California Registration

dperkins

Well-Known Member
Hi guys!

I have been working on building my goblin and also working out the kinks like registration and insurance. As far as I am concerned, CA is one of the worst places to register a kit car or any modified car in general. Here are a few extra things that it turns out I need for the goblin:

  • Evap Canister
  • Muffler <95DB (could not be needed, but some may not smog without muffler)
  • EPA or ARB compliant EVERYTHING

I am not sure how I will do with the ARB compliance, but maybe I will get an exception for a kit car. When the car is fully build I will report back and see how it went.
 

dperkins

Well-Known Member
From what I understand about that, you get emission tested on the year your engine block is made, so I still need my evap and carb stuff. Am I misinterpreting this?
 
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Johvans

Well-Known Member
From what I understand about that, you get tested on the year your engine block is made, so I still need my evap and carb stuff. Am I mis interpreting this?
Honestly I'm not sure. I know someone that used it (with a Corvette C5 z06 drivetrain) and he explained that he didn't have to smog/test it at all. This was a few years ago so they may have changed the rules since. It might be worth calling them.

John
 

BlackDogs

New Member
From what I understand about that, you get emission tested on the year your engine block is made, so I still need my evap and carb stuff. Am I misinterpreting this?
Another Californian here. I have not actually done this, but I've researched it a bunch.

You, as the owner of the car being inspected, get to choose how they define the emissions requirements.

You can opt to do it by the year of the block - if you do that, then all the emissions devices that were present in the original car (the Cobalt, in this case) have to be present and operational. For most kit-car builders, this is not the best choice.

The other option is to smog it by body style. The law actually provides that you (again, it's your choice as owner, not up to the CHP or the BAR) can choose to have it smogged as the year it most closely resembles. Cobra replica builders use this to register their cars as '65s, and then they run big V8s with next to no emissions controls. With the Goblin, there's a good argument that it looks like a Lotus Seven, in which case you can have it smogged as a '57. Or even if the Seven comparison doesn't work, there's a provision in the law that, if the car doesn't resemble any known car, it can just be smogged as a '60. In either case, the requirements are not onerous - closed crankcase and PCV, basically. No cats, smog pumps, charcoal canisters, etc., are required. And, because it gets designated as a '57 or a '60, you never actually have to do the biennial inspection/test.

There's loads of good info out there - the very detailed doc that Johvans linked is one I have also found, but you can find a bunch more information by searching for terms like "SB100 California kit car registration smog" and so on. One key insight is that SB100 is actually used so little (fewer than 500 vehicles per year) that the DMV, CHP, and BAR aren't really interested in you from an emissions perspective - they really just want their money. So break out the dollars and pay the fees with a smile.
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
I too live in California. As said, the smog stuff can be gotten around. I am mainly concerned with whether the available headlights and windshield are approved, and if there is a wiper/washer option. Plus I think bumpers are required.
I did see a thread elsewhere here about a 2-post glass windshield. Will that be available soon? Any answers to all this would be appreciated!
 

IDRVSLO

Goblin Guru
I would hop on an Exocet page and find out from them what needs to be done. I am sure they will be quite similar in requirements. They dont run bumpers and plenty are registered.
 

IDRVSLO

Goblin Guru
Yeah I mean just to check out what they're doing in order to get registered as they will be very similar.
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
I think the main issues for the Goblin in California are-
-DOT-legal headlights, a glass windshield w/wiper & washer, and emissions.
-The emissions might not be an issue if you can convince DMV it is a replica of something like a Lotus Seven ("I" think that's a stretch, but worth a shot).
-The lights are a no-brainer as there are a ton of them on the market.
-The windshield might be an issue. I did see the thread about DF working on a glass windshield about a year or two ago. Any further developments on this? Also, wipers; any option or kit for this and washers?
Anyone have any other issues here in the Golden Lib State? (This didn't change today, sadly...)
 
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Karter2026

Goblin Guru
-The windshield might be an issue. I did see the thread about DF working on a glass windshield about a year or two ago. Any further developments on this? Also, wipers; any option or kit for this and washers?
Windshield development has been very slow. No kits that I know of for wiper and washers. Time to put on the fab cap and start to work.
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
I think a plan here might be to get the cage, then have a dune buggy-style windshield made in the same profile, using small brackets to fasten the two together. Then either reuse the Cobalt wipers or aftermarket, plus washers. Also, make filler panels for the gap beneath the windshield. Whew! What kit builders go thru.... lol
 
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Adam

Administrator
Staff member
I think the main issues for the Goblin in California are- DOT-legal headlights, a glass windshield w/wiper & washer, and emissions.
-The emissions might not be an issue if you can convince DMV it is a replica of something like a Lotus Seven ("I" think that's a stretch, but worth a shot).
-The lights are a no-brainer as there are a ton of them on the market.
-The windshield might be an issue. I did see the thread about DF working on a glass windshield about a year or two ago. Any further developments on this? Also, wipers; any option or kit for this and washers?
Anyone have any other issues here in the Golden Lib State? (This didn't change today, sadly...)
There is 1 Goblin registered in California. He did have to use a different type of headlight. I'm pretty sure he was emissions exempt. He did not use a glass windshield.

He talked about preparing for registration here but never came back with an update: http://dfkitcar.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-build-we-are-getting-there.650/

You might be in the Golden Lib State but at least they'll let you register a car like the Goblin instead of how Texas builders are treated. http://dfkitcar.com/forum/index.php?threads/texas-revoking-titles-and-how-you-can-help.467/
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
Yeah I could NOT believe Texas yanked the registrations of all non-replica kit cars! What a raw deal!
You are right. If one plays his cards right, registration should not be too tough. Gotta be a little clever on some things.....
Thanks for replying!
 
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BlackDogs

New Member
I've been doing a lot more reading about this lately. Here's a good thread I found over on the Factory Five forums:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?5550-The-california-registration-process-for-SB100

One takeaway from that thread is that, while the letter of the law requires a laminated safety glass windscreen, bumpers, and wipers, the people you talk to at the DMV, CHP, and BAR might or might not care on that particular day. It seems like kind of a crapshoot, but I think they don't care more often than they care. I've seen and ridden in a few cars (Sevenesque with an aeroscreen, Lotus XI with a plastic windscreen, Cobra types without wipers, etc.) without any of those things, so I know it does happen.
 

kurbkilla

Member
It looks like it is a little easier now to register but I had a question. On the California DMV site it mentions that "specially constructed or modified vehicle (SPCNS).... Is not for resale" does that mean I can't sell it as a private party? Or is that referring to trading it in to a dealer for them to sell?
 

ATMironov

Well-Known Member
It looks like it is a little easier now to register but I had a question. On the California DMV site it mentions that "specially constructed or modified vehicle (SPCNS).... Is not for resale" does that mean I can't sell it as a private party? Or is that referring to trading it in to a dealer for them to sell?
My understanding is you cant build the car specifically to sell it. So when you start the registration process, don’t event hit that you might sell if.
It’s unclear to me what happens if you decide to sell the car after it’s been registered.
it seems like the registration could be transferred, but it’s not clear.
 
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