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Thread: Massachusetts Registration Question

  1. #1
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    Massachusetts Registration Question

    So I built an mkIV with the intent that it would go down to Florida with my father and be registered there. Due to unforeseen circumstances it appears that it will stay with me here in Massachusetts. I have heard that mass is one of the tougher states to register in and would like to get any advice or things I can do to help the process (car is ready for paint). I have a donor car that I used it's an 89 mustang but the motor was a crate motor that I put in the mustang a few years prior to the build(347 stroker). Just trying to prepare myself for how tough a process it will be.

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    Hope this helps. You have to make an appointment with the state police for an inspection ( mine was done in Westboro). You will have to have your car transported to the inspection site and will need all the sales receipts. There was no emission testing nor inspection ( Mass had passed the SEMA bill ) of the car just a review of the receipts. Once done you will get a VIN # to be able to register. All this was done a number of years ago so my memory may be fuzzy but it was not a BIG deal just a huge pain. Somebody else needs to provide some fact checking to be sure this is up to date. Next get ready to pay the sales tax.

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    I outlined my experience with an 818 in this thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...car-inspection Others included their's as well.

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    Do I need to keep the donor car around for the inspection process or does the old title and certificate of destruction suffice?

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    I just had the paperwork (title but no certificate of destruction).

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    This is always a good place to start: http://www.bipac.net/semaga/TagTitleToolbox_MA.pdf

    Ray
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    All I needed was the sales receipts. Be sure the VIN #s of the donor car(s) are listed on the receipts. You need to be able to show the parts were not stolen which is what the police were looking for. Also be real careful if you buy on line.

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Mass Registration/Inspection

    Quote Originally Posted by jvolpe3491 View Post
    All I needed was the sales receipts. Be sure the VIN #s of the donor car(s) are listed on the receipts. You need to be able to show the parts were not stolen which is what the police were looking for. Also be real careful if you buy on line.
    I plan on buying a complete rebuilt 1969 351W from a Mustang restoration shop in CT, will the sales receipt be adequate? The only "old" part is the block, everything else is new. It's a old block that's been lying around with no VIN information from the vehicle where it came from.

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    I plan on buying a complete rebuilt 1969 351W from a Mustang restoration shop in CT, will the sales receipt be adequate? The only "old" part is the block, everything else is new. It's a old block that's been lying around with no VIN information from the vehicle where it came from.

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    I successfully registered my Mk IV in Mass last year. I had to get a VIN sticker from the state police, insurance, MA registration, inspection sticker and an emissions inspection. For me the emissions was the most difficult because that determined what engine would go in the car. In my case I bought a drive train from a 91 Mustang with the title. This is what I found.

    VIN Sticker - the state police want to verify that the engine is not stolen. No problem because I had the title to the Mustang and the code on the engine block matched the Mustang's VIN. Note: You need to visit the MA Registry and pay $50 to get an appointment with the state police.
    Insurance- I went with Hagerty. Much cheaper than my regular auto insurance ($3k vs $560 per year)
    MA Registration - Back to the registry with your paperwork. They will probably not know how to enter the car correctly into the system. Be nice and you will at least get your plates.
    Inspection sticker - I went with to the best garage I know for a complete inspection. I wanted to make sure the car was safe. No problems and I drove off with my rejection sticker because they could not inspect the emissions for a 91 engine.
    Emissions inspection - As I understand it you have 3 options in MA. 1) Buy a brand new emissions compliant engine 2) Use an engine from a donor that includes all the period correct emissions equipment 3) Sacrifice a '73 or older car with an engine that is the same cubic inch or larger than that in the Cobra. You have to prove with paperwork that you sacrificed a car by bringing it to a junk yard and having the engine and body destroyed. I chose #2. The next step is to visit a MA MAC center to get a waiver for the emissions requirement. For me that meant I had to have all of the original emissions equipment in place for a visual inspection only. But I did forgot to have an "unleaded fuel only" sticker mounted near the gas cap. The guy was reasonable and let it slide. He then applied for my waiver with the MA EPA. It was rejected because the MA EPA needs to have it registered as a "Cobra" . Back to the registry and they registered it correctly. Back to the MAC and the EPA accepted it and put an emission waiver into the computer. Back to the inspection station and they gave me my sticker.
    The crazy thing is I can now do what ever I want to the engine and because of the emissions waiver in the computer, I can get a sticker. Of course if I sell it the new owner would need to make it emission compliant again for a 91 and get an exception from the MAC center.
    Bottom line, do your homework and be patient. Its worth it.

