New Law for Restoration of old cars

[aussiemuscle]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/21/classic-recreations-spurs-creation-of-new-law-to-help-restorers/

Classic Recreations spurs creation of new law to help restorers of vintage cars
by Drew Phillips (RSS feed) on Mar 21st 2011 at 9:33AM
*click link for image of beautiful Classic Recreations Shelby GT500CR


Last summer, Classic Recreations, the builder of the Shelby-licensed GT500CR, was accused of VIN fraud and was under investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Fortunately, unlike a previous company associated with continuation Shelby Mustangs, Classic Recreations was absolved of all wrongdoing, although at the time, the methods of restoring classic cars with new parts were still a gray area.

While Classic Recreations may have had to deal with bad PR and worried customers, the whole fiasco has actually led to something that will benefit many of the restoration shops throughout Oklahoma. A bill unanimously passed in the state legislature earlier this month, SB 38, now clearly sets guidelines for the restoration of classic cars with new or aftermarket parts. A company can now use new body panels if:

    * Starter car must have a clean title, not a salvage
    * Replacement panels and/or body must be licensed by the OEM manufacturer
    * Replacement body must be the same as the original body (year/make/model)
    * Builder will have to pay "rebody" fee
    * They will be issued a new title with an asterisk and the word "rebody" on it


The new law seems to be a good compromise that allows for the clearly defined use of new parts while maintaining the spirit (and legality) of the original car.

[HANDM]

Sounds reasonable........for a "law"

[hemigeno]

So if you put AMD quarterpanels on your Charger, it's then considered a "rebody" by the state of Oklahoma?

[defiance]

The way I read it, this is only a clarification to law around moving VIN plates to a new body in the process of restoration.  And I agree - it sounds like a great compromise.  Allows for the "TRUE" surviving rare cars to retain their differentiated (higher) value, but doesn't force the ultra-rare car that's been damaged beyond repair into the grave. 

[Troy]

It sounded to me like it was dealing with mostly with replacing a large chunk of the car with a repro (not VIN stamped) body shell.

However, what happens when you sell it to another state? Does the "rebody" label disappear (effectively "washing" the title) or will other states refuse to title it?

Troy

[Vainglory, Esq.]

My (amateur) understanding of this is that states will title a car that has a valid title in another state.  If their title laws don't provide for brands like "rebody," it will just be dropped.  However, many of these records are searchable, and an Oklahoma rebody title could be found by a diligent buyer.