Making my rebuilt miata street-legal
hello!
after 4 months of intermittent work, the silver '91 i've been rebuilding drives perfectly. =) it will be a weekend car that might see some occasional auto-x and track use. my question is, how do i make it legal to drive on public roads again? i'm from florida and completely ignorant of the texas traffic code. as i see it, the car needs:
registration
inspection
insurance
it has a salvage title, and part of the frame is still chewed up, although overall it is pretty straight. no CEL, no smoke, new tires & brakes, all lights work, etc. etc....is there anything else that might prevent me from passing inspection? can you even get a tag for a car w/ salvage title?
Next: Insurance. I know of small firms in florida that will offer special insurance discounts for cars that are only driven less than a thousand miles per year, or similar...is anyone aware of something like this in the DFW area? obviously no one will insure track damage...i just need something to hand to the police officer if i get pulled over on my way TO the track.
I can't be the only one who has ever tried to do this...any suggestions?
rebuilt silver '91, the millennium falcon
You can get a salvage title. Don't know the details, but check out Texas DOT website.
As far as insurance goes, state only requires you to carry liability. If you have other vehicles on your policy you should be able to get a discount for limited use.
It should pass inspection, but since it's OBD-I they will stick a 'sniffer' up the tail pipe and check exhaust. (First thing inspection stations want to see is proof of insurance)
If its not curretnly titled in Texas you will have to have the inspection report before they will issue the title/registration.
I had my jeep titled as a project vehicle (no yearly registration required) until I had it street ready again. I had to go get insurance, then the inspection report and finally I could convert it over to a drivable title with tags.
Transfer your Title with no registration first.
It will go alot easier when you go for roadworthy.
Don't try to do them at the same time.
You may be required to get a green sheet inspection.
My old BRG was salvage and I did, but was trying to do it all at once.
Folks at the DMV really don't know that much, besides the norm, so do your research beforehand and print it off as proof.
The Pre -Value that has been a big subject here, is only for 15 years and newer. Not an Issue for you, but they will try and pull it on you.
this is exactly the sort of advice I was looking for. thanks!
Sounds like the first step is to read up on the DOT. The car does have a Texas salvage title already, do I need to convert it to something else to get it registered? Or is that what happens when I register it and get a license plate?
Sammm - i never thought about adding it to my current insurance policy...that's a great idea.
oh, and if you saw my car, you would declare it the mascot of Team Cheap Bastard. I already have sponsorships with Lowe's Racing and Home Depot Motorsports.
rebuilt silver '91, the millennium falcon
If you already have a title (in your name), the next step is insurance and an inspection to get it on the road.
Post up some pics and the BOD and myself will determine if you are eligible for a TCB magnet!
Correction, the DOT value is for 10 years and newer cars and that is based on 80% of the value that they state. Older than 10 years they do not question the value. A lot of the clerks are clueless so if an issue ask for a supervisor.
Gary
Danger!!! This Dog Bites.
www.trackdogracing.com
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