Street legality and registering redux

[patentshark]

For those of you registering your Atom to be street legal, what concerns or problems are you facing in your respective states?  We all might benefit from each otherâ??s attempts at manipulating the law in our favor to register the Atom. 

In Illinois, it does not appear that there will be huge problem titling the Atom as a â??specially constructed vehicleâ?� using the paperwork that Brammo should be supplying.  I was informed that they will be supplying a VIN issued from Ariel UK at least for now (they have stated they are applying to the NHTSA as a manufacturer to issue the VINs here) and a manufacturerâ??s statement of origin. 

The real problem, at least in Illinois, comes down to the safety inspection.  Most of the safety criteria are taken care of, but there are a few that are still up in the air.  Though minor, I donâ??t recall if the Atom comes with a horn.  This should be fairly simple to retrofit. 

A bigger concern would be front and rear bumpers â??that extend no less than the width of the respective wheel tracks outermost distance.â?�  This is a requirement that appears to only apply if the bumper has been â??modifiedâ?� from the original manufacturerâ??s specification.  (However, the Secretary of State Police indicated that it is a requirement for all vehicles regardless of modification.)  I plan to argue that the bumper has not been modified and therefore the provision does not apply.  Additionally, it may be possible to be creative about the description of the fenders as bumpers as there is no clear definition in the Illinois statute for â??bumpers.â?�  Creativity, as well as friendliness of the inspector, may work out for this requirement without requiring modifications to the car.  I really do not want to add any extra structure that may detract from the minimalist design.

Finally, I do not see a way around having a windscreen and wipers in Illinois.  That is, unless we find an old vehicle that the Atom resembles that also lacks a true windscreen, thereby allowing the Atom can be registered as a â??custom vehicleâ?� instead of a â??specially constructed vehicle.â?�  I do not have much hope for this option.  Instead, I have been corresponding with Craig and he has stated that they do have a â??windscreenâ?� kit in the works pending DOT approval.  He is hoping for it to be ready by the middle of next year. 

Sorry for the long post, but making the Atom street legal is a requirement for me, or more accurately, for my wifeâ??s final approval.

[Driver]

Re: Bumpers - Lots of old T-Buckets and such do not have rear bumpers.

Re: Windshield: if Brammo comes up with a way to make the existing windscreen flip up it might work. Doesn't matter how ugly it is as long as it passes. Once it's inspected you'd put it in the down (clean) position and leave it. Jeep has done this for the last 30 years or so on some of their vehicles going back to WWII.

I'm like you, unless I can drive it on the street it's not going to happen.

[Matt F]

I'm facing the exact same questions.  While everything varies from state to state, I can offer a little advice.

First, understand the Illinois vehicle code.  Don't rely on hearsay; read the law for yourself, including the inspection procedure.

Second, check out the actual forms that you'll need to fill out.  The questions that they ask, and the way in which they are asked, will reveal what the DOT (or DMV) really wants.  Here is Pennsylvania's form to title a Specially Constructed vehicle:
http://www.dot10.state.pa.us/pdotforms/ ... v-426B.pdf
It includes completel instructions, and also has the all -important N/A checkbox for glazing, windshield and wipers.  (Take note: you may also be required to have some sort of defroster/defogger.)  I think it turns out what the state usually really wants is for the sales tax to be paid in full!

Finally, your same questions come up all of the time for owners of Cobra replicas and dune buggies (or sand rails).  Check out their forums, and see what their issues have been for Illinois.  You can start here: http://www.erareplicas.com/statereg.htm , which simply states that Illinois is easy.

Good luck!

[patentshark]

Bumpers...I know a lot of T-buckets do not have bumpers.  The problem is that the Atom is not a T-bucket made back in the first half of the twentieth century.  Nor has it been designed to replicate the look.  

Illinois, as well as many other states, have adopted the SEMA guidelines.  These guidelines generally allow new cars to conform to old laws as long as the car resembles the old car.  Therefore, if the Atom resembled a T-bucket or other car that lacked bumpers, or a windscreen for that matter, the car would be exempt from that requirement.  The guidelines also allow you to title the car as a 1923 t-bucket, or whatever, if it resembled it.  

[patentshark]

Matt F,

I have read the Illinois code and I have all of the forms, etc (I am a bit of a law guy, you can kind of guess from my screen name).  I have also been in contact with THE person in charge of specially constructed vehicle applications.  Titling, as I said before, should not be a problem and is just a matter of the correct paperwork. 

The problem is the inspection.  I still have yet to speak with those in charge of the actual vehicle inspections.  I have read the code for the actual requirements, but the implementation of those requirements comes down to the State Police who actually inspect the car.  There is no written inspection procedure per se, but they give you a mediocre checklist.  The only real concerns about the checklist were the items I described above.  Again, the bumpers are arguable because they are not defined in the statute.  It will come down to the inspector. 

I saw your previous post about sand rails, but did not find too much help besides the statement about it being "easy." 

As for the glazing or windscreen, Illinois, as far as I can remember, does not have a defroster requirement.  (I will double check later).  The windscreen must meet the general federal regulations (49 CFR 571.205).  The only other windscreen requirement is for a "device, controlled by the driver, for cleaning rain, snow, moisture, or other obstructions from the windshield."  Basically, you need wipers.

Make sure you let us know how it goes with the PA DOT.

[Matt F]

[quote="patentshark"]Make sure you let us know how it goes with the PA DOT.[/quote]

I will, but it won't be for a few more months.  My deposit was paid in mid-Spetember, so delivery should be sometime at the beginnning of next year.  The hardest part will be the wait between the time I submit pictures to PennDot and the time they send me a title, which could be weeks.  I'll have the Atom in my garage, but won't be able to (legally) drive it.  Hopefully it will be so snowy that it won't be frustrating!

[Driver]

The only other windscreen requirement is for a "device, controlled by the driver, for cleaning rain, snow, moisture, or other obstructions from the windshield."  Basically, you need wipers.

Take your helmet with you, the one with tear offs on the visor.... Done. Or you could use that thumb wiper that other people have mentioned. That would meet the regs right? Creative, yes, but technically correct also right? If so, even using rain-X on the helmet would also meet the requirement (if the helmet doesn't meet it solely on it's own as it already does for the motorcycling folks out there).