    Ed

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    As I read this, if I build a roadster with a 65-67 289 converted to a roller motor, it will by virtue of the YOM of the motor be emissions exempt. Am I correct? Thanks.

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    Chuckster I believe this would be true. In my experience you would still need to prove to the state police that it was not stolen and to the folks at the MAC center that the engine is from the 60's. It sounds like a good way to go. I am not an expert on this and would highly recommend that you investigate. MA has a lot of regulations. It can be difficult getting through the swamp.

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Chuckster,
    I contacted a Paul Davis at the MA DEP, he cleared my 1969 351W block for emissions buy running the block casting number through the MAC. He was very helpful! Email below


    Davis, Paul (DEP) <[email protected]>

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    Senior Member mlewis's Avatar
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    Hey Guys,

    got my finger on the trigger to finally buy a MK4 kit (after 15+ years of putting it off). I am planning to go all new components including a new coyote crate engine. Reading this thread, I'm getting a bit concerned about the challenge. Any general guidance would be greatly appreciated.

    Mark

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Mass Registration/Inspection

    Quote Originally Posted by rambler View Post
    I successfully registered my Mk IV in Mass last year. I had to get a VIN sticker from the state police, insurance, MA registration, inspection sticker and an emissions inspection. For me the emissions was the most difficult because that determined what engine would go in the car. In my case I bought a drive train from a 91 Mustang with the title. This is what I found.

    VIN Sticker - the state police want to verify that the engine is not stolen. No problem because I had the title to the Mustang and the code on the engine block matched the Mustang's VIN. Note: You need to visit the MA Registry and pay $50 to get an appointment with the state police.
    Insurance- I went with Hagerty. Much cheaper than my regular auto insurance ($3k vs $560 per year)
    MA Registration - Back to the registry with your paperwork. They will probably not know how to enter the car correctly into the system. Be nice and you will at least get your plates.
    Inspection sticker - I went with to the best garage I know for a complete inspection. I wanted to make sure the car was safe. No problems and I drove off with my rejection sticker because they could not inspect the emissions for a 91 engine.
    Emissions inspection - As I understand it you have 3 options in MA. 1) Buy a brand new emissions compliant engine 2) Use an engine from a donor that includes all the period correct emissions equipment 3) Sacrifice a '73 or older car with an engine that is the same cubic inch or larger than that in the Cobra. You have to prove with paperwork that you sacrificed a car by bringing it to a junk yard and having the engine and body destroyed. I chose #2. The next step is to visit a MA MAC center to get a waiver for the emissions requirement. For me that meant I had to have all of the original emissions equipment in place for a visual inspection only. But I did forgot to have an "unleaded fuel only" sticker mounted near the gas cap. The guy was reasonable and let it slide. He then applied for my waiver with the MA EPA. It was rejected because the MA EPA needs to have it registered as a "Cobra" . Back to the registry and they registered it correctly. Back to the MAC and the EPA accepted it and put an emission waiver into the computer. Back to the inspection station and they gave me my sticker.
    The crazy thing is I can now do what ever I want to the engine and because of the emissions waiver in the computer, I can get a sticker. Of course if I sell it the new owner would need to make it emission compliant again for a 91 and get an exception from the MAC center.
    Bottom line, do your homework and be patient. Its worth it.

    Ed
    Does the car need to be complete, specifically painted or can it be the red gel coat from the factory?

