Registration

[wemtd]

Can anyone comment from experience on the receptiveness of NH & ME (and possibly MA/VT) to registering a Seven? I have the opportunity of moving to NH or ME and am not sure how heavily to weigh my birkin mistress in deciding where to live.

 

cheers

[Croc]

I believe MA is a pain in the posterior to register a seven these days. Xflow7 (David) is now living in VT I think so if he does not chime in here you may want to send him a PM. As for NH and ME, I am not aware of any sevens located there but as a former resident of ME, I can say it is a gorgeous place to drive a seven (and in NH) in the all-too short summer they have.

[11Budlite]

I talked to the owner of a new Duratec-powered Birkin a few weeks ago at Lime Rock who recently registered his car in ME rather than CT because it was easier. I don't have any details on what the difference was between the two states but it obviously can be done. He does not post on USA7's. I believe there is another Birkin owner who lives in ME on the Birkinowners/yahoogroups, so it might be worth posting a question there as well.

[JohnCh]

I don't have anything helpful to add, but I do want to say that I admire your priorities

 

-John

[aidanparte]

I have just imported my 1982 Caterham from the UK. It took three trips to the RMV, but it wasn't that difficult really, just frustrating. First time, I was told I needed the VIN to be verified by the local police; second time the RMV clerk had to check with a gray import expert as I didn't have the original bill of sale from when I bought the car in 1994 - she was slow getting back to me so I went to a different RMV and got the plates without too much hassle. I received the title in the mail on Friday.

 

Aidan

[xflow7]

Howdy.

 

As Croc noted I moved here to VT about a year ago with my Seven (Caterham X-flow, titled 2002). I was initially concerned as they do have mandatory emissions/OBD-II testing to the standards in place at the time of manufacture of the car and there was no mention on the DMV website of any concessions or special regsitration status for collector/kit/replica cars.

 

However, it turns out there is a clause in the Official Inspection Manual that is issued to certified shops that indicates that Replicas are considered Special Vehicles and are to be inspected to the standards of the original vehicle.

 

There doesn't seem to be a provision for formally titling/reg'ing a car as a replica, so you could in principle get burned at a shop that just looks at the titled year, but my experience was that if you find a shop friendly to old/British cars, they'll understand that the car is a replica of a Lotus 7 and will treat it as such. I convinced the DMV to list the Model on my title as REP to drive home the point that it is a replica.

 

Dave

[BusaNostra]

.....i think registering a seven type car (anywhere in the states) depends on the DMV personnel mode.

he can be an azzhole or an angel. you know the saying?..."power corrupt"

[wemtd]

A friend astutely pointed out that I need to find an older/veteran employee:

Someone jaded enough not to care too much.

Not a young/new employee trying to doing everything by the book.

Not a few year veteran who is still concerned about being disciplined or bucking for promotion.

 

It is also important to not get someone who's not having a rotten day.

 

piece of cake...

[Kess]

I registered by Superformance S1 as a 1960 Lotus 7. They did not ask any questions even thought the car was made in 2002. I also found that helped with selling it as the new owner could use the VT registration in their state which worked well for him.

 

Gary

[MBEARDEN]

My 2003 Birkin came from Calif. When I went to the Revenue office it was not as bad as I anticipated. I had the California Title and MSO from South Africa...they were really fascinated with the car being built in South Africa. It took several phone calls to the area supervisor and things went along fine until the California title # came up as a Chrysler stolen in Spokane in 1998....I had to sign a paper to clear that one. The short Birkin VIN was not the problem I had expected.

 

Overall it probably would have been easier to keep the title and register it as a "Hot Rod Homebuilt" rather than a purchase....that process is defined and simple.

 

When the title came a few weeks later the Make is "SPCNS"....I guess working in the Revenue/DMV office is the same whichever state you live in. In their defense it appears that I have the only Seven in Arkansas...not something they see every day....though I understand that there are a few Locosts being built.