1997 remanufactured VW

[46j3]

I have a 1997 Remanufactured VW that was given to me with the title but the car was never registered. It was remanufactured by Looking Glass Replicas in CA which later became Bug Motors. The VIN # starts with: 3VWZZZ113VM515XXX and when I went to get insurance the VIN # doesn’t show up anywhere in the system and I can’t get a tag until I get insurance.

Has anyone had any dealings with a reman Bug?

[Cadaver]

call you seller and demand a legal title and tags
if not, get your money back. Id never buy a car with no fresh tags.
but that is me... dont like fooling with gov arses..

try Hagerty Plus ins

Met life wont insure my stock 68. so insurance can be a pain.
but the vin must be good.

why not use the vin on the body under rear seat. and not the modern
one....
how will you get it smog certified. FL has that, right.? (vary by area)

smog tag
insurance tag
then DMV tag..

in that order, right>?

and what year will the car be called, 1997 . really? that is a mandatory OBD2 car? who would you get an exemption from that year.... sorry. but how.?
in USA....
_________________
for sale now.
in Samba classifieds....1968 T1.

[46j3]

Here is a little history of the Remanufactured VW, The car was given to me and the VIN # is stamped under the seat which I'm being told told that its a Mexican built VW originally:

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–98–3812; Notice 1]
Bug Motors, Inc.; Receipt of
Application for Temporary Exemption
From Two Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards
Bug Motors, Inc., which has its
principal place of operations in Long
Beach, California, (‘‘Bug’’) has applied
for a temporary exemption of three years
from two Federal motor vehicle safety
standards as described below. The basis
of the application is that compliance
would cause substantial economic
hardship to a manufacturer that has
tried in good faith to comply with each
of the standards.
This notice of receipt of an
application is published in accordance
with the requirements of 49 U.S.C.
30113(b)(2) and does not represent any
judgment of the agency on the merits of
the application.
In June 1997, California granted a
year’s license as a ‘‘Vehicle
Remanufacturer’’ to Looking Glass
Replicas of Long Beach, of which
Kenneth Scheiler was the sole
proprietor. Mr. Scheiler changed this
business entity into ‘‘Bug Motors, Inc.’’
in December 1997, a corporation of
which he is the sole shareholder and
president. Therefore, Bug has not
manufactured any vehicles in the 12-
month period preceding the filing of its
Application, nor can it file financial
information for the three fiscal years
called for by the regulation. Upon
incorporation, its assets were stated as
$224,600. Mr. Scheiler has been engaged
in refurbishing used Volkswagen
Beetles, and would now like to produce
‘‘new and improved replicas’’ of the car.
Bug intends to buy certain vehicle
components from Volkswagen-Mexico,
import them into the United States, and
assemble Volkswagen ‘‘Beetles’’ to be
sold under the name ‘‘the Bug.’’
Specifically, Bug will buy and import
new chasses, axles, and bodies
including interior components. The Bug
will be equipped with a refurbished
1973 engine and ‘‘a rebuilt speedometer
(converted from Kilometers to Miles).
Under California law, the Bug will be
titled as a ‘‘1998 Remanufactured
Vehicle,’’ but is considered ‘‘used’’
rather than ‘‘new.’’ NHTSA reviewed
the intended modus operandi with the
applicant’s attorney and concurred with
Bug’s decision that, under these facts,
the Bug should be treated under Federal
law as a newly manufactured passenger
car which is required to comply with all
applicable Federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
In addition to the conventional Beetle
two-door sedan, Bug will offer two
convertible models. One is a sedan
modified to have an electric-powered
fabric roof that opens along the roof
rails. The other is a fully convertible car
with a manually-operated top, the
familiar Beetle convertible. Bug’s
Application includes a list of the
applicable Federal motor vehicle safety
standards, indicating the compliance
status of the Bug with respect to each.
Representation is made that the Bug
complies (e.g., Standard No. 104) or
complies with a minor exception which
will be modified in production (e.g.,
addition of a brake warning light,
Standard No. 105). However, the Bug
will not comply with Standard No. 208
and Standard No. 214.
Specifically, under Standard No. 208,
the Bug will be equipped with a threepoint restraint system, but ‘‘the warning
system, including audio and visual
aids’’ will only ‘‘be available within one
year after production commences, and
most likely within 6 months.’’ Bug says
that it ‘‘has been working with vendors
to adapt a Dual Inflatable Restraint
System to the Bug,’’ but it anticipates
that an entire three-year period will be
required for the system to be developed
and implemented.
With respect to Standard No. 214, Bug
states that it ‘‘has been attempting to
identify vendors and parts for the
installation of door beams for the Bug’’
and that it ‘‘is uncertain as to what, if
any, engineering will have to be
performed to document compliance.’’ It
hopes to achieve compliance within a
three-year period.
In support of its hardship argument,
Bug informs NHTSA that it would be
put out of business if the Application is
not granted, as its subsidiary business of
refurbishing Beetles is not sufficient to
carry it alone. In addition, its national
distributor would lose its entire
investment in start-up costs, estimated
to exceed $100,000.
An exemption would be in the public
interest as it will allow Bug to increase
its workforce from seven to 35 people
within a year, drawn from ‘‘a significant
number of minorities, including
Hispanics, Asians, and AfricanAmericans.’’ The availability of the Bug

