Any trouble getting your "modified" car inspected yet?

I'm still building my car, but was wondering if anyone has been turned away from a Massachusetts inspection station for having a modified car without the correct re-assigned VIN tag and paper work?

The new SEMA/Factory Five law mentions that ANY deviation from stock constitutes a modified vehicle and that car needs to undergo a re-assignment of the vin and State Police Inspection. The doom sayers are claiming that something as small as an aftermarket spoiler or as big as an engine transplant will flag the car, just REALLY wanna know if there is any real-world feed back on this as yet.

Wondering, since I'll be heading in for my first inspection of the newly modified car sometime this Summer/Fall.

Thanks,

TC

Honestly I don't think that most inspection stations are going to care as long as the car looks relatively stock. My 924s is heavily modified in the suspension department and the interior is also a ways from stock but from the exterior it is just a 924. I am up for inspection in the fall we will see.

If car has old reg and old sticker chances are they will not look at it twice. If it's new build and they don't know you from a hole in the wall they might look closer. I know the guy i bring my stuff to so no worries he knows I'm not a cop in disguise nor will I bring him unsafe junk.

One year I brought my 1991 Turbo Miata running Megasquirt to get inspected in full challenge trim (stickers, numbers, and roll bar). The guy doing the stickers was a jerk and went over everything on the car about three times. Only thing he failed me on was not having a front plate so I had to zip tie it on. Since it was a non OBDII car he could not fail me for MegaSquirt and they do not do any emissions tests on anything under 1996. All they do is a visual inspection to see if you have a catalytic converter. Over all they tend to be more worried about safety stuff like bad ball joints, tie rods, exhaust leaks, rust holes, or other stuff they can fix and make money off of.

Wow. I love living in Missouri....

i just passed my e30 M3, half cage, suspension, exhaust, wheels/tires. etc.

if this does soon pose a problem it's just another reason to get out of this fascist state and into NH.

Its true. In WV my brother has an inspection shop and they just got all these new rules, so my MX-3 will get a modified sticker.... Next year lol

Factory Five and their efforts to get their product legal in Massachusetts, really turned things upside down with regards to what's now legal and what isn't. The State is holding the inspection stations responsible for being referees in making sure that no modified car slips through. Should a State Cop stop such a car and sees that it's running a factory vin and inspection sticker to match, rather than the State issued modified vin, the inspection station looses it's certification after all is said and done.

NOT a risk that any station will ever take, too much extra income involved.

I was just wondering about Massachusetts drivers in particular and if anyone has had to go through the gauntlet because of a wing or spoiler or engine mods. This time it isn't an emissions check, it's an engine transplant check and a visual body check for anything other than factory delivered.

A funny law that makes it easier to put a fake Cobra on the road than a WRX with an aftermarket spoiler and cheezy rear wing.

Rural Ohio FTW, they just look at the VIN when you apply for a title, and only if its from out of state.

We have no inspections.

STILL wondering about Massachusetts here. There's a potential wall of E36 M3 rolling my way because of the modifications done to my car, I need to have info and get prepared, you know?

Nobody has a modified street car and lives in MA and has had it inspected since April?

Can't speak intelligently about MA, but just be glad you're not in PA. I've lived in 7 states and one province, and nothing I've ever seen is tougher than PA.

I passed in NC for 4 years with no cats. Inspection stations with no lifts and MIL eliminators rock. They did notice that the car was unusually loud though.

California...the land of over regulation. You have to smog a 1976 car and everything newer. Now living in Alabama... much better.

curtis73 wrote: Can't speak intelligently about MA, but just be glad you're not in PA. I've lived in 7 states and one province, and nothing I've ever seen is tougher than PA.

Seriously? I've lived here my whole life, passed plenty of inspections with modified cars no problem. Legit inspections, nothing shady.

Argo1 wrote: California...the land of over regulation. You have to smog a 1976 car and everything newer. Now living in Alabama... much better.

