Difool

Slippery slope turning into a precipitous fall towards poverty! I'm looking at a dedicated track car and am learning all kinds of new things that I never thought about before. Today's question is about DMV registration and title ownership. For the car in question is a fresh build from a prior street car that is titled. The car is fully caged and most likely will never be inspected again. I've read some past theirs and blogs and will be calling both AAA and my insurance agent, but I was curious what folks here do, especially those that attend events up in Canada, where you have to tow through border control both directions. I know many people just take ownership and brought a bill of sale and then trailer their property around. I haven't found MA to be very relaxed about that kind of thing. Any experiences or wisdom around taking the title, registering the vehicle as non-operational (a term that I think mostly applies to CA motor law, couldn't find any such thing in MA) and then even insuring it through regular insurance for comp? Anything I should consider?

(And OT already, any leads on a good aluminum open trailer in New England would be appreciated by me, and not by my doomed bank account)

Frank 993 C4S

It really depends what you want to achieve and what you want to prevent. As long as your seller gives you a signed title and a bill of sale, that's your proof of ownership. I see people go up to Canada with that plus a PCA logbook all the time. In order to properly insure the car when you are not driving it on a racetrack, get storage paddock and transit insurance on an agreed value basis from somebody like Lockton. http://locktonmotorsports.com/insurance. This is "the easy way"

If you want a title in your name, go to the local DMV, pay your sales tax and provide proof of insurance. Keep in mind that most car insurance companies do not provide insurance, whether comprehensive or otherwise for cars that have been modified and are no longer legal for road use. Then there is always the requirement for your SAFETY AND EMISSIONS inspection that comes automatic once your car is registered with the DMV. Not sure what your requirements are in MA. This is "the hard way"

Aluminum trailers are strange to buy. In the Spring, they are rarer than hens teeth and for the rest of the year, they can be found but not necessarily in your area. Check on RL daily - they do come up frequently for sale.

linzman

Here's one.

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...=922809&page=1

DTMiller

What I did in PA -- called my insurance agent, got insurance, took the proof of insurance, title and bill of sale to DMV, got car registered in my name. Dropped original insurance, picked up a storage, transport and paddock policy from Hagerty that allows minimal street driving.

Never got car inspected. Continue to register the car in PA each year. There is no automated connection between vehicle registrations and the inspection process in PA, so there isn't anything that prevents me from registering it every year even though it isn't inspected. If I wanted to save the $36/year I could just unregister it but having a valid plate seems simpler for the two times a year I need to street drive it. No idea how it works in MA so this approach might not work for you.

But, once you have title in your hands, if you never intend to drive it on the street, does it matter if it is registered/inspected?

edit to add: if the car has a salvage or rebuilt title as many track cars do, you have separate hurdles you may have to overcome

Gary R.

Just buy this, register the trailer and go to the track (assuming you have an SUV/Truck to move it with)!
https://rennlist.com/forums/racing-a...-for-both.html

ninjabones

Just another piece of information to consider. I've been a long-time (20+ year) customer of USAA (auto, home, life, etc). Several years ago they inquired about a car that I had elected to no longer insure (car had evolved from DE/street car to full race car), and I disclosed to them that the car was no longer street legal and did not need road insurance any more.

Holy crap did that open up a can of worms. Fortunately, my life insurance policy was acquired well before I ever stepped onto a race track (so they didn't touch that).. but they would not cover the car under my homeowner's policy; they cancelled my umbrella policy (as they require all vehicles in a household be insured by them). I would never recommend misrepresenting facts (and I would have been far better off just telling them that I had sold the car); but I would be cautious in your communications with your insurance carrier.

LuigiVampa

+1

Insurance companies are not your friend. They want the premium for the least amount of risk possible.

Getting back to the OP - why would you want to register your track dedicated car? If you have a title and bill of sale that negates any potential ownership problems.

My dedicated track car doesn't even have a title. I'm not concerned. I know the last two previous owners - are they going to try to claim its still theirs? No!

