Autoblog

We recently reported how SEMA had helped get new kit and custom car registration legislation passed in Virginia. Well, the razorbacks didn't want their Southern rivals to get too far ahead and recently passed a similar bill of their own. Arkansas made changes to their vehicle titling and registration classifications for street rods and created a new class for custom vehicles too. The bill was recently signed into law by Governor Mike Beebe after being approved by the Arkansas State Legislature. Arkansas now defines a street rod as "an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949" and a custom as "an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948." And like the Virginia law, kit cars and replicars will get tagged as being the same model year as the car they aim to replicate. So a freshly built '32 Ford would be a 1932 Ford, and a new Cobra would be a 1960's car on the books.

Arkansas' new law also allows non-original materials to be used, allocates special license plates for this class of vehicles, and lets builders use blue dot taillights. Street rods and customs will also be exempt from many of the standard equipment requirements and emissions controls. Things like catalysts and seatbelts will only have to meet period requirements. As is the case in Virginia as well, the kits and customs that are titled and registered this way will have mileage restrictions, but they tend to be limited use vehicles anyways.

[Source: Auto Spectator]

Beginning on July 1, kit/replica/component car buyers in Virginia will be able to title their vehicles in a different way. It seems the Virginia General Assembly has approved a new law allowing these vehicles to be registered as whatever model year the replica represents. The big advantage there lies in the fact that owners will be getting around those knuckle- and wallet-busting safety and emissions requirements for newly-built cars. This means Virginia will be joining Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Rhode Island as states with similar titling laws on the books.

But lest you think this gives you carte blanche to build your own backyard burner and terrorize the local citizenry, know that there are some restrictions. First of all, the law defines a replica as "a vehicle not fully constructed by a licensed manufacturer but either constructed or assembled from components." Secondly, as a gesture of good will between thankful hobbyists and concerned officials, "replica vehicles titled under this law will be limited to no more than 5,000 miles per year as shown by the vehicle's odometer." So it has to be a true kit car, not a tuner, and you have to keep your driving down to about 100 miles per weekend or 400 miles a month.

In particular this will help manufacturers of cars like the Shelby Cobra kits we see all over the place. In fact, the Cobra clubs in Virginia were instrumental in getting this bill passed. Being heavily involved in the industry, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) was also part of the process. SEMA has actually been at the forefront in encouraging states to pass this kind of legislation. They are also working on similar initiatives in Florida, Arkansas, New York, Massachusetts and Nevada.

[Source: SEMA]

You've spent the past couple of years and untold thousands of dollars turning your late-model Corvette into what you REALLY wanted but couldn't quite afford, a Lamborghini. The car has all the outrageously over-the-top styling you could ever hope for with the bulletproof Chevy small block giving more than adequate performance while offering much better reliability and durability. The interior has been customized to match, as much as practical, that of the Italian supercar as well. The one thing you've always dreaded, however, was hearing an admirer ask you to pop the hood.

The dress-up kits that have been offered in the past were either fiberglass or steel, neither of which could match the look of aluminum. Being messy and hard to work with didn't help much either. Well, thanks to Lambostuff, you're one step closer to having a no-excuses authentic-looking Lambo of your very own. They have just released and chronicled the installation of a new dummy engine kit. The kit is made of high-impact plastic, using some of the genuine Lambo molds where possible. A full accessory pack of spark plugs, wires, injectors and hoses are also available to complete the look.

Although none of the kits are a straight bolt-on proposition, the step-by-step photo gallery and instructions found here, should help make it a fairly simple process. The main intake package starts at $595 with everything else optional. Real salvaged Lamborghini parts can be used or you can stick with a partial LS1 stock setup if you don't expect many of the onlookers to actually count the plugs or exhaust pipes. Either way, it sounds like a must-have kit for the person who has already begun the process and a nice way to get your car in on the Halloween holiday.

[Source: Kit Car Magazine via Winding Road]

This, um, unique Ferrari F40-inspired vehicle is apparently based on a 1980 Suzuki 100gx (with a Ford Escort engine). The mini supercar is currently up for bids on the Dutch auction site Markplaats.nl, where the high bid at this writing is €1,001 ($1,276). Before and after pics follow the jump!

[via autoblog.nl]