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    jwebb
    I did the state inspection and registered my 818 last year. I'm in West Springfield. The State Police guy wanted the car to be complete and painted, he said no cars in primer. I tried to explain Gel coat but he didnt want to know. I brought it through in the white gel coat that FFR was using at the time. Only problem was I didn't have a title in my name for donor Subaru.
    My whole idea was to get the car legal on the road and worry about the paint during the winter.
    Good Luck
    Davis

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CU9DZ View Post
    jwebb
    I did the state inspection and registered my 818 last year. I'm in West Springfield. The State Police guy wanted the car to be complete and painted, he said no cars in primer. I tried to explain Gel coat but he didnt want to know. I brought it through in the white gel coat that FFR was using at the time. Only problem was I didn't have a title in my name for donor Subaru.
    My whole idea was to get the car legal on the road and worry about the paint during the winter.
    Good Luck
    Davis
    Thanks, what State Police location did you go through! I was going to try with the red gel coat, maybe not!

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    [QUOTE=jwebb;287722]Thanks, what State Police location did you go through! I was going to try with the red gel coat, maybe not![

    No problem with my 818 in Bridgewater with red gel coat.

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    jwebb
    My Cobra was (and still is) in red gelcoat when I did the State Police inspection. I simply registered it as "red". No problem. I went through the Haverhill location.

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rambler View Post
    jwebb
    My Cobra was (and still is) in red gelcoat when I did the State Police inspection. I simply registered it as "red". No problem. I went through the Haverhill location.
    For you guys that got through with gel coat, what did you do with respect to mold seams? Sand/fill and paint or just like it came from the factory?

  21. #21
    Member Race Ratz's Avatar
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    I believe once that vin is qualified emissions exempt, that Vin number stays emissions exempt for the life of the car. You can sell the car and it stays emissions exempt. I'm buying one now that is certified emissions exempt. Bill

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    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Mass Registration/Inspection

    Quote Originally Posted by rambler View Post
    jwebb
    My Cobra was (and still is) in red gelcoat when I did the State Police inspection. I simply registered it as "red". No problem. I went through the Haverhill location.
    Are windshield wipers required on a Roadster in Mass? I certainly don't plan on driving in the rain!!

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    jwebb.
    I had the State Police inspection in Westfield with the white gel coat on my 818. When i did the inspection for emissions and safety they made me put on a third brake light , wiper and squirter. But i think the cobra is different for emissions and safety since its a replica.
    Davis

  24. #24
    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CU9DZ View Post
    jwebb.
    I had the State Police inspection in Westfield with the white gel coat on my 818. When i did the inspection for emissions and safety they made me put on a third brake light , wiper and squirter. But i think the cobra is different for emissions and safety since its a replica.
    Davis
    Davis,
    What did you do with the mold seams on your car for SP inspection?
    MK4 #9121 - Complete kit - Stroked 351, T5x, 3.55 Rear End, 3-Link - Pickup 6/17/17, 1st start 12/2/17, Go-Kart 12/9/17, Road Worthy 4/27/18

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    Vin

    I got my 65 coupe all registered this year and figured I'd share my story of what I went through.

    Here's the saga of trying to get a VIN number assigned to my car in MA. The procedure is that I'm supposed to go to the registry of motor vehicles and fill out an application for getting an assigned VIN number. I did this on October 20th. I just walk into the registry with the form, explain to the person at the desk what I'm doing and how it works, pay the $50 and get a receipt for this application. I was in and out in about 15 minutes. Then I can call up and try to schedule an appointment for the VIN assignment with the state police at a salvage title inspection center. There are 5 centers around the state and you can go to any of them. I chose the Bridgewater site because I heard horror stories about the officer at the Northboro site, so I wanted to avoid any hassle. The Bridgewater site is about 1.5 hours from my house vs. about 50 minutes to the closest site in Northboro, so just a little bit further, but hopefully worth the extra driving.

