Orlando FL registration

[cv2065]

I think you simply lucked out and this is not a, "process or template" for all to follow. The key to your success was, "she just gave up and said I'll just use Cobra."
99 times out of 100, you are not going to get someone to just say, well I can't find Factory Five Racing anywhere in here so I'll just call it a Cobra.
I can't get my head around TL-48 page 3. Top of the page with the heading special instructions.
A. Replicas are not assembled from a kit and must not be titled in the regional office.
B. Replica vehicles are completely new vehicles, manufactured to look like old vehicles. Replica vehicle vehicles are sometimes referred to as reproductions.
C. The manufacturer of the replica vehicle must be registered with the national highway traffic safety administration.

My personal opinion, this is a replica built from a kit. It says kit all over the COO. This is not a reproduction vehicle.
it's also not a 1965 anything.
I know this is an unpopular Opinion and I completely understand why many people want it titled as a 1965 cobra. I just think if suddenly a half dozen people show up at that office and get the same person she's going to get caught. I said caught because she is going against what is clearly laid out on page 3.
As it is, cops see a Montana plate tooling around Florida, (for those that chose that route) and they will pull you over. "They're hip to that jive." lol I Think the same can happen here. I hope that is not the case. I'm glad it worked for you and I hope it works for everyone else who tries. I just think this is more of the Luck Of The Draw at the counter and the odds are similar to picking the big jackpot scratch off.

The entire DMV is a big jackpot scratch off in my opinion. My first car was initially registered as a red Factory Trailer after all. My COO did NOT say kit anywhere on it but it DID say 1965 Replica. The only place that said kit was the FFR receipt and that was at one spot on the top page. Regarding the first few lines of the TL-48, you could say the same about Superformance and Backdraft cars. They are assembled from multiple parts, different manufacturers and have their own frames, same as FFR, but I have a friend where his title says 1965 Cobra Replica, same as mine. Only difference there is that you have to buy the rolling chassis through a dealer.

[bartock]

Ill take my good luck and be happy. I am not sure why OATA couldnt see factory five in their system, but the 2nd dmv could and got approval from the state to run it as a replica, their servers just happened to crash. I remember them mentioning factory five in their system was showing as FFR and they had to verify it was the same. Some clerks are too meticulous and if there is any discrepancy they wont touch it. At OATA when I went the supervisor was shadowing the clerk who helped me and gave him the OK for it. They also had a state inspector in the building doing an audit and no one had a problem with the way they ran it for me. Mine is 1965 Cobra, title branded as Replica and in a remarks section they put in Factory Five Racing, but they said that is just internal for the application. They confirmed that since FFR was in sunbiz and registered the replica with the nhtsb as a replica per tl48 it was good to go. Other FFR models will definitely be a TL41 ASPT process since the roadster is the only one registered as a replica in their system so far.

Best of luck to anyone doing this in FL. It was definitely a headache with too many differing "official" ways to do it.

[Sigurd]

Ill take my good luck and be happy. I am not sure why OATA couldnt see factory five in their system, but the 2nd dmv could and got approval from the state to run it as a replica, their servers just happened to crash. I remember them mentioning factory five in their system was showing as FFR and they had to verify it was the same. Some clerks are too meticulous and if there is any discrepancy they wont touch it. At OATA when I went the supervisor was shadowing the clerk who helped me and gave him the OK for it. They also had a state inspector in the building doing an audit and no one had a problem with the way they ran it for me. Mine is 1965 Cobra, title branded as Replica and in a remarks section they put in Factory Five Racing, but they said that is just internal for the application. They confirmed that since FFR was in sunbiz and registered the replica with the nhtsb as a replica per tl48 it was good to go. Other FFR models will definitely be a TL41 ASPT process since the roadster is the only one registered as a replica in their system so far.

Best of luck to anyone doing this in FL. It was definitely a headache with too many differing "official" ways to do it.

I was looking forward to get my Daytona as a 65 replica. Cobra Daytona will not work?

[mburger]

Please stop spreading this rumor, it's false. I've already been seen and followed by cops and they did nothing.

So because you didn't get pulled over, nobody else will.
Got it.

[MB750]

So because you didn't get pulled over, nobody else will.
Got it.

You're the one saying "they will pull you over" when that's simply false.

I'm glad you understand.

[mburger]

Well if you want to be the poster boy in support of scamming the state tax system have at it.

[bartock]

Sigurd, if you look at the tl48 it says "The manufacturer of the replica vehicle must be registered with the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration" If you pull up https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/mid/manuf.../details/21481 the cobra is the only replica FFR has registered with them. But it doesnt say on the TL48 that the model of the replica needs to be registered, only the company has to be. You may be able to get somewhere like OATA to run it as a replica if they decide not to read the whole tl48 and keep going the way they have been with the roadsters.

[cv2065]

I was looking forward to get my Daytona as a 65 replica. Cobra Daytona will not work?

I would definitely give it a shot Sigurd.

[Sigurd]

I would definitely give it a shot Sigurd.

Will do! See you in a bit.

[MB750]

Well if you want to be the poster boy in support of scamming the state tax system have at it.

Why does it seem like there's a disproportionate amount of people on this forum who are so butt-hurt over this Montana registration loophole?

My reasons had nothing to do with taxes. Are y'all jealous because you know FL screwed you over on your title branding and now nobody can have it any other way?

Grow up. There's more than one way to skin a cat. It's not 1950 anymore. People question authority all the time these days.

[Dgc333]

FWIW, if you take a trip to FFR you will find that most all the cars they have at their facility in Massachusetts have Montana plates on them.

