I am trying to sell my T-bucket, titled in PA as a Special Construction - that is how they do it in PA. Someone in MD is interested in it. I searched MD DMV but couldn't really find anything on this. (Titling an out of state SP CONST /street rod titled car.) Anyone in MD have experience with this? I told him to contact a DMV office in MD. But I'd like to know also.
What year was the car titled as Special Construction? I tried a few years ago to buy a real Henry '29 Ford Coupe on a real Henry '32 Ford chassis out of Pa. The owner had finished building the car in 2014 and went through your process there to get Special Construction designation so he could drive it everyday I guess. The only problem was that it was titled in Pa. as a 2014 Special Construction. All I could get from the Md. MVA was, "If it's titled in Pa. as a 2014 that's what it will be titled as in Maryland!"
They don't put a year that the car resembles, my case a '23T, they just put the year titled, 2005 for me. I guestioned them when I got the title and they said that is what they do. Does that mean it would have to have the safety and emissions of a 2005? PA has a Street Rod plate that doesn't require emissions. It does need seat belts but no hood or fenders.
Never had to deal with the situation myself, but back in the early '70s, a buddy bought a nice '30 Ford roadster out of NJ, I think it was. It was titled as a "1968 Constructed" and when he went to title it here in MD, it was titled as a "1968 Constructed." We, the hot rodders he ran around with, razzed him relentlessly. Although, at that time, it didn't make a hill of beans as to how it was titled and if he hadn't told us, we wudn't have known. Today, having a car titled that way may be quite a different story with the state erecting a number of locations for regular emissions testing, as well as more federal regulations. The MD DMV website is www.mva.maryland.gov/ and may provide you with more info. There are a number of sections, but you likely wud find the info in the VEHICLES or REGISTRATION sections. Just as an FYI, I wud not want to purchase a "constructed" vehicle for fear of what may be levied against me in the future. I'm ticked off that I have to take the time and pay the increasing fees to have my relatively new, bone stock, daily driver emissions tested regularly when the factory had to produce it in accordance with strict, government regulations in the first place.
I'm in Pa. and always register my cars as normal cars. No specialty plates (classic / street rod, etc.). Insure with Grundy. The temptation of life time plates, buy once is attractive. Call me paranoid, BUT, I can't help but think at some point the powers to be are going to look at all the registrations that are "special" and put them in a group that will be taxed for the privilege of owning a specialty car. I like having a proper title, and normal plates. I fully understand this doesn't help Long T in any way shape or form. Just thinking for future projects and cars. Signed, Old fashioned AND paranoid.
.......................If your potential buyer has the same issues that I encountered with the MVA, he would have to title and register the car in Maryland as a 2005 and would be burdened with the emission standards for a 2005 model year. Yeah, it sucks!
Call Dave's Tag and Title In Md there are tag and title companies that can do the work of the MVA at offsite locations. Dave is a car guy and will do what he can for you. http://www.davestagandtitle.com
I don't think I had the option of titling my T as a regular car as it was built from parts and never was a car with a title. I didn't look into it at the time as it was my understanding that they would title it as the car it most closely resembled. I remember calling PennDOT when I got the title with just SP CONSTR on it and no 23 Ford T.
That is really depressing! Its hard enough to sell a T now I have to find a compatible state too. Maybe I should part it out. And they used to say it was hard in PA to register a hot rod.
31' ford coupe came with a New York reg. only [no titles issued in N.Y. back then]. The peoples republic of New Jersey could not /would not give a clear path to getting the car a modern vin number so the car was sold to a family member who lives in M.D. where they accepted the N.Y reg. and issued a Maryland title within 2 weeks. Car was then sold back to N.J. owner and N.J. gladly accepted the M.D title and gave it a new N.J. title.
I sent Dave's T and T an email and asked him. We'll see. The guy may not want it but I'm sure he won't with title problems.
I think the problem is not that they won't accept the title. The problem is that they will assign the year the title was issued in PA as the year of the car. Then the car will have to have equipment, such as air bags, emission, etc. of that year. In PA a car titled and registered as a street rod does not have to comply with equipment required of the title date. We have a special category of Street Rod with its own equipment which has nothing to do with the title date. If I had trouble titling the T in 2005 I was going to do as you said. My brother would title it in his state and then sell it to me with a title.
Please don't part it out, it's too neat a car to semi dispose of it that way. I know your car and have spoken with you a few times, mostly at MaCungie. Is it too late to go the brother route and try doing some sort of proper title in his state? Maybe start right from scratch as if it was never put together completely. I sold a car to someone in Florida, gave him the real title, and he said that the title meant basically nothing, it was a hand written bill of sale that he used to turn it over and license it down there. Can't imagine it couldn't work in reverse, but I'm also not an "expert".
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