Be careful what you wish for....

[Yeti]

As many of you know, I bought a Birkin this summer from Colorado. I admit I did only a minimal amount of research about bringing it to Pennsylvania. But I was able to have my mechanic confirm with the state that they have titled them before. The process seemed to be reasonable and I ever so naively jumped in with both feet. My son and I flew out and drove it back using the seller's plates.

 

As as per suggested on the forum, I tried to use the Colorado title to just get it changed to a Pennsylvania title. That was a non starter with PennDot. They kindly explained the enhanced inspection process that the car would need to go through. Oh good, a nice easy, quick transparent process I can go through... Ha

 

A month a go I completed the enhanced inspection at one of the few approved places. The biggest issue was that I needed to replace the pitted and cracked (very small) windshield. After the car passed, I put all the paperwork together including photos of the car and dropped it off at PennDot. I was told by one person I should get the title in 1 to 2 week. Another one said it would be about 3. I got a little antsy yesterday when it approached a month and I had heard nothing. It was suggested to me on the forum that I call them.

 

At 9:15 this morning I found a message on my phone from the mechanic. He said that the state was going to be at their shop at 10 am to inspect the car. I was a bit surprised since I never knew this was in the realm of possibilities, let alone only having a 45 minute warning. I hustled the untitled, unregistered, unplated and unprepared car the 5 miles to the shop. I was introduced to two very large but pleasant Quality Assurance Officers. They proceed to explain how they were going to check this very long list of items on the car. When they were finished they were going to give it to their boss. He would make the decision as th whether it would pass. It became apparent very quickly it would not. I will need to wait for the official report but I did get a partial list of issues.

 

1. Front turn signals not visible from side

2. Back up light not bright enough

3. No defroster (has no heater)

4. No washer fluid sprayers

5. No secondary strap on external fuel pump

6. No brake fluid pressure indicator light

7. Exposed exhaust system

8. Wiring too close to steering column

9. No safety etching on windshield

10. No bumpers

11. No cup holders (just kidding)

 

I have to wait for the final report to get the whole list. This is just some of the stuff they chose to share, and what the mechanic or I heard. Some of it is certainly reasonable and stuff I planned to do anyway. The three that really annoy me are the defroster, washer sprayer and the bumpers. They were not amused about my question of when they were going to require them on Harley's. I will admit that overall they were very decent about the whole. I understand they were only doing their job and did not make the rules.

 

As I started this post off with, be careful what you wish for...

Edited October 12, 2016 by Yeti
Better title

[NVP66S]

Sorry to hear about this. If you're in the mood to make repairs, the easiest first step is the windshield washers. Here are some low cost complete kits. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=universal+windshield+washer+kit

The hard part is finding a place for it. Also, I don't know how well a Westfield windshield will fit, but it comes with electric defrost and etched "Laminated" glass.

 

And here's a collection of front turn signals, some of which are visible from the side. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/10980976/d/motorcycle-turn-signals

Edited October 12, 2016 by NVP66S
more info

[scannon]

Check to see if there is a regulation for replicas vs kit cars. Then you would only need what a Lotus 7 had from the factory.

 

IIRC, we put my Caterham windshield on Mighty Mike's Birkin for the Colorado inspection. It just needed some spacers as it was slightly wider than the cowl. The windshield had wires embedded in it for a defroster. He also had a clip on manual windshield wiper for it.

 

I believe someone on the East Coast has fabricated bumpers for a 7 and they have been passed around to others.

 

You might also register it in Wyoming. I think it can be done by mail. I've seen a few 7s with them on.

[Croc]

.... and did not make the rules.

 

Firstly, I am really sorry to read this post. It brings back the rubbish I and others had to deal with in NJ. It looks like the insanity has crossed the border.

 

Do you have the rules that they are using as the checklist for this inspection? Any reasoned addressing of the issues they failed you on would need to be researched before remediation if they are going to continue being "strict constructionist" in their approach to your Birkin. Otherwise they potentially will continue to reject after you made remediation modifications. Some of their findings strike me as "make difficult" rather than valid concerns specified in an official PA vehicle safety reg document that their inspection is based off. Half of my NJ specialty inspection findings disappeared once I did an FOI for their internal inspection manuals and read them carefully and came to the next inspection with the manual and an attorney.

 

 

For potential off the shelf solutions to the minor issues I like CarBuilder Solutions in the UK

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/

 

For your exposed exhaust system problem, I still have the shielding I did for my Caterham to pass the NJ specialty inspection which had an identical concern. It accidentally fell off in my garage afterwards - not sure how? It should fit your car. You are welcome to it if it helps you.

 

For bumpers, there was a photo in a post made by Bruce (11Budlight) a long time back with bumpers fitted on his Birkin to pass CT inspection. If I recall he used something off a trailer. I vaguely recall Paul (Wemtd) did something similar. As Skip notes there were bumpers being passed around for CT at one point but no idea where they are now.

 

Edited to add:

If you need to temporarily borrow a Caterham windshield with integrated demister like Skip suggested above then I have an SV sized one off my car currently plus I am sure Tom could be persuaded to lend his S3 one for a good purpose.

