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CA DMV and SPCNS (Specially Constructed Vehicle)
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jgreen61
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:49 pm    Post subject: CA DMV and SPCNS (Specially Constructed Vehicle) Reply with quote

I am new to this site but know my way around a forum.. I see a lot of topics covering SPCNS problems and success stories. I just would like to explain what I am going through and if anyone see a problem with my plan or agrees with my plan.

I purchased a 1969 SPCNS titles Fiberglass Dune Buggy, I have the pink slip and registration, The vehicle is out of the CA DMV system and I am told my vehicle will be treated like it is a new SPCNS and I must go through the whole process and get one of the limited waver SPCNS certificates. I do not have a big problem as I hear these are not as hard to get one of the 500 issued yearly as it was a few years ago. What I am concerned about is I need my Buggy smog exempt as it has a 2180cc engine it in built by Lee Leighton. What I read says in this SPCNS process I will have to make a appointment with the Smog Referee where the engine will be checked to see what year it is and this will define the smog status.. meaning the engine must be a stock engine with what ever smog it should have had in the year it was made and be 1975 or older. My engine is a new block and so far from stock looking it will surely fail to allowed smog exemption. My plan is to put a stock 1960 type one engine in it for the inspection.. this engine will not run but will look at if it could,, my short question to you all is will the smog refferee want to see the engine run or will he just inspect the engine and seriel number like I see people say ,, has anyone ever has a smof referee ask to start a engine durring this SPCNS inspection of engine
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Dale M.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds goofy... Go to different office or different clerk and get different story on how to do it....

On my buggies all they ever did was check engine numbers.... BUT it differs in each individual case... Smog referee is not DMV employee, he is contracted to Bureau of Automotive Repair..... Talk to him.... Go by smog referee inspection facility and see if you can talk to him....

Might find some information/relief here...

http://www.bipac.net/semaga/TagTitleToolbox_CA.pdf

For people in other states....

http://www.bipac.net/page.asp?content=tag_title_toolbox&g=SEMAGA

Also when dealing with DMV do not voluntarily give drone behind counter any extra information it only confuses them, and if the ask you a question be careful how you answer it....

Dale
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BL3Manx
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know whether they'd want the engine to run or not.

IF you have a good 1969 title which matches the chassis number, I'd get a second opinion (a different DMV office) about the need to go through the whole referee and certificate of sequence drill. Maybe they think they are doing you a favor and helping you avoid the registration back fees. The DMV should be able to check the numbers and confirm they match the title. The other issue is whether the owner on the title signed the line releasing ownership and that the space for the new owner has your name.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch7/ch7_6.htm
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jgreen61
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:41 pm    Post subject: Well I still feel I have a big fight with DMV on my hands... Reply with quote

I didnt look untill today what was on the paperwork that the DMV stapled to my paper work when I went in to do what I though would be a simple transaction.... The DMV paper work says my 1969 SPCNS Buggy is now a model year 2012/make SPCNS and notes that I need a VIN verification and a Smog Certificate. Looks like I have no choise but to swap out the engine and take it to a Smog Referee and hope to God that the smog referee does not want me to start the 1960 Type 1 engine I am putting in. I will try one last ditch effort and take all my paper work to another DMV and ask them if a mistake has been made by the other DMV.. this really sucks as they are probably thick as thieves and wont over rules their fellow drones and make them look bad. Sad
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jgreen61
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 1:29 am    Post subject: Will the ref ask to see engine run? Reply with quote

Well I picked up a complete stock down to the oil bath air cleaner Type 1 1962 engine, it doesnt run but I will put a new ezhaust on it and paint it up pretty. I ead that I will have the choise at smog ref station of picking the vehicle year which in turn a emissions test is done and engine must conform to year of the vehicle or I can choose to go with the year of the engine and from what I read the engine serial numbers are checked and a visual of the engine smog componates are check,, but no emission check,, can anyone tell me if they went with year of the engine and it was anything more then the inspector writing down engine numbers and checking the year amd then he is done?
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EVfun
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can you smog a '69 car to '62 specs? It would be nice to get away from a smog check but is an earlier engine legal? I know that in Washington state they don't allow the installation of older engines to relax tail pipe numbers. We don't test after 25 years so this doesn't apply to the VW air cooled owners anymore.
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BL3Manx
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In California anything 75 or earlier is exempt from smog checks, you can pretty much put a nuclear reactor in there.

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Dale M.
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only way smog referee can determine what year and specs are for smog requirements is numbers on case..... Think about it....

Dale
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EVfun
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, but don't they decide what year the vehicle is by the chassis number?
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BL3Manx
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/spcns.htm
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Dale M.
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

EVfun wrote:
Yes, but don't they decide what year the vehicle is by the chassis number?


Not necessarily..... Some SPCN cars do not even have chassis numbers YET.... And in Calif you get to choose year of build or year of engine....

And it is possible to have 2012 assemble vehicle (SPCN) that is smog exempt....

