Custom vehicle registering...

[whatthe]

Let's say you take the shell off an old Austin Healy bug-eyed Sprite (which I'm not), and then built a new frame from the ground up for a custom drive-train... say AWD instead of RWD, V8 not a 4 cylinder.. whatever. Do you still need to have the original VIN from this Sprite or would they want to give you some kind of special/expiremental/almost road-worthy vehicle registration?

Has anybody actually gone through this process in Calgary and know what it takes to register a custom vehicle.. even if it doesn't have a VIN anymore? What kind of costs and what kind of 'red-tape' is involved in this process?

I want to start a project which basically encompasses the same idea. Old car shell, completely different drive-train. Parts of the frame will be completely re-designed and the only thing resembling the original will be the exterior. However, I would like to be able to drive it on the street and register the vehicle if I'm going to spend a milliion man-hours on it.

Tips, advice, experience?

[DUBBED]

id call someone like street heat... they do come crazy ass custom trucks and what not... they would prob know better than anyone....

i think for registration purposes as long as you have the vin from the shell should be no problem... vin is just a way of indentifying the car... so shouldnt be a problem unless there is a duplicate out there...

[Spenser]

yeah, but i think the car has to be old, otherwise some one would just go steal a lambo, put some stickers on it and declare it a "custom" and then wouldn't need a vin number.

[whatthe]

Well, I don't want to jack anybodys Lambo just to register it as a Fiero. The car is going to be one of those from the 60s, likely in someones back-yard for the last 15 years, can't register anyway kind of deals.

Sub-frame, drive-train, suspension will all be altered if I get my hands on it.

I know 'of' guys who have done some magical projects, but not all of them go through the red-tape the right way, and not all of them seem willing to share the secret.

I see some pretty 'strange' cars driving around on the street and often wonder how they got there... there can only be one explanation... I just don't get to know it.

[Spenser]

Originally posted by whatthe

I see some pretty 'strange' cars driving around on the street and often wonder how they got there... there can only be one explanation... I just don't get to know it.

Sleep with the chick at the registry office.

[whatthe]

Originally posted by Spenser


Sleep with the chick at the registry office.

Well, does anybody have any hot friends that work at the registry office?

If it's a dude, someone else is going to have to take one for the team. Sort of like American Pie 2.

[4wheeldrift]

I think there are special provisions in the MVA for kit cars, that would probably be the best way to go.

[4wheeldrift]

Here's a little snippet I found on Alberta Transportations website in an FAQ about kit cars:

A kit car built for personal use is generally described as a "homebuilt" vehicle, some Canadian provinces use the term "U-built" to describe these same kit cars. In Alberta an assigned VIN is required to register a homebuilt vehicle. These assigned VINs can be obtained through your local law enforcement agency's auto theft officers. If you are in Calgary or Edmonton you can contact the municipal police service, and in other areas of the province you can contact the RCMP. The police will require that you submit invoices to demonstrate where you purchased the components used to assemble your homebuilt vehicle and will subsequently require you to have a vehicle safety inspection done before affixing the assigned VIN to your vehicle. Dependant on the date of completion of your vehicle, this safety inspection will ensure you vehicle complies with the Traffic Safety Act.

Taken from http://www.trans.gov.ab.ca/Content/doctype41/production/FAQ-Motorists.htm

[whatthe]

That sounds more familiar and very useful... I will look further into this and see if there can be conceptualization of an idea.