Proposed legislation in the House of Representatives would create a new category of regulations for low-volume automakers – specifically those building replicas of classic automobiles. Current regulations, which hold small-scale manufacturers to the same standards as mass producers, mean that these low-volume automakers are forced to sell their products as kits, but the new category would allow them to offer turn-key vehicles, with no further assembly required on the part of the buyer.
"The bill introduced by Reps. Mullin and Green will allow US companies to produce turn-key replicas of older vehicles that are virtually impossible to build under today's restrictive one-size-fits-all regulatory framework," said SEMA chief Chris Kersting. "This program will create skilled-labor jobs in the auto industry and help meet consumer demand for these classics of the past."
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/11/congress-low-volume-turn-key-replica-bill/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl13%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-1052851000
Sorry if repost or old news
Gary
Dork
6/14/15 4:55 p.m.
About time, and would be nice. But I wonder what it's chances are.
Sure, you can make them, but ya gotta have dealerships sell 'em....
You know reading the comments are really funny. They were all asking for something that you can buy today with no issues. My favorite was the tri-5 chevy with modern running gear. Any shop can make that out of a catalog with a morrison chassis and your choice of LS mills and matching transmission.
Is there that much of a pent up demand for Nobles, etc that are not met today? I can only think of maybe something like Zonda that would fit in here.
I like less rules as much as anyone but I don't really see a need for this one as it's written.
ncjay
Dork
6/14/15 6:59 p.m.
Maybe I have it backwards, but isn't that what kit cars are? I know I've seen more than one or two Cobra replicas. Just about every cool car ever made has a kit car for it, even some not so cool cars.
I'm not understanding this, because there are already turn key replicas being made out there.
Is this meant to allow them to not have to sell replicars as kit cars?
It sounds like they still have to follow federal regulations no matter what.
my guess is "make it easier to title and register my Cobra replica or Dynacorn bodied Mustang"
yamaha
MegaDork
6/14/15 8:32 p.m.
In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:
Yea, I'm not understanding it either.......because how they are sold as "Kit Cars" now can be turn key if you have a big enough pocketbook. Just look at the Beck offerings.
Right now companies like Superformance builds their car without a drivetrain. It's not a kit car because it cannot be bought in kit form. The roller is bought by one of their dealers, then the dealer installed the drivetrain. The dealer makes it turn-key. If Superformance did it directly they would have to meet all the current production vehicle requirements. The proposed law would allow Superformance to supply the car turn-key.
I don't know if Beck and a few others are like that or not, but probably.
The '55 & '57 Chevy replicas still require an original car for the VIN. The bodies are sold as a replacement part. Same deal with the new '60's Camaro & Mustang shells. This would probably allow a manufacture or shop to build a turn-key one and supply a MSO so it could be titled as something other than a GM built '55 Chevy or '69 Camaro.
In reply to Rob_Mopar:
That makes more sense. The way they explained it makes it confusing.
tuna55
UltimaDork
6/15/15 7:56 a.m.
Write congress, folks. I already wrote my dude.
Turn key is a very loose term. Like how Caterham is getting in. You go to a Caterham dealer and buy a complete car. But the maroney sticker is a list of parts and a labor charge. As long as they don't show up in one piece you are OK. There are a number of cars over the years brought in without wheels and what not to get around various federal laws. Kind of like full length glass doors instead of windows. You wanna tax how many windows my house has? Fine. Now it just has a bunch of doors. No taxes for me.
You wanna regulate a number of cars out of existence? Fine, now it is a steel cage with wheels and seats as it has no motor or transmission. Be even smarter if those were modular mounted at the factory and then just dropped out the bottom. Like an old beetle engine.
This is clarifying for a myriad of state laws under a federal statute. We had a discussion about what you could title and get on the road vs what you couldn't by state. I think we all wanted to move to Montana there for awhile. Not to get into a states rights vs a federal rights debate but the different rules per state, yet all cars have to pass fed regs has always seemed very strange to me.
I would have to read the whole bill and not just that little section but honestly, it sounds like it may make things possibly worse.
Currently, replica cars really don't have any engine emission requirements if they install the engine as part of the kit. They can pre-assemble the chassis at super performance and then put in the engine of choice at the "assembly" dealership. They can factory install an engine but it has to be used and rebuilt and not a new engine among other restrictions.
http://www.epa.gov/oms/imports/kitcar.htm
From what I read of this, they will still have to install an emissions certified motor but they won't have to certify it for that specific chassis.
"The vehicles would meet current model year emissions standards, and manufacturers would be permitted to install clean engines from other EPA-certified vehicles to help achieve that requirement."
So they could sell a cobra kit car with a brand new Coyote crate motor but not an original 427 style motor. I'm not sure how that is really helping much but I may be reading it wrong and only seeing a small part of the picture.
In reply to bmw88rider:
The rest of the bill gives Congress's corporate sponsors use of Air Force one for personal vacations with comped hookers so it doesn't really apply to the car stuff.
Specifically regarding replicas, they are only "virtually impossible to build under today's restrictive one-size-fits-all regulatory framework" in a some states...Otherwise there wouldn't be so damn many of them around. And what I really want to know is how excatly will it be determined, in an objective and impartial manner, just how far any given design can deviate from an unmodified original before it is no longer a "replica"? This bill would create a lot more 'skilled labor jobs', making better use of Congress's time and my tax dollars, if they got rid of the entirely subjective "replica" appearance requirement entirely and focused more on the number sold.
if the law doesnt affect a kit car vendor or an DIY enthusiast in any direct way, it should be supported.
all it will do is make it easier for a company that wants to provide a turn key product to get into a dealership that is interested in selling it to the public.