    So on Nov. 7th, I call up and I get a recording saying that if I'm calling for a VIN assignment, leave a message with my name and number and someone will get back to me. So I leave a voicemail saying I want to make an appointment with my name and number. I don't hear back after 10 days, so I call again and leave another message on Nov. 17th. Again, I don't hear back. So on Dec. 9th I call again and actually talk with a person this time. I again leave my name, number, etc. and the guy says he'll forward my information on to the Bridgewater site. Again, no calls, nothing. So I took Thursday Dec. 23rd off from work and since I hadn't heard anything back from the state police, my Dad and I took a trip down to Bridgewater to try and talk with someone about trying to get a VIN number assigned to my car. The place opens at 8am and it is first come first serve for salvage inspections. We get there at about 8:50. We are the 8th car in line on a road outside this building which houses equipment for the Mass highway department. There wasn't really a place to walk in and we didn't want to bother anyone, so we figured we'd wait our turn and then try to talk with someone. Around 9am, 2 cars pull out and the first 2 cars now in line pull in. We are now 6th in line and see that it takes a little under 1 hour for the office to inspect 2 vehicles for the salvage title. At this rate we figure we'll be seen a little before noon. At 9:50, I get a phone call on my cell phone and as I pull out my phone it says "restricted number". Since I didn't know what that was and figured it was just a telemarketer, I don't answer. A few seconds later, it says I have a voicemail. I listen to it and there's a guy that says: "Hi Matt, this is the officer from the state police salvage title center and I'm calling to schedule an appointment to get a VIN assigned to your car. I'll try back later."

    Unbelievable. After all that time waiting, the guy calls as I'm waiting in line at the site!!!! I couldn't believe it and of course start laughing and kicking myself for not answering. Oh well, at this point we are 4th in line and probably have only another hour or so to wait.

    At 11:15 or so, it was our turn. We drive into the parking lot and the officer comes out. He's looking funny at my Dad's car because we have valid plates, whereas everyone else for the salvage title has the car either on a trailer or with dealer plates. I say who I am and that I'm trying to schedule and appointment to get a VIN assigned and ask him if he could review my paperwork to make sure I had everything I needed. He then says, with a puzzled look, "I just called you." He then says a comment about my Dad's car with regular plates and that he hopes that car wasn't there for a salvage title. He said, oh you didn't have to wait in line, you could have just walked up and talked to me. We said we didn't know and didn't want to hassle him. He takes my paperwork and goes inside. We wait for about 10 minutes, then he comes back and says it all looks good. I just need to bring two copies of it and a copy of my license to the appointment. He then says, how about next Thursday at 10am. I said perfect. Then he asked if I came to Bridgewater because of the trooper in Northboro. I said yeah and laughed. He said next Thursday, I can just pull in with it on the trailer and not have to wait in line. I asked what about if it snows next Thursday and he gave me a number to call just in case. He was really polite and professional.

    On Sunday, I look at the 5 day forecast. Sunday - Sunny, Monday - Sunny, Tuesday - Cloudy, Wednesday - Sunny, Thursday - Snow, Friday - Sunny. Thursday snow? Are you kidding me? Maybe the forecast will be wrong as it still is a few days out. Tuesday rolls around, nope, still snow for Thursday. I call the officer and am able to change my appointment to Wednesday at 10am. Wednesday morning we load up the car on the trailer and head back down to Bridgewater, get there around 9:30 and unload the car. The officer comes out around 9:50 and I drive into one of the bays on the building. I hand him my paperwork, he checks everything out and assigns me a VIN. I had to cut away a little bit of carpet on the frame near the chassis number and clean up the glue and he lets me stick on the number. The other officer there had never seen a FFR coupe before and took a few pictures. We loaded back up and were out of there by 10:30.

    Dec. 29th, I get all my paperwork ready to bring to the RMV to get a title and registration. After calling up and getting insurance yesterday, I had my RMV-1 Form, application for VIN signed and stamped with the assigned VIN, Certificate of origin and the invoice for the kit.

    I get to the registry about 10 minutes before it opens and there is a small line. The door opens at 9, I get a number and seconds after I sit down, I'm called. I say that I'm here to title and register a 2016 Replica vehicle. The person had never done one before and asks a few questions, then asks a co-worker and supervisor, calls on the phone etc. This goes on for about 20 minutes, then I write him a check, he hands me the plates and a registration and I'm out of there at 9:30.

    I can now legally drive my car (for a little bit). I have 7 days to get a sticker and was going to do that today if the snow held off, but by the time I got home it was snowing. After 3 years, I now have a car I can legally drive, but it's December in New England and snowing out so I can't. Hopefully Friday or Saturday the roads will be clear and I can take the car for a ride. Then I can start the next part of the process in MA. Get a failed emissions sticker, schedule an appointment at a MAC and hopefully get emissions exempt, then go back and get a valid sticker.

    ---------------------
    I'll post about getting my sticker next.

