After Rebuilding Parts of A Charger?

[MoparManJim]

Okay, I'm not sure where to post this topice at. So mods please move it if it needs moved. 

I been watching some of you work on your chargers and dang nearly rebuild the whole back parts of the cars to new and cutting out all the bad rusted out areas. I had a thought cross my mind over a week ago and I capt for getting to ask it here. 

After you rebuild the back ends with all new stuff, how hard is it to get the charger inspected (inspection)? The reason why I ask is I'm kinda in the same boat myself.

[BlueSS454]

How do you mean inspected?  None of my historic registered cars require a state inspection.  This is for New Jersey also.  Can you expand on what exactly you mean?

[MoparManJim]

How do you mean inspected?  None of my historic registered cars require a state inspection.  This is for New Jersey also.  Can you expand on what exactly you mean?

I meant inspection after you do all the hard repairs on the charger. I keep hearing different things about it. 

[Silver R/T]

You don't need any inspection. You are not doing a rebuild/salvage car

[MoparManJim]

Around here, you need to have a sticker on a car or you can't drive it on the open road. To get a sticker you have to take it to a garage to get the car inspected. I was just wondering before, sence alot of us guys are doing frame repairs and removing all the rust, what they would say about the car having been repaired is all. To get the sticker you need to have insur on the car to get the tags to get the sticker to drive the car on the road. 

I was just wondering the steps on how you all do it when you guys do a heck of a frame repair on these old cars. I want to drive mine this year buso thats why I'm asking now for 

[FLG]

You mean emmision or safety inspection??

With our old cars they do no emmission test, just safety (headlights, turn signals...ect)

There is no inspection for the repairs, its not a salvage.

[MoparManJim]

You mean emmision or safety inspection??

With our old cars they do no emmission test, just safety (headlights, turn signals...ect)

There is no inspection for the repairs, its not a salvage.

Sorry, i should have mention what kine  I was talking about before, my bad on that.

Sticker Inspection, and Safty Inspection. Aren't they the same?

[Chris]

In most states once a vehicle turns 25 years old you can register the vehicle Antique, once it is registered Antique you never have to get the vehicle inspected again.

[MoparManJim]

In most states once a vehicle turns 25 years old you can register the vehicle Antique, once it is registered Antique you never have to get the vehicle inspected again.

Very true there, but I plan on useing mine as a daily driver though. Would that apply to that or not? I know how new cars are but not about old cars though. 

[dodgecharger-fan]

We need safety inspections done here in Ontario, Canada as well.

If anything, the repairs are going to help... if they are done right.

I'm no expert, but I know some of the things that they check for are things like holes in the body that could let exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment; sagging frame rails; worn out suspension components; brakes; lights; wipers; operating seat belts; etc..

I don't think they care what it looks like or how it was fixed as long as it is a permanent fix and the results are a safe car that operates properly and won't toss parts as it rolls down the street.

They want to make sure it is safe to drive - not just for the person driving it or their passengers, but for other people on the road and pedestrians on the sidewalk.

[69charger2002]

inspection places here only chck for signals, blinkers, lights, horn etc.. safety features. no one i've ever seen in this state anyway crawls around to check the frame or repair work. that is when you get a state inspection on a salvage/rebuilt vehicle, which does not apply to cars with clear titles, regardless if you "rebuilt" them or not
trav

[Ghoste]

I'd be frightened of any inspection station that felt it was preferable to have badly rusted sheet metal and frame structures on a car as opposed to correctly repaired ones.

[Chatt69chgr]

My friend told me that in Pennsylvania, they won't pass a car (or truck) that has a hole in the body.  His dad ran into this with his farm truck.  He promptly took the truck home and pop riveted a piece of sheet metal over the hole.  Voila, next trip to inspection station, it passed.  Kind of stupid if you think about it since the sheet metal was probably more dangerous than the hole.  I imagine that rule was mandated by lobbists representing body shops.  In a way, I am kind of surprised that you can build a car up from scratch, like a street rod, and get a tag for it.  That vehicle has not ever been tested for safety or road worthiness.

