Hi, I'm wondering if anyone with experience with Florida's registration processes can give me some opinions.
First, my project which I've been designing for a while and have started collecting some parts for is a little different: I'm building a custom frame to house the V6 from a 350Z. Carbon Fiber body panels are available for pretty much every panel of the vehicle so my finished car will look like a 350Z convertible, but with these aftermarket CF panels wrapped around my scratch-built frame.
I've researched a lot and the most helpful resource I've found is the guide SEMA put together:
http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=62843olrowdy's experience was helpful (
http://dmr-architect.com/~locouki/titling-in-fla.html ) as well as Graber cars.
If I were building a Locost, with Florida's laws that were passed thanks to SEMA, it would be pretty easy. Since my car will not resemble a vehicle that is 25 years old I would not be able to register it as a "Custom" or "Replica".
I'm thinking I could possibly title it as "Assembled from Parts". I don't know exactly what the state's definition of "assembled from parts" is though. What they state in the books is pretty vague. Also, I am not using a "donor" vehicle, just parts from various 350Z so I would not have a donor VIN. I don't know if that is an issue or not.
I know with cars titled as "Custom" under the newer laws it states that the vehicles that qualify (25+ years old) must meet the safety requirements of the vehicle they resemble. I don't know if there would be similar requirements for the other categories of titles for home-built vehicles (such as "Assembled from Parts")...I would be dead in the water if the state required me to have ABS, airbags, whatever other safety equipment was standard when the 350Z convertibles came out.
So does anyone have an idea what the state really means by "Assembled from Parts" and what that would require for the project I have planned?
Hopefully next week I will make a trip to the local tag agency to see what they say.