the body. Because the car has an original VIN he is exempt from emissions testing. My FFR 33 is basically the same with the exception of the fiberglass body. Because it has a state issued VIN and the title is labeled as a replica with a model year of 1933 it is subject to emissions testing. Even though it has a factory ECU, cats and evap system and will pass the states OBD emissions test it is rejected during inspection, in order to get an exemption you have to buy a 74 or older car with an equivalent engine that has been registered for at least a year in the last 5 and have it crushed.

[Bicyclops]

And I thought California was bad for taxes and regulations! It's actually straightforward here, though multi-step. Under SB100, you can register a "specially constructed vehicle". One of the last steps in the process is a visit with a Bureau of Automotive Repair referee who asks if you want to inspect it by engine type or body style. If I did it by engine, I'd forever be subject to smog inspections. Since my 818 is not a replica of any particular car, he inspects it as a 1965 with the added proviso that it have a closed PCV system. He didn't even ask me to start the car (I brought it in on a trailer, having spun a bearing on the dyno. I didn't mention that to him.) DMV titled it as a 2023, but I never have to do the smog again.

Ed