[MoparManJim]

My friend told me that in Pennsylvania, they won't pass a car (or truck) that has a hole in the body.  His dad ran into this with his farm truck.  He promptly took the truck home and pop riveted a piece of sheet metal over the hole.  Voila, next trip to inspection station, it passed.  Kind of stupid if you think about it since the sheet metal was probably more dangerous than the hole.  I imagine that rule was mandated by lobbists representing body shops.  In a way, I am kind of surprised that you can build a car up from scratch, like a street rod, and get a tag for it.  That vehicle has not ever been tested for safety or road worthiness.

That's one of the reason's I'm asking is because I'm in PA, and I know how the new car stuff works but not how the stuff works with the old cars though. 

This info that you all are saying is really helping me to get the know how on the stuff right now. My car doesn't have a salvage title or anything but a clear title. Like I said I keep hearing this and that from different folks around town and it has me confuse anymore on what to think. 

[WingCharger]

In most states once a vehicle turns 25 years old you can register the vehicle Antique, once it is registered Antique you never have to get the vehicle inspected again.

Very true there, but I plan on useing mine as a daily driver though. Would that apply to that or not? I know how new cars are but not about old cars though. 

In Ohio, if a car is registered Antique, it can only be driven for shows and parades.

[FLG]

Wing,

I think half of our cars on here are registered historical...the historical police arent gonna arrest you if your decide to take it out whenever you want.

Some isurance companies have milage limits, but thankfully im with one of them that dosnt really check it.

[Mike DC]

You just need to source a good rear subframe and swap the whole thing.  (Like out of any '66-70 b-body. Even a 4dr works.)  You re-skin the subframe's rails like in a normal trunkfloor job. 

It's just a great big piece of "bodywork."  Like a glorified quarter panel job.  The govt judges the identity of a certain car mostly in terms of the front half of the body and the drivetrain.  Swapping a whole subframe sounds big but it's a normal part of the Mopar hobby these days. 

[MoparManJim]

You just need to source a good rear subframe and swap the whole thing.  (Like out of any '66-70 b-body. Even a 4dr works.)  You re-skin the subframe's rails like in a normal trunkfloor job. 

It's just a great big piece of "bodywork."  Like a glorified quarter panel job.  The govt judges the identity of a certain car mostly in terms of the front half of the body and the drivetrain.  Swapping a whole subframe sounds big but it's a normal part of the Mopar hobby these days. 

Well I don't have enough funds to find a car for parts, so I have to make due with what I have. I can do the repair work.. but I just need to know what they kinda look for and what won't work is all. 

[dodgecharger-fan]

I did some digging for ya.

From the Penn DOT site:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/vehicle_code/index.shtml

Chapter 47: Inspection of Vehicles


"(c) Safety inspection criteria for street rods.--The department, after consultation with the
National Street Rod Association and other interested groups, shall prescribe special inspection criteria
for vehicles registered as street rods. Vehicles registered as street rods will not be required to be
equipped with bumpers, fenders or engine coverage as originally manufactured. If the hood, top and
sides, or both, are removed from the vehicle, the engine fan must be enclosed with a shroud designed
to protect the fan from accidental contact from the outside.
(c.1) Safety inspection criteria for collectible motor vehicles.--The department shall
prescribe special inspection criteria for vehicles registered as collectible motor vehicles."

While searching for the "special inspection criteria" mentioned above, I found this.
Hmmm. This says you don't need an inspection certificate if you register it as a classic or antique..

