A good friend at work just purchased a home built "Ariel Atom" inspired frame. It has no vins and he is importing it as an "OFFROAD USE ONLY" vehicle which appears to be the easiest way according to Customs Officials. Once here he plans on modifying it to suit government safety regulations and applying for a VIN as a home built car. Has anyone ever heard of someone doing this before. We have found some provincial regulations about vehicle construction that should be easy to meet. When searching national laws and rules they all refer to purchasing and importing "kits" that include the chassis (which seem to be near impossible to register). This will be a home built car (even if we didn't build the chassis). I heard of a guy in southern ontario that built a Triumph TR3 copy from scratch and he got his road legal. I'm curious about bumper standards and windshield standards as those regulations are redirected by New Brunswicks laws to the National laws. Unfortunately the Governments law only states the car must have the oem bumper. That obviously gives us no direction. Hopefully you guys might have some input. New Brunswick seems to be more difficult to pass inspection than in Ontario (where I used to live).

Here in Ontario, it used to be with kits (its been a few years since I looked into the regs) that they carried the VIN of the doner chasis. In cases where one car is built out of multiple chasis (such as welding 2 1/2's together, it carried the VIN of the car the "majority" of the final vehical came-from. I know cars that are completley scratch-built CAN be made street-legal, but never really lookied into that area.

Reality is, there are a LOT of street rods and other custom cars running around with a "VIN of convienience"....the builder already had a saftied and registered car when the project was started, and built one car out of 3 or 4 or 5 so that VIN stuck with the project simply to avoid the expense and hassle of a new inspection and registration no mater what chasis ended up being the one to be built on.....but that would be a real trick to pull off for something like an Atom.

Transport Canada has all Canadian federal vehical standards, and those are the minimum to meet.

Thats the problem with New Brunswick. Every car must pass a $25 safety inspection every year before the plates can be renewed. At least there aren't any emissions tests here.

It's pretty straight forward over here, seeing as one corporation has all the power over such things in this province, but you'll have to find out what your province demands. Here, they're all saftey-related things, like stopping distance, lights, seat-belts, etc.

It is actually pretty easy in Ontario. Forget where the frame came from and just say the whole thing was home-built. A VIN will be assigned when it is registered. Even kitcars will have a VIN assigned (done this twice). None of the Federal standards have to be met with a home-built or kitcar, so you don't have to worry about proper bumpers or crash standards. You are registering it in a Province and you only have to meet those regs. Basically it is the same Safety check that any car that you are buying or selling has to meet (lights, horn, proper exhaust, no loose steering components...etc).

Rick

where did he buy the frame, would save me a lot of welding

dan

It was a one off from a hobbyist who couldn't finish what he started due to financial reasons. We're mechanical engineers, so we're looking to make a custom cbr based flat 8 for it. Maybe turbo it and maybe a subaru based was system. Should be fun. Might take a few years to finish. We'd like to start making our own kits one day if there is interest.

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: It is actually pretty easy in Ontario. Forget where the frame came from and just say the whole thing was home-built. A VIN will be assigned when it is registered. Even kitcars will have a VIN assigned (done this twice). None of the Federal standards have to be met with a home-built or kitcar, so you don't have to worry about proper bumpers or crash standards. You are registering it in a Province and you only have to meet those regs. Basically it is the same Safety check that any car that you are buying or selling has to meet (lights, horn, proper exhaust, no loose steering components...etc). Rick

Your in Bolton?....I am sitting about 12 minutes away from you just outside of town. Swing by for a coffee anytime !....check your P-M's

Mike

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: It is actually pretty easy in Ontario. Forget where the frame came from and just say the whole thing was home-built. A VIN will be assigned when it is registered. Even kitcars will have a VIN assigned (done this twice). None of the Federal standards have to be met with a home-built or kitcar, so you don't have to worry about proper bumpers or crash standards. You are registering it in a Province and you only have to meet those regs. Basically it is the same Safety check that any car that you are buying or selling has to meet (lights, horn, proper exhaust, no loose steering components...etc). Rick

or buy the cheapest car you can find, take some parts off it to make it a 'legit' donor and use its VIN

I wish it was that easy in New Brunswick. Does anyone live somewhere where any highly customized vehicles need to be stamped and approved by a government approved automotive engineer. I almost want I move back to Ontario because the rules here are BS. There are only 2 Guys in the whole province who are able to legalize these customs. I've heard they even go after lifted 4X4. Talk about taking all the fun out of being a gear head.

Get yourself a P.O. box here as a legal address, register and insure it here via that addy, then just drive it there on Ontario plates !!

Simple, (for 500 bucks a year p.o. box rental fee)

<edit>

Actually, I was being a smart azz, but thinking on it, it might just be legal so long as you visit Ontario every "X" period in it and stay for "x" period of time.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 03-09-2012).]