    -Matt

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    Getting the sticker

    Here's my adventure with getting the inspection sticker:

    The weather and roads finally cleared up enough to take the car out for the initial inspection. I've only done a few quick trips in my back yard and in my neighbor's driveway before that. My Dad came over and I was going to follow him to the inspection station about 10 miles away. Since I haven't calibrated my speedometer yet, I was going to follow him and he was going to drive exactly the speed limit so I could see what my car was displaying. We started out and in the 30MPH zone I was reading about 34MPH and in the 45MPH zone I was reading about 51MPH. Ok, at least that gives me some idea. The car took a little bit to get used to. I could see out the front great and out of the rear view mirror. The side mirrors not so much. We got to the inspection station and waited our turn. When it was our turn the attendant walked up and says "you drive that in, I'm not getting in that". He said he'd done a bunch of FFR and other kits before. He did the safety inspection and gave me my failed emissions sticker and the number for the MAC that I needed to call for an appointment.



    Monday morning I call up the MAC (Motorist Assistance Center) to schedule an appointment for my car. I was expecting a similar delay in scheduling that I encountered with getting a VIN number assigned. I was shocked when they said they had an appointment for Tuesday (as in tomorrow) at 8am. I said yes, then started having some regrets as I looked at the forecast and saw rain for Monday night/Tuesday morning. Also I called up my dad to see if he wanted to ride with me, but he couldn't go Tuesday. The forecast for Wednesday looked clear, so I called back and easily switched the appointment to Wednesday at 8am.

    Wednesday morning comes around and the weather is perfect, sunny and in the 50's. My dad hops in the passenger seat, well not exactly hops, but he's able to get in and buckled up. We drive off. The MAC center is a little over 20 miles away and I decide to take back roads there instead of the highway. As we get into the city where the MAC center is located, there's a little bit of traffic and construction, but not too much. I'm happy to say even in the stop and go traffic, the engine idled well and wasn't close to stalling. The car is pretty loud even with ear plugs in. Not piercing loud, but kind of a low drowning sound that ear plugs don't really block out. We get to the MAC center right at 8AM.

    We meet with the inspector who was very friendly. I told him I have a block from a 1971 Mustang. He starts asking if I bought the whole car or not and that he didn't think I could just use the engine. He said what people did was to buy an old vehicle, have it crushed and then they could use any engine. At that point I brought out the email that I had with the head of the Mass DEP from 2014 where he wrote that I could use a block from a pre-1974 engine. I also show him my reciept for the engine from the salvage yard and a letter saying the VIN of the car the engine came from. He took copies of these and said he'd have to talk with someone. Then he had me pull the car into the bay where he took pictures of the car, VIN, engine etc. He asked my about the transmission and the rear end. I told him it was a 5 speed Tremec and a Ford with with 3.55 gears. He tried calling someone else, but that person was not available as they are in meetings in Boston on Wednesday mornings. He said he had all the information he needed, but couldn't remove the flag for emissions at this time, and he'd call me and let me know. My dad and I got back in the car and drove home. I was expecting a "yes" or a "no", but hadn't thought I'd get a maybe. I was disappointed that I didn't have an answer, but at least it wasn't a "no".

    The rest of the day I wait for a phone call, but don't hear anything. Then a little after 5pm, I see that I have a message on my phone from the inspector. He says that he couldn't get a hold of the person who he needed to talk with, but was sure he'd hear back in the morning and then call me back. Thursday goes by and I don't hear anything.

    On Friday, I decided that if I didn't hear back by 11am, I'd give him a call. I call him a little after 11am and am able to speak with him. He said he's had some correspondence with someone, but was still waiting to hear back about something. He mentions something about a 1971 Mustang didn't have the option for a 3.55 rear end. Then he said they did offer a 3.91 and that he's waiting on clarification. He was a little vague and I'm trying to stay calm. But in my mind, I'm saying, are you kidding me? My engine is good to go, but I'm going to get rejected because of the rear end ratio? Why did I say what gears I had in there? I just had the rear end replaced last week (from my lack of oil mishap), if I have to switch gears now....... etc.
    He said he'll definitely call me back today as soon as he hears more.

