How to register your Specially Constructed Vehicle in California

[Bruce Fielding]

I love it when authority has to shortcut in silly ways to get stuff done!

I once had a residents permit for the RBKC (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) and complained that they had my vehicle wrong...

Me: (ranting) You've got down the wrong vehicle.

Them: Oh?

Me: Yes - it's an Alfa not a Polo

Them: Ahh

Me: And it's red not white

Them: Have you...

Me: And what's this model, 'Mint'

Pause...


Me: Oh, hang on


Pause


Me: OK bye

A white polo mint is a lifesaver candy in the UK. It's what they put down when they didn't have any idea what the car was...

[Driver]

They'll just use the engine. So unless you plan on getting one of those small 60's era Ferrari V12 ones shoehorned in there....

[nickpoore]

That's when you get to show them their own paperwork:

If the engine or the vehicle does not sufficiently resemble one previously manufactured, the referee will assign 1960 as the model-year.

The imporatant word here is OR.

Since the vehicle does not sufficiently resamble anything else, it qualifies as being 1960. 

(It they'd said AND, then we would have been tied to the engine year.)

[Driver]

But the engine DOES resemble one previously manufactured so they will pick a recent model year. The referee will pick one OR the other. As the vehicle is unique they will use the engine.  You are screwed if your counting on them defaulting to 1960 for a modern Fuel Injected EcoTec or Honda K20 powerplant.

[Deus]

Per California Vehicle Code §4750.1, the first 500 program applicants in each calendar year may choose whether the inspection is based on the model-year of the engine used in the vehicle or the vehicle model-year. If the engine or the vehicle does not sufficiently resemble one previously manufactured, the referee will assign 1960 as the model-year.

CVC 4750.1 states 1) if the 500 limit is reached, then you can register your SPCN as a current year model and 2) if a vehicle is already registered, then SPCN cannot be used to change the model year.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc4750_1.htm

The correct CVC is 44017.4 which states...(my emphasis)

44017.4.   (a) Upon registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles, a passenger vehicle or pickup truck that is a specially constructed vehicle, as defined in Section 580 of the Vehicle Code, shall be inspected by stations authorized to perform referee functions. This inspection shall be for the purposes of determining the engine model-year used in the vehicle or the vehicle model-year, and the emission control system application. The owner shall have the option to choose whether the inspection is based on the engine model-year used in the vehicle or the vehicle model-year.

(1) In determining the engine model-year, the referee shall compare the engine to engines of the era that the engine most closely resembles. The referee shall assign the 1960 model-year to the engine in any specially constructed vehicle that does not sufficiently resemble a previously manufactured engine. The referee shall require only those emission control systems that are applicable to the established engine model-year and that the engine reasonably accommodates in its present form.

(2) In determining the vehicle model-year, the referee shall compare the vehicle to vehicles of the era that the vehicle most closely resembles. The referee shall assign the 1960 model-year to any specially constructed vehicle that does not sufficiently resemble a previously manufactured vehicle. The referee shall require only those emission control systems that are applicable to the established model-year and that the vehicle reasonably accommodates in its present form.

(b) Upon the completion of the inspection, the referee shall affix a tamper-resistant label to the vehicle and issue a certificate that establishes the engine model-year or the vehicle model-year, and the emission control system application.

(c) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall annually provide a registration to no more than the first 500 vehicles that meet the criteria described in subdivision (a) that are presented to that department for registration pursuant to this section. The 500-vehicle annual limitation does not apply to the renewal of registration of a vehicle registered pursuant to this section.

The registrant chooses whether he/she wants to use the engine or vehicle resemblance for year model designation. I think it is worth looking into what smog requirements are for a 2006 SPCN.

[patentshark]

the problem you might have is that the engine/intake/exhaust combination probably does not have EPA certification tags. 

[07Atom]

[quote="patentshark"]
the problem you might have is that the engine/intake/exhaust combination probably does not have EPA certification tags. 
[/quote]

the solution is getting the referee to deem the non-gm-oem parts as "replacement parts"

[wisp]

[quote="MrWoolery"]
Fame + contacts/influence in state government would probably be sufficient enough to explain that occurence.
[/quote]

The solution could be to gift an atom to the "Terminator" and watch the law change. 

[Mr.Woolery]

[quote="wisp"]
[quote="MrWoolery"]
Fame + contacts/influence in state government would probably be sufficient enough to explain that occurence.
[/quote]

The solution could be to gift an atom to the "Terminator" and watch the law change. 


[/quote]

No that wouldn't work.  Arnold doesn't change the law, he just ignores it.  Case in point:  He's been riding motorcycles for years, but last year it was discovered that he never bothered to get a motorcycle license.  He'd just drive the Atom and never be bothered with answering to any authority about it.

[wisp]

[quote="MrWoolery"]
No that wouldn't work. Arnold doesn't change the law, he just ignores it. Case in point: He's been riding motorcycles for years, but last year it was discovered that he never bothered to get a motorcycle license. He'd just drive the Atom and never be bothered with answering to any authority about it.
[/quote]

No officer, it's not my atom. I'm just delivering it for Governor Schwarzenegger 

[dp35]

[quote="MrWoolery"]
He'd just drive the Atom and never be bothered with answering to any authority about it.
[/quote]

Isn't that what Leno's doing? 

[kenazusa]

That is actually Leno's MO. I saw him stop by the Rock Store in LA with an antique Land Speed Record Car. It had nothing on it that would remotely work as a street car (headlights, tailights, etc.)

But it is Jay Leno, and it is CA.

[Driver]

A lot of the antiques don't have to even remotely meet today's standards for lights or any other safety device for that matter. Grandfathered takes on an entirely different meaning when you are talking about a 50+ year old fliver. Not to say that Jay doesn't get preferential treatment. I'm sure he could likely get away with a lot. Look what OJ got away with, and he was way past his "sell by" date.

[kenazusa]

I'm actually a big fan of Jay's. His involvement in the Atom and Collector Cars in general has done of good. I'm glad he gets special treatment.

[Driver]

I didn't mean to give the impression that Jay isn't a great ambassador for car guys. He's likely the most honest, down to earth, genuine person of all the collectors out there. With his history (coming from being a auto mechanic himself) he's a real guy, not some person that just bought themselves a few pricey cars. And he knows his stuff. everything I've seen in his garage has to be a driver and he knows the history of them all.