LocostUSA.com

Hello all,
I'm just starting my build from a Coveland chassis, but I'm starting to look into the license and title process anyway. A few questions...
Are there any members from IL that have street-legal Locosts?
What all do i need to submit to get a title and register the car?
Do i have to run a windshield and wipers?

Thanks in advance,
-Zach

Hi Zack. If you go to the Illinois State home page and put in kit car registration, it will tell you all what is needed. Wipers, yes, windshield yes, etc etc. A member of NSRA (National Street Rod Association) will inspect the car for road worthiness. It is free of charge. They will give you a certificate so you take that to the DMV along with receipts for the donor (bill of sale, rego papers) or receipts for the major components, a certificate of origin (Coveland should supply that) and that should be it. Have a look at the website, it is well explained. All this is due to the kind folks at SEMA who work with legislation to get this bill passed.

_________________
Graham,
www.earleymotorsports.com

The State page is Illinois.gov.

Another point of access:

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/depar ... m_rod.html

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
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Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

If it is titled and registered as a 1950 Lotus Super 7, what is the ruling on emissions testing in IL? I'm in one of the three counties that does it.

im curious on this too, and not having to worry about emissions would be nice

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"Wait, so your car has 2 triangles for pistons and they wobble......my god it's the devil!!!"

I haven't registered my car yet but I live in Illinois (DuPage County) and have done some research. Here is a link to the start of your quest. If you register as a "Custom vehicle" then it is exempt from inspection and emissions testing. It does have some restrictions on use but not too bad IMHO.

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/depar ... m_rod.html

If your "1950 Lotus" is registered as an "Antique vehicle", you will have the same restrictions on use and will not have any emmissions testing either. This I know, as I have a '56 MGA registered with Antique plates.

Normal passenger cars over 25 years of age do not have to be tested ever after they have been tested once. Testing may have to be done if the car changes hands, I'm not too sure about this one.

That's about all I know about IL registration.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

The first year for the Seven was 1957. That's what I'm hoping to register mine as.

-dave

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

Illinois no longer tests cars older than 1996 (1996 is tested).
as others have pointed out, it will be titled as a x year Lotus Custom Vehicle.
It will need to be inspected by the state most likely, I forget where the chicago area inspection station is. It's somewhere to the south of the city IIRC. (had to get a junk title turned back into a valid title on a car that had nothing wrong with it).

Having just completed my process on Feb 13, 2011, I’ll update this list for future builders.

Illinois has 2 methods to register a home-made vehicle, as a “Specially Constructed Vehicle” or as a “Custom Vehicle” As a SCV, you must meet all current vehicle requirements including emissions testing. As a CV, you basically have to meet the requirements of the original vehicle had back when it was new(model year after 1948 but at least 25 years old). I suspect if your car is not a (loose) replica of such a vehicle model, such as an A r i al - A t o m, you probably will need to go the SCV route. One big benefit of registering as a Custom Vehicle is that you are exempt from any emission testing. Other beneifits are, no bumpers required for Custom Vehicles. If you want, blue-dot taillights can be used on a CV. The benefit of the SCV is that there is no limitations of use. I believe you can use the car as a daily driver. There are some other minor differences. Both methods are handled thru the same office in Springfield.

Illinois does a very poor job of documenting the process and requirements for registering a “Custom Vehicle”. The state’s DMV site lists the application process but not in any specific order of events. It will be a long time before you get any feedback that things are moving along.

Call the Illinois Secretary of State Police, Specilly Constructed Vehicle Dept. in Springfield and request an “application package” for a Custom Vehicle. In a few days, you will have all the forms required. In that package you will get a list of the required equipment.

Fill out all the forms and send off to the SOS Police, Specially Constructed Vehicle dept. The following items were included in the package I sent:

• Cover letter requesting registering as a Custom Vehicle
• Application for Vehicle Transactions form (VSD 190)
• Illinois Use Tax Return (ST-44) You must pay a tax on any out-of-state materials purchased where no sales tax was paid to Illinois. This is a 6.5% tax.
• Application for Personalized Plates (VSD 414) (optional)
• Statement of Construction (No form, just a written statement indicating the origin of the chassis, the body and all major parts with VIN numbers of the donor vehicles)
• Photographs of 4 sides
• Copy of all receipts (I summarized them in a spreadsheet of all parts purchased for the car)
• A copy of a 1960 Lotus advertisement showing the original vehicle make and model (optional)
• A personal check for Title and Registration fees
• A personal check for Vehicle Use Tax fees
• A personal check for personalized plates fees(optional)

All of the above was sent to the SOS office via USPS Registered Mail so I had proof of delivery. Then wait…..and wait…..and wait….

I tried many times to call the SOS Police office to see where in the process my application was. Every time (except one) I got placed in voicemail. I left my questions and a number for them to call. I NEVER received a reply from my voicemail messages. One time, about 2 months into the process, I actually had a person answer the phone. In that instance, I found that they needed one more document from me. Who knows how long it would have taken to find that out, if they hadn’t actually answered the phone. A few weeks later I started calling again to find out if the document I sent was accepted and if there was any other info required. I always left a request for them to call me with no reply.

One day, exactly 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days from my application, I received a call from a SOS Police officer who was a vehicle inspector. He wanted to schedule a visit to inspect my car. We scheduled a time 4 days later for him to come to my home to perform the inspection and apply the assigned VIN number. The inspection was performed on a Sunday morning. After successfully passing the inspection, I was told that I could either a) have the temporary plates to be sent from their office, or b) I could pick them up the following day. So a day later, I am legal.

I have seen 2 other builders in Illinois register their cars within the last 14 months under presumably the same rules. One person was required to get a Bonded Title and one was not. I was originally told that I would need one but I questioned what the bond was for since I built the chassis and the body from raw materials. There was no possibility for a previous VIN being assigned. The bond requirement was dropped. If you can do it without the bonded title, that is more money saved and fewer forms to fill out.



YMMV. I can’t stress that enough. The officer who inspected my car said that the process is continually evolving. As recently as a week prior, some internal procedures were changed. I don’t know if or how they affected my application.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Can you build the car right hand drive and make it street legal? Also if it's a track-only car does it need to be registered at all?