Edited October 12, 2016 by Croc

[Ferdl]

Is a windshield necessary at all?

No windshield - a lot less problems...

[yellowss7]

I do have a spare Caterham windscreen that I picked up years ago. I'll have to check if it has the built in defroster wiring. If not you could borrow my original one which only goes on when I go on the street, on track I use the brooklands.

 

And yes a windshield is required. I think it has to be a minimum of 11 or 12 inches tall If IRCC. Tom

[Dan3030]

Enhanced Inspection.pdf

 

I don't believe you need bumpers. As croc said, that sounds like they are just trying to make it hard.

 

I've attached the PA Enhanced Inspection info I have, you should fall under SPCON when you go to the state. Make sure to write "SPCON 1967 Lotus Seven".

[Tbox56]

We can help you with many of the items on your list.

1. Front turn signals not visible from side

HAVE ONES THAT ARE

2. Back up light not bright enough

HAVE LED TAIL LIGHTS THAT ARE BRIGHT

3. No defroster (has no heater)

HAVE ELECTRIC HEATED WINDSCREENS

4. No washer fluid sprayers

HAVE WASHER KITS

5. No secondary strap on external fuel pump

6. No brake fluid pressure indicator light

FLUID LEVEL LIGHTS ARE IN THE STOCK WIRING LOOM

7. Exposed exhaust system

8. Wiring too close to steering column

9. No safety etching on windshield

10. No bumpers

DON'T HAVE ANY BUT NOT THAT TOUGH TO DO

11. No cup holders (just kidding)

WE HAVE THESE BUT THEY ONLY FIT THE 64OZ BIG GULP AND REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT

 

Contact me if you would like help with these items

 

Good luck,

Tom

970-376-5188

[Croc]

Birkin bumpers - refer post 16 onwards on this forum page for photos

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?1395-CT-Inspection-Registration-We-Got-Bumpers!!!!!/page2&highlight=bumper

[Yeti]

Thanks guys. I feel a bit more encouraged. I study things closer after work.

[ropaSeven]

This is strange. My Birkin came with a windscreen with electric heating lines (visible up and down lines and the electric connections each side). It has lights on the outer upper edge of the front fenders (rear stock lamps visible from side. It has a heater with blower motor. It has a shield over the cat and muffler area. It has the windscreen washer nozzles. These were all factory items. Kansas does not have inspections and I transferred the title over from Oklahoma like a normal car. Kansas simply added a notation that it was a replica.

 

Sorry you are having this registration issue.

 

Dale

[Kitcat]

A standard Caterham S3 windshield will not fit a standard Birkin S3. I tried that when I owned both and it didn't work. The 2 cars are visibly very similar but dimensionally somewhat different. So, parts and components are not necessarily interchangeable. I was able to put my Caterham carbon fiber seat in my Birkin but it was so tight it would not move on its sliders, it was really wedged in. And the bottom of windshield frame, where it fits over the cowl and bolts in, wasn't even close.

[wemtd]

If bruce (11budlite) is still on the forum and still has the spare bumpers i can get them to NJ for you.

 

p.

[Alfonse]

Birkins have, or can have, heated windshields. Tom can fix you up on that. I bought a new one to replace a cracked one earlier this year. I would expect your Birkin has a heated windshield.

 

Of course, I'm going to use the old frame for a lightweight, plexiglas windshield. I just haven't decided if I'm going to cut it down or not.

 

The heater core came in a box that was with the car, but is installed again for fall rides.

[mrmustang]

I'm thinking that once you opened Pandora's box back on 08-09-2016 at 03:18 PM in THIS THREAD you brought about extreme scrutiny on your car and it's paperwork. In the two dozen kit cars I put through the PA system, in all kind of title circumstances, I have never had a team from "Quality Assurance" ever come out to view the car and/or it's paperwork trail. I'm thinking your "enhanced inspection" mechanic either flagged it, or called and flagged it as he was clearly unsure of what he was inspecting, or how to get the paperwork through the system efficiently.

 

Unfortunately for you, all Harrisburg eyes are now on you, your paperwork, and your mechanic, you will now have to jump through the flaming hoops they lay out in front of you, in hopes that they will guide you through the out of the box process they are now forcing you to use.

 

My further advice is to learn, and use the following two phrases "yes sir" and "no sir", and resist any snide remarks such as the bumpers on Harley remark you stated above. PA DMV/MVS agents take their job very seriously, as they never know when they are being tested and taped for internal investigation purposes. Paranoid is not the word, but is indeed the mindset for any field agents of any PA state run agency these days. Remember that.

 

Can't say I didn't try.

 

 

 

Bill S

 

 

As many of you know, I bought a Birkin this summer from Colorado. I admit I did only a minimal amount of research about bringing it to Pennsylvania. But I was able to have my mechanic confirm with the state that they have titled them before. The process seemed to be reasonable and I ever so naively jumped in with both feet. My son and I flew out and drove it back using the seller's plates.

