Any Safety Inspectors Here or Vehicle Law Know-It-Alls?

[EROK81?]

I am building a car similar to this...

Mine will have regular tires, fenders (I can't figure out how to get away with no fender, which sucks :-\), and is it a bit higher - meets the 3" minimum by a couple inches. I'll throw some bumpers on as well for the inspection. It also has a trimmed DOT windshield.

My question is, if you are a safety inspector, would this pass? I've read the inspection manual and everything I can find about Utah's vehicle laws, and don't see anything with the car that would make it not pass/illegal.

I figure you guys might know something I don't when it comes to laws like this. The car is/was a 1960 Beetle. It's about 60% done and can post pics if you guys want.

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. I've got a few other things I've done in order to make it appear legal.

Edit...my chop isn't that extreme. The WS is a couple inches taller than a beer can.

 

[EROK81?]

I don't know if this pic will work, but here is another shot.

 

[Rusted]

It's about 60% done and can post pics if you guys want.

Posting photos is a requirement

 

[Jesser04]

I do not have an answer to your questions but if it looks anything like that post some pics

 

[EROK81?]

These are from a few months ago. It's bit further along now and a bit lower. Well, I'm throwing in some in progress ones as well.

This is a good one.

Yeah I know in this one everything is crooked and ugly, but I wanted to see what I would look like with tires, so I mocked the whole thing up. The tires are 31's here but I'll probably end up with 33's when it's done.

 

[Rusted]

If I read this right......

You qualify to be registered as a "vintage vehicle" since you are older than 40 years

http://www.livepublish.le.state.ut....574.htm?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0

And vintage vehicles are exempt from the fender, mud flaps law

http://www.livepublish.le.state.ut....479.htm?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0


don't get too excited. I am asking more than saying since I am not sure on this. But what am I missing?


Also there is a "Special interest vehicle" that may have different options, see 56a

http://www.livepublish.le.state.ut....020.htm?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0

 

[EROK81?]

If I read this right......

You qualify to be registered as a "vintage vehicle" since you are older than 40 years

http://www.livepublish.le.state.ut....574.htm?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0

And vintage vehicles are exempt from the fender, mud flaps law

http://www.livepublish.le.state.ut....479.htm?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0


don't get too excited. I am asking more than saying since I am not sure on this. But what am I missing?


Also there is a "Special interest vehicle" that may have different options, see 56a

http://www.livepublish.le.state.ut....020.htm?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0

I'm probably blind, but from that link and what I've read before, to run no mud flaps/fenders/vintage it has to be pre-'35?

That special interest vehicle looks promising though.

 

[Greg]

That's way cool, I love the ratrod bugs... the deep chop is badass. Are you going to get a drop axle for the front?

I'd consider building a chopped Bug...

 

[EROK81?]

That's way cool, I love the ratrod bugs... the deep chop is badass. Are you going to get a drop axle for the front? I'd consider building one...

Mine's chopped and sectioned - around 12" total.

Nah, I'm keeping the stock linkpin front end and just flipped the trailing arms forward.

 

[EROK81?]

Oh and last time I measured from the ground to highest point of the roof it's about 36" tall.

 

[Kiel]

yeah the last time I looked it up and asked an officer, they said if you did register it as a vinatge car, you could get away with no fenders, but they didn't want to see you driving it everyday

 

[Greg]

Mine's chopped and sectioned - around 12" total.

Nah, I'm keeping the stock linkpin front end and just flipped the trailing arms forward.

How difficult was the chopping & sectioning? I've never gone that far into sheetmetal work, did you just figure it out or do lots of reading to learn how?

I've seen that Speedway sells a Bug front axle kit, didn't know you could just flip the trailing arms... Man... you got me thinking.

 

[EROK81?]

That's way cool, I love the ratrod bugs... the deep chop is badass. Are you going to get a drop axle for the front? I'd consider building one...

After seeing the way you are painting your car, I might steal the idea..if you don't mind. I was going to go with a flat white or cream color on mine, I don't know what underneath color would be though.

I really wanted to build an american one like yours, but figured since I had the Beetle, I might as well use it.

 

[Brett]

How difficult was the chopping & sectioning? I've never gone that far into sheetmetal work, did you just figure it out or do lots of reading to learn how?

I've seen that Speedway sells a Bug front axle kit, didn't know you could just flip the trailing arms... Man... you got me thinking.

Greg's thinking of another project

 

[Rusted]

Yeah I am not sure how they read that.

2Bi was made in America prior to 1935;
2bii is registered as a vintage vehicle; or
2biii is a replica vehicle as defined under Section 41-6a-1507


So does that mean it has to be older than 1935 OR vintage/replica

 

[EROK81?]

How difficult was the chopping & sectioning? I've never gone that far into sheetmetal work, did you just figure it out or do lots of reading to learn how?

I've seen that Speedway sells a Bug front axle kit, didn't know you could just flip the trailing arms... Man... you got me thinking.

Well....I hate to say this, but I've never done any sort of body work until this.

Now that I've done it, there would be a few things I'd differently. Before this I only had experience with suspension and cutting bodies apart, not putting them back together. If you are fairly mechanically inclined, it's not that hard to do.

I don't really like those Speedway kits, I think the flipped arms look 10x better.

 

[EROK81?]

Yeah I am not sure how they read that.

2Bi was made in America prior to 1935;
2bii is registered as a vintage vehicle; or
2biii is a replica vehicle as defined under Section 41-6a-1507


So does that mean it has to be older than 1935 OR vintage/replica

No clue. That's why I stopped reading about vintage a while back because I figured mine wasn't old enough.

 

[Greg]

After seeing the way you are painting your car, I might steal the idea..if you don't mind. I was going to go with a flat white or cream color on mine, I don't know what underneath color would be though.

I really wanted to build an american one like yours, but figured since I had the Beetle, I might as well use it.

Have at it, I stole the paint idea from someone else! The American car w/ a V8 is going to be fun for sure, but I like the idea of a Bug too. My wife loves VW Bugs but she wants some restored Super Beetle or something... She hates the ratrod Bugs.

Greg's thinking of another project

Yeah, after the current 2 projects are done... :-\ I have a sickness.

 

[Brett]

My wife loves VW Bugs but she wants some restored Super Beetle or something... She hates the ratrod Bugs.

This calls for the Captain to post the before pics of this Bug haha

 

[EROK81?]

Have at it, I stole the paint idea from someone else! The American car w/ a V8 is going to be fun for sure, but I like the idea of a Bug too. My wife loves VW Bugs but she wants some restored Super Beetle or something... She hates the ratrod Bugs.




Yeah, after the current 2 projects are done... :-\ I have a sickness.

You need to convince her to do a pre-65 beetle. Stay away from Super Beetles. So ugly.

There are a lot of people that hate ratrod bugs. I get a lot of hate for chopping this up.

I don't really have any good pics on this computer.

And it is sooo hard to stick to one project. I have about 6-7 brewing that I would love to buy/get started on.