[46j3]

also ought to create jobs and sales for
‘‘suppliers and sales people at auto
dealerships. In addition, ‘‘sale of these
vehicles [ought to] generate retail sales
taxes of approximately $1,162.50 per
unit,’’ and these revenues would be lost
with the denial of the Application. An
exemption would be consistent with the
objectives of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 as it
would make available to the public a
nostalgic vehicle that complies with all
but two Federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on the application
described above. Comments should refer
to the docket number and the notice
number, and be submitted to: Central
Docket Management Facility, room Pl–
401, 400 Seventh Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20590. It is requested
but not required that 10 copies be
submitted.
All comments received before the
close of business on the comment
closing date indicated below will be
considered, and will be available for
examination in the docket (from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m.) at the above address both
before and after that date. Comments
may also be viewed on the internet at
web site dms.dot.gov. To the extent
possible, comments filed after the
closing date will also be considered.
Notice of final action on the application
will be published in the Federal
Register pursuant to the authority
indicated below.
Comment closing date: June 11, 1998.
(49 U.S.C. 30113; delegations of
authority at 49 CFR 1.50. and 501.
Issued on May 6, 1998.
L. Robert Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Safety
Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 98–12597 File

[Q-Dog]

There have been a couple of posts here on theSamba about "Bug Motors." Do a search for more info. What you posted is just a receipt for an application for exemption. I don't believe they ever received that exeption.

They were sued by CARB for selling cars not certified for sale in California. They claimed to be a remanufacturer but were actually importing Mexican Beetles illegally. CARB won a $1 Million + judgement against Bug Motors in 2002. http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr041602.htm

No idea what happened to the 130+ vehicles they sold. There may be a reason the car was given to you ... not registerable.

Did the DMV give you any ideas as to how you could solve this issue?
_________________
Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[drs1023]

All states do not have the same requirements, but i have found over the years of registering cars in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama, and Georgia that registering a shop built kit car, dune buggy, etc. is best done with the chassis number called "Volkswagen" rather than specialty vehicle. I bought a kit car off ebay years ago and had a rough time trying to register it as a specialty vehicle using the Statement of Origin paperwork (different serial number). When I called it a '71 VW Beetle and gave the tag office the pan serial lnumber, the problem went away.

[jhicken]

[BenJAMin]

Some of these cars find their way at the VW shows here in Michigan because back in the day Bug Motors had some manner of satellite operation.

Make no mistake, these cars are illegal. However, Florida is well known for being lax. I would talk to other insurers and see what happens. If you can get it registered in Florida and insured you will legal on the state level. Just be aware the car could be confiscated by NHTSA at any time. On the bright side, in 10 years it will be legal.

[69vduber]

Sounds like a good parts car ...

[BenJAMin]

I wouldn't say it's a parts car. There are ways to handle this.

[Wideopen]

Sorry to hear of the difficulty! Before I bought my 1971 I was looking at a 1997 mexican beetle(real clean) but was registered as a 1974. This was on craigslist, I avoided that because of your problem.

There may be a way to get around this but it may be time consuming and costly. For your sake maybe sombody that has done so will chime in!

[ach60]

[jhicken]

[jhicken]

[46j3]

Anyone know how to get in touch with Dr. Darby?

I havent been to the DMV yet, i have to get insurance before i can go there.

Hagerty will not even insure a 1997 Mexican Beetle, they just declined it.

[Q-Dog]

[jhicken]

[Cadaver]

it's just a full mex bug, well there you go.

if it was that easy to break the law , everyone would be doing it. (me too)
sure the old pan trick works, be sure to remove the above pan VIN.
id not.
using that MEX vin, is a hard fail.
if you break down the vin code, you will see why.

it is a non legal vin, here. (there is a list of all certified vins in to usa)
so your not going to fool the ins .or dmv. not likely. not in 2012.

most vins disclose the mfg plant
and
the target export country.
real hard to hide that with the bad vin,
this is no magic here (only the vw sub codes take work)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Number

study your vin carefully ,each part , before you use it.



3VWZZZ113VM515XXX
3vw is Mexican. (WMI, code, for would MFG. ID) "illegal"

zzz113 ? VDS section, this is unique to VW plant , Mexico
the 113 is obvious a bug. zzz , ask the Mexican plant, that code.
the zzz is usual options on car. (A./C , tranny, smog codes, etc


10t is year V = 97
11th is plant code, M (only VW knows what plant M is, see FSM for facts)

last is the VIS codes. the sequence number or Serial. 515xxx

the car has certificate of compliance to all USA laws, under the spare
tire and or on drivers door. LOOK , oops cant see missing.....
yours will be missing , telling any lic. or importer it is not legal in usa.

FSM , factory service manual,
most car companies FSM , break down the VIN in the front chapters.
that is so you can by parts that fit.
and by mid year corrections, they use the VIS number. (serial)

keep in mind, some factories sell cars to 100s of different countries.
but to sell to the USA< it takes a multimillion buck verification.
ask the makers of 'Smart car' how much they paid. about 4mill to do 1 test.
your car has no export codes for our country. sorry.

cars can be sneakily driven in easy. from mex or canada.
but that don't make them easy to license. not at all.

I love to do it. too. buy a car in canada or mexico. or buy my brothers in SA very cheap. lots of nice bugs world wide.
But why bother, just go to Sunny calif and buy a rust free bug.
imo
'
_________________
for sale now.
in Samba classifieds....1968 T1.

[ach60]

These cars are 35 plus years old!
Even in Ca. do you easily find a nice one, but you can find them.
If I was sitting on ravaged '68 - '74 I'd consider a Mexi as parts car.
Mexi are not bad, a no rust, no trim, no vent body is a real nice place to start to start a German, or a Cal-look VW.
_________________
Good Luck
Al

[animes2k]