2004 Amendment. Act 228 amended subsec. (a).
§ 4703. Operation of vehicle without official certificate of inspection.
(a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, no motor vehicle required to bear
current registration plates issued by this Commonwealth and no farm vehicle with a gross weight or
gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 17,000 pounds for which a Type I biennial certificate of
exemption has been issued shall be driven and no trailer required to bear current registration plates
issued by this Commonwealth shall be moved on a highway and no mass transit vehicle shall be
operated unless the vehicle displays a currently valid certificate of inspection issued under this
chapter.
(b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) does not apply to:
(1) Special mobile equipment.
(2) Implements of husbandry. 
(2.1) Registered commercial implement of husbandry with an implement of
husbandry body type.
(3) Motor vehicles being towed.
(4) Motor vehicles being operated or trailers being towed by an official inspection
station owner or employee for the purpose of inspection.
(5) Trailers having a registered gross weight of 3,000 pounds or less.
(5.1) A trailer or semitrailer with a gross weight or gross vehicle weight rating of
greater than 17,000 pounds displaying a currently valid Federal certificate of inspection.
(6) Motorized pedalcycles.
(7) Vehicles being repossessed by a financier or collector-repossessor business or
vehicles enroute to a wholesale vehicle auction by a transporter business using the appropriate
miscellaneous motor vehicle business registration plates.
(8 ) New vehicles while they are in the process of manufacture, including testing,
and not in transit from the manufacturer to a purchaser or dealer.
(9) Any military vehicle used for training by a private, nonprofit, tax exempt
military educational institution when such vehicle does not travel on public roads in excess of
one mile and the property on both sides of the public road is owned by the institution.
(10) A motor vehicle registered as an antique pursuant to section 1340 (relating to
antique, classic and collectible plates).
(11) A motor vehicle being operated by the vehicle owner while enroute to an
inspection station where an appointment for inspection has been scheduled, provided that such
operation occurs no later than ten days after the expiration of a valid certificate of inspection
issued under this chapter.
(12) (Deleted by amendment).
(13) New vehicles in the possession of a second-stage manufacturer which are in
transit:
(i) from a dealer or distributor for completion; or
(ii) to a dealer or distributor upon completion.



And this is kind of interesting:
From Chapter 41 Equipment standards

(d) Applicability to certain vehicles.--Vehicle equipment standards contained in this part or
promulgated by the department under the authority given in this part shall not apply to a motor vehicle
registered as an antique or classic vehicle containing equipment which meets the original
manufacturer's specifications.



I would definitely do some more reading on that site, and ASK the PA DOT what you need to do. They won't bite.

[BlueSS454]

In most states once a vehicle turns 25 years old you can register the vehicle Antique, once it is registered Antique you never have to get the vehicle inspected again.

Very true there, but I plan on useing mine as a daily driver though. Would that apply to that or not? I know how new cars are but not about old cars though. 

In Ohio, if a car is registered Antique, it can only be driven for shows and parades.

They say that in New Jersey too, but no one enforces it.

As far as registering the car normally and getting inspected.  They don't check for body repairs.  I do know that some states will fail a vehicle for safety inspection for large rotted out areas.  All they check for is that all the mechanical systems function as they should which include...

lights, horn, brakes, shocks, wipers, turn signals, emissions are in spec., there are no exhaust leaks, steering linkage & suspension, etc.

All of my old cars (2 Chevelles and the Charger) are registered historic and do not require a safety or emission inspection since they are classified limited use vehicles.

[KS71owner]

In most states once a vehicle turns 25 years old you can register the vehicle Antique, once it is registered Antique you never have to get the vehicle inspected again.

Yep, although I think in KS it's 35 years.

[MoparManJim]

Okay, the other question I had is, with you all doing welding on the frame rails like putting new ones in the rear of the car, what does the garages say about that kind of work whn they see it? Like I said,I been hearing different things about this stuff for the past few months now from family relatives. I'm starting to ask questions and get to the buttom of it some what. 

[BlueSS454]

Honestly, unless it's a really POOR repair, kinda like the BK Charger...they probably will never look for, at, or notice it.