Illinois wont give title for road use

Jsix

Member
I sent in required paper work to Illinois to receive a phone call telling me they won't issue a title for road use. Only off road which means no plates! Now what? anyone have one legal in Illinois.
 

Lonny

Administrator
Staff member
I just read through the custom vehicles and street rods for Illinois and it looks pretty straight forward. What reason did they give you for not allowing it?
 

Briann1177

Goblin Guru
I don't have a good answer as I don't live in IL, but my suggestion would be to try again. I had the exact same issues at first, but on my second attempt, I included a personal, but very professional letter. I kindly explained what the Goblin is, how it's kin to a Chevy Cobalt, and I didn't have any issues with getting a plate. I don't know if it helped any, but it certainly didn't hurt.

Also, I don't know if IL requires pictures, but another suggestion is to make it look as less of a go kart/dune buggy (<--I hate that description BTW)/race car as you can. Leave off the wing, attach all the bodywork, wind screen, fenders etc.

I think the hardest thing we all run into with the registration process is getting people that don't understand what it is you built. They see something that looks like something else completely different and shoot it down without second thought.

Don't give up just yet. You've come too far to do that.
 
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Jsix

Member
Thanks, I sent in all of the required paperwork and pictures. Car has bumpers ,e-brake ,windshield , etc, Only thing we didn't do is fenders. Illinois law looks like you don't need them because of weight. Problem is the state of Illinois.....do you know how many governors we have in federal prison...... 3! They are telling me they don't issue any titles for road use on anything with a tube chassis anymore .Here's a couple of the photos i sent in. Anyone have a clean cobalt title for sale ? please call me at 618-420-6015 if you do.
 

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Lonny

Administrator
Staff member
Let them know that the Cobra kit cars from factory five and probably every other one is built using the same DOM tubing we use. If they are not going to allow you to register because of the tubing then they should not allow Cobra kit cars.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Thanks, I sent in all of the required paperwork and pictures. Car has bumpers ,e-brake ,windshield , etc, Only thing we didn't do is fenders. Illinois law looks like you don't need them because of weight. Problem is the state of Illinois.....do you know how many governors we have in federal prison...... 3! They are telling me they don't issue any titles for road use on anything with a tube chassis anymore .Here's a couple of the photos i sent in. Anyone have a clean cobalt title for sale ? please call me at 618-420-6015 if you do.
I have a title for my Cobalt. I need it to scrap the steel body, but if you want to buy the body for scrap, you can have it & the title. Missouri salvage title.
 

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
Most Cobra kits, all Caterham/Lotus Sevens and their replicas, and probably 1/2 of all kit cars ever registered in Illinois have tube frames. This is typical Illinois BS, changing the rules whenever they like it or it suits them. Used to live there, got tired of the taxes and BS rules, so I said good riddance and flipped them off as I left for Arizona. Still have a debt for the Tollroad that I am never going to pay...:p

Tell them it is a replica Lotus Seven - last factory built in 1972 - and don't go to the same place to try again. Get away from the city and try a more rural DMV office, they may be more amiable. Otherwise, you can try to register it in Montana, as some others have discussed, if you can process the proper paperwork.
 

Jsix

Member
Thanks guy's, I followed the process Illinois says to use. Illinois is exactly like you said. I just don't know if i'm going to go through all the BS it would take to go after Illinois to get it titled. Thanks Ross but salvage won't get me anywhere in Illinois .Car has to go through same BS to get clean title. May look into Montana thing or sell car at a loss. Frustrated and leaving illinois soon !!!!
 

Karter2026

Goblin Guru
Thanks guy's, I followed the process Illinois says to use. Illinois is exactly like you said. I just don't know if i'm going to go through all the BS it would take to go after Illinois to get it titled. Thanks Ross but salvage won't get me anywhere in Illinois .Car has to go through same BS to get clean title. May look into Montana thing or sell car at a loss. Frustrated and leaving illinois soon !!!!
Get a hold of Baltimorehokie. He was the last one who did the MT thing. Maryland said no also kept telling him it was a dunebuggy.

It looks like there are 4 or 5 Goblins in IL has any of the others been successful ?
 

lksohm

Well-Known Member
We get quite a few "totalled" cars here in Iowa that are perfectly fine except for hail dents that came from Illinois because of all the red tape there when it comes to retitleing. I am in that general part of the world if I can help with anything at all.
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
I would bet the reason this car was turned down was its chassis tubes are exposed, where Cobras have a full body that hides the tube chassis. Stupid, but an excuse for the state to use.
I would cite any/all other Goblins already registered in Illinois and press your point.
 

Karter2026

Goblin Guru
I would bet the reason this car was turned down was its chassis tubes are exposed, where Cobras have a full body that hides the tube chassis. Stupid, but an excuse for the state to use.
I would cite any/all other Goblins already registered in Illinois and press your point.
I had that thought also. This is what I had to do to satisfy PA.
20190622_101418.jpg
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
I have to say the panels do lend a more finished look to the car, besides the windshield integrated into the cage. Nice job!
 

BAR-AIR

Well-Known Member
Good Afternoon,
Probably a stupid question but can you register a Goblin that has been registered already in a different state? Transferring the title from say N.Y. to Illinois...
Bruce
 

Goblin-SS

Active Member
I sent in required paper work to Illinois to receive a phone call telling me they won't issue a title for road use. Only off road which means no plates! Now what? anyone have one legal in Illinois.
I've got mine street legal in Illinois! What are they saying ?
 

Parson Green

Well-Known Member
Registered as a "specially constructed Cobalt" eh?

That's extremely cool. Several months ago, after reading the regs here in TX, I posted this hypothetical conversation:

Car-registration official: So you're asking me to believe that that thing is a 2007 Cobalt?

Goblin builder: Yes sir. Most definitely. That 2007 Cobalt was purchased by me at an insurance-salvage auction. When I got it home I completely disassembled it and discarded all the damaged parts. Then, by using a repair kit I got from a guy named Lonny, I was able to re-assemble it into the vehicle you see before you.

Car-registration official: Well, you did an outstanding job. Here's your approved application. Step to the next window, pay your fees and you'll receive the new title and license plate for your Cobalt in the mail.

Our car is almost roadworthy now and the specially-constructed-Cobalt route to registration is one that we certainly haven't yet rejected.
 

RichRich

Well-Known Member
Don't be discouraged, Arizona gave me issues at my first place I went as well. Just take it to a different DMV for the inspection, telling them it is a Lotus seven replica may help significantly as well. They have tubes exposed too along with Polaris slingshots, Ariel Atoms, and of course any factory five build EVER
 

Goblin-SS

Active Member
Don't be discouraged, Arizona gave me issues at my first place I went as well. Just take it to a different DMV for the inspection, telling them it is a Lotus seven replica may help significantly as well. They have tubes exposed too along with Polaris slingshots, Ariel Atoms, and of course any factory five build EVER
Illinois has a unique way of doing things. After jumping through all the hoops with paperwork back and forth to Springfield. They sent an inspector "a state sherif " to my house to do the inspection and installed a VIN plate. I never had to go to the DMV thank God!
 
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