vin#'s on bug conversion buggies

[Old Buggy]

where is the vin plate on a bug, and when cut it (the bug)down, is the vin still on the chassis, or do you remount the tag.
do you revin thru DMV.


asking about buggy's that are registered as a VW BUG.


thanks!

Will

[Carlton Dollery]

Hmm this can get STICKY

The vin plate number is located in three places:
1. the numbers are stamped in the back by the inspection plate where the shifter rod is connected to the transmission.
2. their is a vin plate on the dash, just like other car have
3. their is a vin plate in the hood area by the spare tire

This may not be true on all models, but on my 73 doner it was.

My car is registerd as a 73 that was shortened and is insured as a 73 vw. I took the vin plate off of the dash and put it on the dash on my buggy.

Their are different opions on using the vin number and registering as a vw, some suggets get a new title for the car.

In the end it is your choice.

Carlton

[Old Buggy]

I worry about registering as a new car with all the emmissions stuff.

I hate to do it but I guess I need to go to DMV and explain to them what Iam going to do.

this is also a concearn with the berren chassis.

[GregR]

registration laws vary widely from state to state. Do a good internet search before you go to the Maryland DMV. If your DMV is like most seem to be, you may ask 10 people and get 15 answers. Also search for other boards (even cobra clubs, etc in MD as they have the same issues we do. Found this on a quick search, you may be able to keep it titled as a VW, if so that's a good thing. http://www.marylandmva.com/AboutMVA/INFO/27300-31T.htm and http://www.dmv.org/md-maryland/custom-built-cars.php
One very important thing though, however it's registered and titled, your insurance company should know exactly what you have. I took pictures to my agent and they are on file at his office and the corporate office.
Keep us posted.

[Patrick]

Watch out on the DMV stuff. I sold a a Kit Car that was titled here in Texas as a 70 Bug using the current VIN numbers on the tunnel. Once I sold it I told the guy in the other state just tell the DMV people it was a bug and to use the VIN for that purpose. He went into his DMV office and told them it was a kit car that looked like a hummer. A lot of red tape hit the fan and they made him change a lot of things on the kit car. He had to get weld dates, change the lights, find out when it was built, etc. Which I had no clue as I bought it completed from another owner. After about 3 months he got the thing titled.

He had to change a lot of things on the kit to have it titled correctly and be okay to drive on the street in his state. If you are out of state find a local club in your area and see if they have any Kit Cars (Dune Buggies, etc) and contact them to see how these owners did the DMV thing as that will save you a lot of trouble in the long run. I don't want to see people having to go through what this guy had to do with our kit car. Like Greg said check your laws as they vary. Good Luck...

[Bryan Porter]

If you use the floor pan title it as a vw if you use a frame from berrien buggys get a vin from dmv as it is illegal to transfer a vin from one car to another in most all states as far as emissions in texas it is a limited production vihicle and dos'nt has to be tested so check your state.

[Old Buggy]

I went to DMV yesterday, I was tranfered to a supervisor.

he told me that I would need papers from the body manufacturer, and title for the bug, it have to be inspected by the MD state police for safty.
and it would be titled has year of completion (2008-2009) and need to meet state emmissions tests.

if I were to buy a biult car from out of state, I would need the body info, and proof of build date,and ofcourse title for such car.

no historic or street rod tags, it would have to be titled as a kitcar period.

only relief was that using an older engine with no modds,the engine could be inspected and vin verified every year for emmissions examption...............every year.

I hate MD.

[Patrick]

Saw this in Kit Car Magazine. Contact this person and find out how you would go about getting your Kit Car titled. They may shed some light on how you work with the DMV to get your buggy titled.

Sebring/Cimbria Kit Car Club
Joe Domanico
6 Dixie Dr., Dept. KC
Bel Air, MD 21014
E-mail: jadomani@cbdcom.apgea.army.mil

[Duner]

Old Buggy

Sorry about your dilema, in most cases states other than TX are into all aspects of your personal life under the guise of protecting the general public.

Rule no. 1 Only answer questions that you are asked and do not elaborate on your answer. Never go to the DMV on fact finding mission if you do always use your best buddy's name.

First you are registering a vw (not a kit) this keeps it simple.

Second the only people who need to see the car or pictures is the insurance company.

Third emissions testing is a crock and most states do not test a vehicle in the real environment anyway. In fact with OBD-II systems the state of TX is relying on the car's onboard computer to tell them if there is something wrong. You know it's like jamming a radar, you can write program code into a computer chip to tell an externally attached computer anything you want - car manfacturers never had it so easy.

So buy a bug or bug chassis with a good title. Register this car with the DMV done. Then rebody the car and properly install quality seats and seatbelt harnesses, mirrors, lights, horns, etc. so that the car can be safety inspected. Then hopefully MD has exempted cars that are older than 24 years of age like most of the other states for emissions testing because they represent less than 0.5% of cars currently registered.

I wish TX would do a non-op registration like CA where the car stays in the system with tags but can not be operated on the roads legally but at least you can transfer titles on all of your project cars without having to have current liability insurance.

If I were using a Berrien chassis, I would just transfer my VW vin numbers to the new car (legal or not ) just to make things easier.

If all else fails move south where the states are more relaxed about you driving a 5hp 84 quart igloo cooler or a motorized barstool.

Last but not least is the three wheel vehicle - this designed skirts all motor vehicle laws almost globaly. It falls into a gap between automobiles and motorcycles and comes out scoring as a two wheel motorcyle, therefore it only requires a helmet to operate in some states. They can be built from scratch and are usually exempt from emissions due to this two wheel classing.

Anyway I have opened my mouth long enough to put both feet into it, but on behalf of my fellow buggy enthusiasts here in TX you are more than wlecome to move down here and we will lend you a hand with your buggy project.

[Patrick]

Like Duner said. Tell them it's a Volkswagen. Once you go into the DMV office and start asking questions about a car that you are building that's when things get turned upside down.

What they made this guy do in New Jersey that bought my Kit Car was unreal. I told him to go into the DMV and just register it as a Volkswagen, but he wanted to make sure what he had to do and told them it was a kit car. He said after the 3 months of doing what they told him to do he wished he would have gone in there and just told them it was a 70 bug.

Here's one for you guys. I was in line at the DMV paying the taxes on our bug we bought for the buggy build. This guy next to me was telling the lady behind the counter he just bought a 70's Pantera for $1000.00 and she said oh okay and rang him up. I wanted to lean over and say to the guy where in the heck can you get a Pantera for $1000.00 as I'd like to buy one for that price!! Then say out loud the lowest I've seen them go for is about $30k. That would of made everyone's day there even the Tax lady. Course I kept my mouth shut.

[Old Buggy]

md just changed the tax deal, you tell them what it is an d they tell you how much it's worth and you pay taxes on that :rolleyes:

I have a co-worker that has a manx(?), I'll going to see how he did his.