How to Street Register a Race Car

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340dartley

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I recently purchased a 1969 Dodge Dart race car. It was a special car to me because it belonged to my friends dad and his partner since almost new. I used to work on it and race it back in the early 90s. Well now it is sitting in my garage and I would like to do a little more than just tow it out to the occasional drag race. I am planning on registering it an making it just legal enough that I can cruise it down to the burger joint on Saturday night. It is not crazy fast but it runs in the low 12s high 11 area.

I don't want to change the character of the car too much. Add a short exhaust system that can be easily unfolded. Wire up the head, tail, brake and turn signal lights to work a maybe add a passenger seat and wire up an original ignition switch. Also may have to add a larger fuel cell. It holds about 5 gallons. The car has not been on the road since 1971. It is an original 340 swinger. It is currently tubbed.

Anyone else have any experience doing anything like this?
 
Does it have a factory dash in it? If so you can hook up or find the right harnesses and make it back to stock wiring or spend much more on on an aftermarket kit and wire that in.
 
I sure do - I think you'll find it's more about passing inspection than whether or not you can register it - - and as asked above - what state? I think we are all assuming you have the title.
 
I have the title. It is in California. It has the factory dash but no cluster or wiring. It does have factory steering wheel and turn signal switch but not plugged in to anything. Headlight switch is there and is wired to turn tail lights on only. Local drag strip requires tail lights when running at night. Brakes are all stock drum with the exception of a line lock.
 
I am in Washington state. We have no inspections. My car is pretty much a race car that i drive on the street. I am in the process of building a 600+ hp stroker for it now. It will still be a street car.
 
We don't have any inspections here either although I believe that I may have to go through a light and brake inspection / Vin verification as it is no longer in dmv records.
 
340dartley said:
I have the title. It is in California. It has the factory dash but no cluster or wiring. It does have factory steering wheel and turn signal switch but not plugged in to anything. Headlight switch is there and is wired to turn tail lights on only. Local drag strip requires tail lights when running at night. Brakes are all stock drum with the exception of a line lock.
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Your biggest problem will be passing an emissions test. In 1969 California wasn't too strict in the regulations, BUT you still have to meet the regs of a 1969 vehical; visual and MAYBE a sniff test. The visual requirement will be that what ever California required has to be present if the car was a Ca spec car to begin with. If the car was from out of state you may have better luck.

Look for a sympathetic inspection station.

Good luck.
 
YOU want it to be safe.. screw big brother, this is personal life & safety - but it sounds like all you need is the basics - horn, all of the exterior lights including high-beams, running & brake and directional, working wipers (IF you plan to drive it when it might rain) and washer, e-brake, street worthy/ready tires and a crack free clear windshield.. oh, and if you have to go through emissions - that should explain itself.. check your RMV/DMV regs
 
In Maryland 25 years or older their is no inspection and no smog check. But you have to register the car historic or street rod. They mean the same thing. Also one neat thing the state will let you do is: if you can find plates for the same year of the car the state will let you use those plates. The state links your historic plates to the antique plates.
 
340dartley said:
I have the title. It is in California. It has the factory dash but no cluster or wiring. It does have factory steering wheel and turn signal switch but not plugged in to anything. Headlight switch is there and is wired to turn tail lights on only. Local drag strip requires tail lights when running at night. Brakes are all stock drum with the exception of a line lock.
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I`m in Cally and as long as everything works you should be ok...........I street drive my 9-second BB on slicks, fenderwell headers and bullets and when I have been stopped, it was to talk about the car............Plus you`re smog exempt and I have no horn or wipers but I don`t drive in the rain.
 
Well I am in PA and we have our own set of rules but from What I heard about California is when you want to re-register a car back on the road that has been off for awhile you have to pay for all the years up to the current year to put it back on the road with current registration.....In other words, if it was last on the road in '71 you will have to pay back registrations for 45 years which will be very expensive.....personally I think that is BS
 
bbrroowwnn said:
Well I am in PA and we have our own set of rules but from What I heard about California is when you want to re-register a car back on the road that has been off for awhile you have to pay for all the years up to the current year to put it back on the road with current registration.....In other words, if it was last on the road in '71 you will have to pay back registrations for 45 years which will be very expensive.....
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Heard there`s ways around this but not exactly sure what they are..........
 
Have heard that is true if the car is still in dmv records. Dmv does not keep records for longer than 7 years on cars with no registration activity. Would be like an initial registration I believe.
 
JBurch said:
Your biggest problem will be passing an emissions test. In 1969 California wasn't too strict in the regulations, BUT you still have to meet the regs of a 1969 vehical; visual and MAYBE a sniff test. The visual requirement will be that what ever California required has to be present if the car was a Ca spec car to begin with. If the car was from out of state you may have better luck.

Look for a sympathetic inspection station.

Good luck.
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When I brought my 68 fastback in to California from out of state, it got a quick visual inspection at the DMV. I went to the DMV office in Shasta right before closing time, so if you can, try hitting the inspection about half an hour to fifteen minutes before quitting time in a small town DMV office. If I remember right, the lady needed the VIN, and checked that the lights and wipers worked. She checked mileage and for seat belts and I think that was about it. I can't remember if she checked under the hood or not because I was tired and hungry and it was hotter than hell that day, also I didn't give a **** because 1975 and older cars are smog exempt. She did NOT check for brake lights. I know that because I need to pick up a new turn signal switch from slantsixdan so my brake lights will work.

Just make sure that you have the TITLE, not a bill of sale because that makes things go easier. If you can, get it titled first, then after all that crap is done get it licensed.
 
Dave1967 said:
In Maryland 25 years or older their is no inspection and no smog check. But you have to register the car historic or street rod. They mean the same thing. Also one neat thing the state will let you do is: if you can find plates for the same year of the car the state will let you use those plates. The state links your historic plates to the antique plates.
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It would sure be nice to get the old black and yellow plates here in CA. The new black and yellow nostalgia plates have slightly different lettering and coloring...
 
Yeah the black and yellow plates are pretty cool on my black 67 fish. Santa showed up with the plates. Mva charged me a one time fee of 25 bucks to link them to my historic plates.
 
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