I also have a DE car with a half cage. That car is registered and insured because I use it to drive around town and have fun. If it were a full cage car I probably would have sold it. Caged cars without a helmet is dangerous.

Difool

Thanks for the Intel, everyone. Also, that was fast. I'm hooked up with a trailer now. Cheers!

I don't WANT to register the dedicated track car, I just wasn't sure whether I was obligated to. Again, a bit new to this world. Happy to see that isn't needed. Definitely am not planning on driving it around town.

Oh, and Gary, the roof rack I bought from you worked great, with a rhino rack attached to it. Got me down to VIR and back with a full set of track tires. But now that I've gone this route I have a bolted-together and rather slick wheel carrier up for grabs.

rbahr

Hi Difool,

I also live in MA, with a GT3 that has a 'few' mods, that still has a plate and registration. I tow it to Canada fairly often (have at least 2 trips this year). I have yet to have a problem in either MA or crossing the border. I do get proof of insurance (just a card) from my insurance co that I bring with me, as well as the reg to the GT3.

Feel free to contact me off line if you have other questions.

I also use Lockerton (sp?) insurance to cover the time on the track, the other insurance covers everything else. That said, for Lockerton to cover a Canadian event, you need their 6 pack setup (6 events), single event and 3 pack do not cover it...

Ray - who will NEVER volunteer anything to insurance companies unless necessary

brownan

Dedicated trailered track car doesn't need to be registered with the DMV. I have the title for mine in case I happen to sell it at some point but beyond that I have Lockton insurance for fire/theft/destruction while not on the racing surface. Their policies are good and they're easy to deal with.

DTMiller

Is the title in your name or do you have the title from the prior owner signed over to you?

linzman

I owned my car for about 2 years before finally taking the title to the DMV and getting it titled in my name. It's a 968 with high miles, so it didn't cost much. Still not registered. I know of other cars that have gone through 3 sales and the first owners name is still on title. Only issue I see is if some future buyer is uncomfortable with this. True factory race cars that were never street legal can't even be titled.

AlD

A few additional thoughts

1) every state has different laws, so make sure whatever you do, it's consistent with your state

2) generally (refer to #1 above), if you permanently convert a vehicle to non-road use, as long as you have proof of ownership (title, MSO, bill of sale, whatever) it's yours to do as you please

3) if your insurance company gives you the runaround, I'd look for a different company, or a knowledgable agent. My insurance (AIG) provides all our home, auto, liability, flood, et al - plus we have 3 race cars on the policy (essentially STP coverage) and I actually have on-track damage coverage. Both the company and AIG are well versed in "track cars", in fact my agent shares a garage space with me for our race cars. Get someone who "gets it". If you'd like a reference in MA, contact HWI Motorsport in Southborough. AIG is great, but expensive.

4) I used to have a wildly modified 911 that was a race car; it did have a 1976 930 VIN, so I was able to register it as a classic. Plate and all, insured for the street. It did have working lights, turn signals and a (canned) air horn. If the car was not ID'd as a "classic", NFW it would have been allowed. Again, see point #1 above. I did it only to be able to move the car between our storage and my house without having to hitch the trailer. With my current cars, I cannot do it anymore.

5) for Canada, it helps to have all your paperwork in order, including a manifest of what you have on the trailer (if towing). Just be sure to bring out everything you bring in, more or less. We bring cars up to Canada multiple times a year, no sweat. If you're a commercial player (i.e running a shop), the paperwork and bonds are more complex, but as a private/recreational owner, no issues.

mbean

You might check out an "antique" registration. Maine allows this for vehicles over 25 years of age, and they don't require an inspection, so emissions and other things never get checked. Be careful with your insurance, and don't drive on the road without it. Ours has a full cage but the only reason we register it is to drive it a few miles (slowly!) before each DE to make sure it's good to go. We had proof of ownership and an insurance card from our insurer to go across to LCMT, as we had been advised to do so by friends. It was never asked for, but of course they never ask if you have it! Full cage so always wear a helmet! I would avoid registering it if possible.