Lucky you. In Nevada, smog checks go back to 1968 MY cars.

register the car in MN.. they don't even look at the car- if you've got the money for registration, you get tabs.. a trip to the DMV is a 5 minute, $40 affair for me..

I think most of you guys fail to realize these new laws just went into effect a few months ago. My local "friendly" inspection station is now failing just about everybody for just about anything. He failed my wife's car because her new red plates were starting to fade. Watched him fail others for window tint, aftermarket bumpers on trucks, ground effects kits, HID headlights.

Went through Echeck in urban Ohio last week with the camry wagon. The CEL has been on since I got it, but it stays off for the first few minutes after you turn it on. It's an early OBDII pre 96, and I figured the Echeck people could tell me why the light was on. I turned the car off before I pulled in to the Echeck, light went out like normal. They put the car on the rollers, hooked it up to the sniffer and then I got a pass from the Echeck . As soon as they gave me the car back and I pulled out of the garage the light came back on . I still don't know what's even wrong with the damn thing

tr8todd wrote: I think most of you guys fail to realize these new laws just went into effect a few months ago. My local "friendly" inspection station is now failing just about everybody for just about anything. He failed my wife's car because her new red plates were starting to fade. Watched him fail others for window tint, aftermarket bumpers on trucks, ground effects kits, HID headlights.

Long term this is probably good for getting the law repealed/changed. If it was only something that effected the 5% of the population that are enthusiasts, collectors, or Kitcar types it would just piss off 5% of the population. If they are failing 90% of the cars because they have Superflo ATF instead of Honda oil then your going to get a lot of pissed off people. It will be a nightmare for the police and DMV to reassign vins to cars like say 2011 Scions with TRD springs and stuff and the law will get repealed or revised real fast.

In DE, the state does inspections at the DMV, and everything 1996 and newer has to be OBD-II compliant and pass a sniffer. Guess what car is neither? The '96 Manic Miata... currently traveling only to events, on expired plates. Gotta take all the fun stuff off, nurse it through, and then put it all back on - every 2 years.

Common now . . . ! ! !

All of you guys talking about all of this stuff that you do to your rides to make them virtually rally cars on street tires and NOBODY lives in Massachusetts? And not ONE of you has had their car inspected in the past three or four months ? ! ? ! ?

I think that a whole lot of wanna be Speed Racers have been fibbing about their rides.

Over six and a half million Massachusetts residents, half of which drive and not ONE person out of those three million drivers is a member here with a modified street car who's had it inspected lately.

I severely think that the Massachusetts members are just riding around in Mommy's car and dreaming of goin' fast.

If NOT, prove me wrong and let's hear about your experiences in getting your car inspected with body/mechanical mods.

TC

Maybe everybody else was smart enough to move out of Taxachussetts?

There is (or used to be) a reader here called MASShole. Maybe he can share his experience.

Young man, an attitude like this will not get you far in this community. I'm sure if someone here could have helped you, they would have.

The "riding around in mommy's car" comment will alienate you here very quickly.

Drop the attitude and you are more likely to get assistance.

TeamEvil wrote: Common now . . . ! ! ! All of you guys talking about all of this stuff that you do to your rides to make them virtually rally cars on street tires and NOBODY lives in Massachusetts? And not ONE of you has had their car inspected in the past three or four months ? ! ? ! ? I think that a whole lot of wanna be Speed Racers have been fibbing about their rides. Over six and a half million Massachusetts residents, half of which drive and not ONE person out of those three million drivers is a member here with a modified street car who's had it inspected lately. I severely think that the Massachusetts members are just riding around in Mommy's car and dreaming of goin' fast. If NOT, prove me wrong and let's hear about your experiences in getting your car inspected with body/mechanical mods. TC

Do any of the local car clubs have boards? I think you would have a lot more luck there with this question.

Still nobody from Massachusetts, huh?