As far as cops pulling you over for driving a vehicle with Montana plates in Florida (or any other state) you would need to be doing something else wrong (probable cause) in order for them to do so. If they run the plate it will be a legally registered vehicle in Montana. As far as cops knowing that folks are working a loop hole, only those that are also auto enthusiast's would have any idea and those cops aren't going to hassle you anyway.

[Mike.Bray]

I looked into the Montana loophole and decided the risk wasn't worth it for me but to each his own.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/market...ole-explained/

[Kbl7td]

The last thing on my mind when doing the Montana route was tax. Tax on a 22k purchase is nothing. The prime reason was the 65 title which comes with accuracy in my opinion, and a slew of other benefits such as antique plates in the future, reduced insurance etc. Like someone said above you’d need to be pulled over with cause, AND the court would have to prove that vehicle is being harbored over 30 days in FL. Lucky for me I have a Montana LLC, just like my Delaware LLC in which my “company car” travels with me. It’s really no more complicated than that.

I’ll say it again because the irony is staggering, those raving about not getting 1965 in the title isn’t a big deal, are the ones saying you HAVE to put in a FORD! Any other engine is blasphemy!

Also, as all of you FL residents know. Tax on vehicles here is a joke, they aren’t making revenue that way. In MO I was taxed at sale, yearly on personal property, AND with the vehicle inspections and plates. In FL we pay every two year for tags and that’s it.

The big reason the other states cracked down are the people having 6-7 super cars, Florida should be more concerned with the giant amount of **** boxes driving around and uninsured and unlicensed drivers.

[maclonchas]

Well I told everyone I would give an update on my attempt to register at OATA on Lee Road. First off, the appointment system is fairly good and the people are friendly. I brought all my TL-48 paperwork to be registered and all seemed good and I looked at the title. It was registered as a 2023 Cobra Roadster with the comments field stating the car as a replica. They were allowing me to do the TL-48 process, but were hung up on the year for the car. They said the year on the title needed to match the MSO. The lady that helped Bartok came to help and said that was correct. I was about to admit defeat, when I said were they sure of that interpretation? I pointed to the TL-48 document and showed that the replica year was supposed to go in the year title block and the year of the MSO was supposed to be documented in the remarks. They asked me to wait back in the waiting room and needed to call the state dmv for advice . I sat outside in the waiting room and supposed this attempt was going to be a bust. They called me back in after 20 minutes and told me I needed to sign another document. The MSO was only in my name and I was registering it with my wife and my name. They said everything else was OK and I had a replica title (1965) and new antique plates. The only items that OATA required were the MSO, HMSV 82040, insurance, copy of drivers licenses, and the bill from FFR. With those documents, I finally have the car registered, titled and with valid tags in the state of Florida.

Thanks to Henry, Bartok and others for their insight and blazing the trail on this front. Definitely, glad this job is done and now to enjoy the car.

Cheers,

Bill

[MB750]

Congrats!

I'm actually glad Tallahassee is finally getting the screws taken to them by the remote offices about this. Maybe now there will be some statewide consistency in the process.

[maclonchas]

Matt et all,

I am not sure that is a statewide, regional or individual issue for the TL-48 process. If I understand the problem right form others, it has been timing of the documents and a lack of coordination between the DMV offices and Tallahassee. My experience with the FL DMV has been that they follow the norm processes and shy away from anything that goes counter from these norms. These offices are busy with a steady stream of clientele and are willing to punt on those more difficult issues. I am not sure if these offices are under some quantity/quality control, but they seem to bounce any issues to the supervisor and then defer to a later time to make a decision. They know that most people are time limited and just want to get the tags and title quickly. Not an opportune environment for one-offs like us. The TL-41 route goes through the regional office and it appears to me that they deflect to this option as it is easier for them to complete than the TL-48 which can be bounced back from Tallahassee. Just my thoughts.

I stay out of the fray of Montana or other methods of registering and this was never in my goals. We all make decisions and should know the consequences. We all in some way game the system a little bit and understand the risk (i.e. buy parts without paying taxes, speeding, direct payment for services (cash), etc.). I do not do these sort of things Let's keep this subject about helping others and letting people understand the risks.

Thanks

Bill

[MB750]

Matt et all,

I am not sure that is a statewide, regional or individual issue for the TL-48 process. If I understand the problem right form others, it has been timing of the documents and a lack of coordination between the DMV offices and Tallahassee. My experience with the FL DMV has been that they follow the norm processes and shy away from anything that goes counter from these norms. These offices are busy with a steady stream of clientele and are willing to punt on those more difficult issues. I am not sure if these offices are under some quantity/quality control, but they seem to bounce any issues to the supervisor and then defer to a later time to make a decision. They know that most people are time limited and just want to get the tags and title quickly. Not an opportune environment for one-offs like us. The TL-41 route goes through the regional office and it appears to me that they deflect to this option as it is easier for them to complete than the TL-48 which can be bounced back from Tallahassee. Just my thoughts.

I stay out of the fray of Montana or other methods of registering and this was never in my goals. We all make decisions and should know the consequences. We all in some way game the system a little bit and understand the risk (i.e. buy parts without paying taxes, speeding, direct payment for services (cash), etc.). I do not do these sort of things Let's keep this subject about helping others and letting people understand the risks.

Thanks

Bill

I agree with you on all this with the exception of the local DMV's following normal processes. I'd prefer to call it "following what they're used to" even if there's a process that gives direction. If they're not used to it, it gets turfed. We're basically saying the same thing.