Registration in Illinois

After reviewing some of the other registration posts, I am curious if there is any feedback I can get from those in Illinois. I have a California title and was wondering what type of "hoop jumping" I will need to do in Illinois.

Steve-

You are in luck-- Illinois is a "SEMA state". It's relatively easy to properly and legally register your car as a 1957 Porsche Speedster Replica, if you have a manufacturer's certificate of origin.

Here's the link to the "custom vehicle and street rod" section of the Secretary of State's website.

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/title_registration/apply_custom_rod.html

There's a dozen wrong ways to do this, and only one right one. Do it the right way.

Stan>>Thanks for the information. I wonder if this the VIN is on my car and where it may be located. This car has a California title listing it as a 1971 VW; however, there are other codings listed that may refect a "custom" vehicle.

How would the taxes be calculated on something like this?

Another issue will be getting the documentation on the manufacturers certificate of origin; however, Carey Hines may be able to help me with this one.

"This car has a California title listing it as a 1971 VW?" How'd that happen. My Beck is now registered as a 1957 Chamonix here in Wisconsin. Surely it's not a 1957 Chamonix. It's a strange world out there.

Rich>>Yes on the very top of the title is shows the 1971 VW.

Prior to the national legislative changes in registration for replicas and other hot rods, many states, including California, registered the vehicle based on the donor pan.

You just might have a 1971 VW engine.

It's a Beck. There is no doner pan. It is the year that the Beck was made. However, depending on the states rules you can sometimes register them otherwise.

Steve-

Remember the part about 12 different ways to do this? The link I gave you is the right way in Illinois, and it will increase the value of the car by not being subject to any sort of smog inspection should that ever come to our part of the world. The SEMA legislation allows you to legally register the car as a replica vehicle in the year pf the vehicle it replicates. There's no need to play fast and loose on the title in Illinois.

Your car has a VIN. It's the S/N that Beck gave it. I think it's in the door jamb, but Carey or another Beck owner can tell you for sure. The entire process will be made much easier with a manufacturer's certificate of origin. Call Carey, he can probably come up with something for you.

Stan>>I stopped in at my local license service just to see if they were familiar with titling of these custom vehicles and they were completely clueless. What type of service did you use?

I contacted several registration services in CA prior to licensing/registering mine. All told me the same: it had to be done by the owner of the vehicle. They were not equipped to do it. Depending on the specific motor vehicle office used, and the
employee(s) you speak to, the process can be seamless or rocky. You can do it yourself if you are patient and have your ducks in a row. Find out from them what they need, and bring it with you. Have your docs organized. The employees aren't trying to be jerks, it's a new process that they don't yet know much about, so they can become defensive. I found that being pro active and polite worked for me, unlike my normal confrontational style. Your mileage may vary, yada, yada.

Thanks.

Steve-

There's no local license service that has any clue about this. Furthermore, there's not likely anybody at your local Secretary of State's office that knows about this either. You'll need to act as your own agent.

You'll need to print out the link I gave you, follow the instructions to a "t", then send the entire packet to the address provided in the link. This is a different process than when I did it in 2005, and it's a lot easier (I had to schedule an inspection by a specific street rod club).

Once you've jumped through the hoops, you'll be eligible for antique plates ($5 a year, or something ridiculously cheap), etc. then the only hurdle you'll need to jump is insurance, and that's a whole 'nuther kettle of fish.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Stan

This can be done even though the car was already titled in another state? Plus, how long will this process take?

Steve-

Forget the California title and registration, it'll likely not be of any use to you, although I'd be sure to get copies of both signed over to you. States don't (usually) cross check VINs (Illinois can't seem to keep track of their own stuff, let alone CA's). Since you are using a different VIN (the one on the body) anyhow, whatever they were using will just disappear into disuse. You REALLY need to get a bill of sale (with the VIN from the Certificate of Origin) from whoever you bought the car from, and a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin from Carey at Special Editions. Carey should be your first call.

Then follow the instructions on the link. There is no other way to be legal. Read the link. Re-read it. Memorize it. Start making calls. It's not that big of deal, but there are no short-cuts.

It takes as long as it takes. In 2005, there was only one lady that did this at the Secretary of State's office in Springfield, but she was nice and went pretty quickly.

The bad news is that it's not as straightforward as buying a used 'vette. The good news is that you'll not have to deal with the trolls at the local Secretary of State's branch.

You'll do fine. Read the link. Follow the instructions.

This may become a problem as there is no bill of sale, no documentation only the physical car and the title that came with it. This car was 'finished' we believe in CA and was obtained through a charity auction in Beverly Hills in 2008 by a friend. The car was never driven, never had the title transferred and I ended up with it.

I checked the doors and jambs and there are no numbers to be found.

Steve-

Shoot me an email, and I'll give you my phone number. My email address is in my profile on this site.

I'll talk you through this.

Steve, I was advised prior to registering my 'out of state' VS to have prominate Notary-Public stamps and signatures on my documents. It seemed to impress the DMV clerk here in Connecticut and everything went smoothly!

Steve, your Beck comes with a 6-digit chassis number that can be found in two places. Open the trunk and look for a number plate near the spare tire well (see first picture below). There is also a plate welded to the tunnel at the shift coupler access hole as shown in the second picture. There is no 16-digit VIN.

Lane>>Thanks for the info. I already looked in the trunk and didn't see any plates. I look under the carpet for the other.

Just a couple of thoughts, if your car was titled in CA, then it should be a matter of transferring the CA title in IL. An MSO is only provided for the first title and registration effort. Not any subsiquent titles in other places or times.

Eureka! Found the VIN under the carpet. Thanks.

What Stan said.

Bob

If titled as a replica, how would this affect an out of state (non-SEMA) buyer?

Steve,
Each state operates independently. The manner in which CA registers replicas has no bearing on IL, and so on, no matter how many states the car has been licensed in. Even though only one MSO is completed for each vehicle, as mango said, you should be able to get a copy of your vehicle's MSO from Carey. That is your car's birth certificate. Then you can approach the licensing folks in IL.

^X2!