    Finally around 3:30pm, I get a call back and hear the words I've been waiting to hear for almost 4 years. "You're all set!" Whoo-hooo! "You just need to go back to the inspection station, then they'll scan your rejection sticker, see that they car is emissions except and give you a valid sticker". I thank him for his help and say goodbye.

    So I'm 99.9% there. I still have to go back to my local inspection site, but barring any mishap with the computer I should be good to go. I'm not going to say I'm officially done until I get that sticker, but crossing my fingers, things look good. Again it is supposed to rain for the next few days, so not sure when I can make it official.


    A few days later it's official. Drove back to the local inspection station this morning. The inspector scanned my old "R" sticker and the machine printed out a new valid sticker. He said I was one of the faster people to come back from the MAC. When I left the previous time he said "see you in 6 months". I think he was only half joking......

    As I was driving home it sprinkled a little and I thought to myself, good thing I have a coupe to keep me dry!


    There you have it.



    Good luck to everyone in Mass getting your car registered. It can be done!

    -Matt

  27. #27
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    jwebb.
    My 818 with the original front end design only has seams where the body panels bolt together. I think all the other FFR kits have body panels that are made in molds and then bonded together by FFR. But I just bolted or screwed the body panels on, made the car look finished and trailer ed to State police inspection.
    Davis

  28. #28
    Member Race Ratz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Race Ratz View Post
    I believe once that vin is qualified emissions exempt, that Vin number stays emissions exempt for the life of the car. You can sell the car and it stays emissions exempt. I'm buying one now that is certified emissions exempt. Bill
    Received reject sticker, called MAC and they cleared the computer. Have Ma sticker. Emissions Exempt from prior owner registered before MA rules change in 2012.

  29. #29
    Senior Member jwebb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rambler View Post
    I successfully registered my Mk IV in Mass last year. I had to get a VIN sticker from the state police, insurance, MA registration, inspection sticker and an emissions inspection. For me the emissions was the most difficult because that determined what engine would go in the car. In my case I bought a drive train from a 91 Mustang with the title. This is what I found.

    VIN Sticker - the state police want to verify that the engine is not stolen. No problem because I had the title to the Mustang and the code on the engine block matched the Mustang's VIN. Note: You need to visit the MA Registry and pay $50 to get an appointment with the state police.
    Insurance- I went with Hagerty. Much cheaper than my regular auto insurance ($3k vs $560 per year)
    MA Registration - Back to the registry with your paperwork. They will probably not know how to enter the car correctly into the system. Be nice and you will at least get your plates.
    Inspection sticker - I went with to the best garage I know for a complete inspection. I wanted to make sure the car was safe. No problems and I drove off with my rejection sticker because they could not inspect the emissions for a 91 engine.
    Emissions inspection - As I understand it you have 3 options in MA. 1) Buy a brand new emissions compliant engine 2) Use an engine from a donor that includes all the period correct emissions equipment 3) Sacrifice a '73 or older car with an engine that is the same cubic inch or larger than that in the Cobra. You have to prove with paperwork that you sacrificed a car by bringing it to a junk yard and having the engine and body destroyed. I chose #2. The next step is to visit a MA MAC center to get a waiver for the emissions requirement. For me that meant I had to have all of the original emissions equipment in place for a visual inspection only. But I did forgot to have an "unleaded fuel only" sticker mounted near the gas cap. The guy was reasonable and let it slide. He then applied for my waiver with the MA EPA. It was rejected because the MA EPA needs to have it registered as a "Cobra" . Back to the registry and they registered it correctly. Back to the MAC and the EPA accepted it and put an emission waiver into the computer. Back to the inspection station and they gave me my sticker.
    The crazy thing is I can now do what ever I want to the engine and because of the emissions waiver in the computer, I can get a sticker. Of course if I sell it the new owner would need to make it emission compliant again for a 91 and get an exception from the MAC center.
    Bottom line, do your homework and be patient. Its worth it.

    Ed
    What is the Roadster registered as a ford cobra or a Factory Fiver Roadster??
    MK4 #9121 - Complete kit - Stroked 351, T5x, 3.55 Rear End, 3-Link - Pickup 6/17/17, 1st start 12/2/17, Go-Kart 12/9/17, Road Worthy 4/27/18

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