 

As as per suggested on the forum, I tried to use the Colorado title to just get it changed to a Pennsylvania title. That was a non starter with PennDot. They kindly explained the enhanced inspection process that the car would need to go through. Oh good, a nice easy, quick transparent process I can go through... Ha

 

A month a go I completed the enhanced inspection at one of the few approved places. The biggest issue was that I needed to replace the pitted and cracked (very small) windshield. After the car passed, I put all the paperwork together including photos of the car and dropped it off at PennDot. I was told by one person I should get the title in 1 to 2 week. Another one said it would be about 3. I got a little antsy yesterday when it approached a month and I had heard nothing. It was suggested to me on the forum that I call them.

 

At 9:15 this morning I found a message on my phone from the mechanic. He said that the state was going to be at their shop at 10 am to inspect the car. I was a bit surprised since I never knew this was in the realm of possibilities, let alone only having a 45 minute warning. I hustled the untitled, unregistered, unplated and unprepared car the 5 miles to the shop. I was introduced to two very large but pleasant Quality Assurance Officers. They proceed to explain how they were going to check this very long list of items on the car. When they were finished they were going to give it to their boss. He would make the decision as th whether it would pass. It became apparent very quickly it would not. I will need to wait for the official report but I did get a partial list of issues.

 

1. Front turn signals not visible from side

2. Back up light not bright enough

3. No defroster (has no heater)

4. No washer fluid sprayers

5. No secondary strap on external fuel pump

6. No brake fluid pressure indicator light

7. Exposed exhaust system

8. Wiring too close to steering column

9. No safety etching on windshield

10. No bumpers

11. No cup holders (just kidding)

 

I have to wait for the final report to get the whole list. This is just some of the stuff they chose to share, and what the mechanic or I heard. Some of it is certainly reasonable and stuff I planned to do anyway. The three that really annoy me are the defroster, washer sprayer and the bumpers. They were not amused about my question of when they were going to require them on Harley's. I will admit that overall they were very decent about the whole. I understand they were only doing their job and did not make the rules.

 

As I started this post off with, be careful what you wish for...

[Yeti]

I can pretty much live with the changes that they say I need to make. I even agree with many of them. But a little bit of me dies each time I think about bumpers on the car. I don't know what it would mean to my insurance if they disappeared afterwards if something happened. But my guess is that it would not be good. Plus I also spoke to a regular inspection mechanic that said several times a year the state comes in and recalls a car to check such things.

 

I found the regulation about the bumpers. How do you read this?

 

§ 175.209. Chassis.

 

(a) Condition of chassis. All items of a chassis shall be in safe operating condition as described in this subchapter and Subchapters E—H and J.

 

(b) Bumpers. A vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with front and rear bumpers securely attached to the chassis, except when the original body configuration provided by a recognized manufacturer did not include bumpers in the design of the vehicle. Vehicles registered as street rods are exempt from the requirements regarding bumpers.

 

(1) Some part of the main horizontal bumper of a passenger vehicle and all street rods, if so equipped, shall fall within 12-20 inches above ground level.

 

(2) Some part of the horizontal bumper of a truck shall fall within 16-30 inches above ground level.

[Croc]

Insurance won't be an issue with the right insurer. The definitions are different. Worry about getting it on the road first then worry about insurance.

 

I read section 175.209 multiple ways:

1) Assume Birkin is a recognized manufacturer - no bumpers required as it was not included in the design.

2) Birkin replicates Lotus 7 which is the recognized manufacturer and no bumpers were in that original design.

 

They will argue back that Birkin is not a recognized manufacturer by their definition and you are under the special construction rules since there is not PA replica rule as such. As a result the default position will require bumpers.

[Dan3030]

Call Commonwealth Auto Tags in Pottstown, PA and ask for Chris - (610) 326-3330

 

She knows how to handle these things and they aren't going to charge you an arm and a leg to handle paperwork. I know you're mid-process already, and far away in PA and hope they can find a way to be your agent regardless.

 

Also, Dave from Blast from the Past in Pottstown, as mentioned early on, is also SUPER knowledgeable about all this and knows how best to respond and solve with PA officials.

[Yeti]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I have followed up on several today and seem to be heading in the right direction. Thanks

[96fvee]

yeti, sorry to see your having problems. your getting good advice from others ,that I've seen here. i'd quess your chosen inspector is not familiar with our type of car. he ,I hope is listed on the special inspectors list you should have gotten from your tag place. in my experience last year , with the two cars I brought in from out of state , the inspector must finish the paper work and apply his stamp and sign ,he also must take the pictures at his place of business and he is the one who sends the package in to DOT. normal practice is to inspect your car and give you a list of things to fix and then bring the car back to him. when it passes he then finishes papers and sends it all in. you taking the papers and photos in to DOT may have set off alarms. it is also possible you inspector may have had problems previously with the DOT and they are watching what he does . if your car is the red one I saw on this site ,it looked to be very well done and as mentioned ,he did a lot of these cars. could you get any brochures from him on your car and does he have any of the parts you need among his spares that he did not install because they are not needed where he is? i'm sure this will work out ok ,and any help you need you can find among the users on this site. bill c.