Registering a buggy in Texas

[GregR]

Posting this for a new member....

Maybe you can forward this to this most appropriate member…

I am thinking of building a dune buggy /sand rail starting out with a 1970s up to a 1976 model VW beetle.
If the car I buy comes with a clean title, will it work for the converted vehicle? How much of the original car must be retained? For instance, if I put a Suburu engine in it, will the title still be valid?
I want it to be Texas street legal so, regarding inspection sticker, it will look like a sand rail but will have all of the required stuff to pass safety inspection required for a 30 year old car? Will the inspection guy still give me a sticker even though it is no longer a VW bug but just has a VW vin number and title?

Chris B

[Patrick]

It depends on what mood the Inspecter guy is in that day. The guy I use to go to would not pass my green Manx as it didn't have the correct Bug Steering Wheel on it. I had a smaller wheel. Then he didn't like that I had no seat belts. I said it's a 1962!! We kind of had it out. I drove across the street and it passed right away. That's where I go now. The guys that like the cool cars.

I remember the time I took my kit car in to get it inspected. It looked like a small hummer. Anyway, It took me all day to get the horn working. I get it there and see this old Model T in the bay. They were giving this lady a hard time about your wipers not working.

They got mine in the bay and they were fighting who got to drive it into the bay. They didn't even care or check the horn or anything. They slapped a sticker on it right away. You wonder sometimes. Here I was out of the bay in a couple of mins where that lady with the Model T was still sitting there fighting with them about her wipers. Then I thought to myself I spent 5 hours trying to get the dang horn to work for them not to check it. It worked, but...

The buggys run with other motors in CA so I'd probably say you can do that here, but it all depends on who you take it to. Once you get it inspected keep taking your cars back to the same place and get to know them really well. Good Luck...

[Frontloader]

Don't forget your insurance card when you go to get it inspected.

I talked to an inspector last week to confirm what I needed working on a '61 buggy that I am restoring. For that year model, things would be the same as they were in the '60s. I asked about rear seat belts as I did not have them. He said not necessary. I will be putting them in anyway.

Lights, brakes, horn, wipers, turn signal, etc. The basics will need to work as well as good tires all the way around.

But as Patrick said, pick your inspector carefully for an hassle free inspection.

[Bill K]

I would suggest keeping it registered as a VW, and as said earlier, find an inspector that likes cool cars. As long as everything needed is working I've not had a problem with inspections.