IT gets complex.....By time DMV and Highway Patrol inspections and Smog inspections...

Friend of mine has a SPCN car registered as a 1957 Porsche RSK replica car (built in 2010) that is smog exempt.... Simply because its a copy of known year/model of original...

Dale
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"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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jgreen61
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:10 pm    Post subject: update Reply with quote

Yes it is correct in CA if you are one of the 500 lucky SB-100 people to get a smog waver you can select to smog by year of vehicle if it can be determined it resembles a manufatured model like say a Shelby Cobra.. with a Manx type Buggy I an not sure what year they would determin, I belived they default to 1960 or at least they can but will do a emmission check. I will be selecting smog by year of engine to be safe. From what I have read in other posts is they dont even bother with running the engine and doing a emmission test, they just check the numbers and match any smog that engine would have had in the year it was made,, I am counting on this and it would be nice if I had a lot of people saying that was the case when they selected smog by engine.. it would ease my mind some.

Ok here is where I am at, Purchased a 10/1962 1200cc Type 1 engine that is completly stock to the bone down to the oil bath air cleaner and 6v gen and today I pulled the plugs as the engibe was frozen and after lots of WD40 and Marvil Mystery Oil and some soaking and really not much trouble it broke free.. but sadly it has two exhaust valves stuck in their valve guides so it only turns about a half revolution. I only paid $150 for this engine I could stay with my plan and paint it up and put a exhaust on it and see if it will sail through smog and if it didnt pull it apart and rebuilding it and then I would have zero worrys at smog referee station,, I just hate waste time and money doing a rebuild
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Dale M.
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

IF you are beyond the 500 SPCN sequence of registration numbers..... Trow away the present sequences, and start over on JAN 1. 2013.... If you need to be in the 1 to 500 number of sequences....

Dale
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"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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rider307g
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just went through this same issue. Previous owner reregistered the buggy as a special construction in 2000 and I have been paying reg every year since. This year they said smog inspection time. I called DMV, Referee Station as well as Bureau of automotive repairs. Turns out I got lucky this year and the tags were sent to me after I sent in a statement of facts with pics of the motor, vin and a pic of the car. Day before I was scheduled to go to referee my tags showed up. The referee told me over the phone all they will really look for is the charcoal canister for the gas tank and things like that. I had a trimill exhaust but luckily had a 34 pict 3 carb. forgot other things they will look for, but call the referee in advance, my guy knew cars and was a vw guy so he was super cool.
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EVfun
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a couple silly questions here but...

The SPCN rules mean you are allowed to operate very limited equipment vehicles on the road, right? Only the first 500 get a smog exemption. Does that mean it would easy to register a buggy or other homebuilt any time of year if it was electric?
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BL3Manx
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not sure what you mean by limited equipment vehicles. Special construction vehicles have to pretty much have everything except air bags and 5 mph bumpers (seat belts, lights, turn signals, horn, windshield, wipers, fenders, mirrors and probably other stuff I can't think of).

Electric vehicles have no smog requirements so are easy to register anytime, but have to have the same equipment as above.

When they first began to issue them it used to be very hard to get one of the first 500 certificates, they were gone in the first day or so. In recent years there have been certificates available even in the Fall. I'm not sure whether this drop in demand was because there was a big backlog, or that some people got them just because they could or because the recession reduced the number of toys being built. It looks like the worst of the recession is over so it will be interesting to see how quick they go next year.
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Dale M.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Special Construction (SPCN) simply means not a factory production car... Can be car assembled from "parts" or assembled from a "kit" or can be a replica car if you can prove car is historically accurate in (mostly) visible reference to some car out of our past...

Actually more than 500 SPCN sequences may be issued, but #501 up has different rules as to year model and smog requirements... A few years ago a few car buffs in California legislature tried to increase number to 750 for smog exempt, but dummies voted into office and California Air Resources Board (CARB) nixed it.....

Dale
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"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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jgreen61
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:02 pm    Post subject: My Smog Motor Reply with quote

I have made the decision to fix the heads on my 10/1962 40HP motor and make it run. After the smog Natzis get done with me I will swap it out and put my 2180cc Lee Leighton Race motor back in. I will prep the 40HP motor for long term storage and save it just in case California pulls some more crap in the future even with my SB-100 smog exempt certificate. This is what was done back in the late 70's and early 80's when people would keep smog motors and swap them back and forth. The nice part about VW motors is it takes very little time to swap one out on a Buggy Very Happy
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desertwrx
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Calif licensed buggy was out of the DMV computer's list when I bought it. Been sitting for 8 years in Pinion Pines. Went to the DMV, got the paper work started, had a local CHP officer do the inspection, and got it registered. Pretty easy.
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Dale M.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

desertwrx wrote:
My Calif licensed buggy was out of the DMV computer's list when I bought it. Been sitting for 8 years in Pinion Pines. Went to the DMV, got the paper work started, had a local CHP officer do the inspection, and got it registered. Pretty easy.


Amazing... Different office, different drones(clerks), different results.....

Dale
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“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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