THSCC Forums

When gutting a car, does anyone know what has to be left in the interior to keep it street legal so it passes inspection? (Keeping in mind this is for Rallycross, not Track use)

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Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra

I think just a speedometer and controls for the turn signals/horn/etc.

--Kevin H.

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2003 WRX (again!)

What about seats/ seatbelts & a steering wheel?





I'd just ask the guys at the inspection station you go to, or look at the checklist from your last inspection & make sure everything on it can be checked off.

Gotta have a rearview mirror!! Couldn't get the truck inspected earlier this year b/c it was hanging from the light cord!! I just don't know how strong I really am!

As a state inspector I should know.
You need:
Seat belts if originally equipped
Inside mirror
Turn signal switch idicators not needed.
Steering wheel
Horn that works. It does not have to be on the wheel
Headlight switch, dimmer switch and highbeam indicator light
Parking brake
Windshield wipers
Outside mirror on driver's side
Windows on side and rear are not required
A windshield is only required because the wipers do not work well without one.
A drivers seat is required.
An odometer is also highly suggested.
Instrumentation is not part of the inspection.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Picture of how little is in my rally car (which does pass inspection)

http://linaracing.com/pics/eventdetail.cfm?year=2003&event=Prep%20Work

Belts for all seats.
Yes, a rear view mirror.
Odometer.
Parking brake.
Signalling/light controls.

If you've seen my car, it's completely stripped with no dash. So you don't need much.

Cheers,
Anders

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Lina Racing: As Seen On Radio

The DMV laws for inspections are posted online. I've seen them before but I don't remember the link and am too busy to look it up right now. I know Anders has the link. (or maybe I dreamed that)

Couple things I'll contribute-- as far as an actual inspection goes, you don't even need a drivers seat, windshield, OR seat belts.. Kinda crazy, but by the letter of the DMV law, those items are un-fail-able at an inspection station... of course, if you got pulled over 1/4 mile down the street from the inspection station, you'd still be in bit of trouble

Adam,
In inspection school we are taught that the wipers must clean the winshield. So if you have no windshield your car will flunk for bad wipers. This is from the inspectors training manual. We are also instructed to fail a car for no seatbelts if it is after a 1968 model.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Well, I did just re-new my inspection license, and the no windshield thing came up. We were told to let it go, and let the DMV handle it. As far as the seat belts, what are you actually failing the car for? If its on the list, I'd fail it in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, theres only a limited amount of items we can "select" from

In the class I went to the instructor brought up the wiper test. The glass company I also work for had to fabricate a windshield for a dune buggy that a customer wanted to road license. He was told by DMV inspector dealing with his car that he had to have a windshield. This was a couple of years ago. I will still flunk you if your wipers don't clean properly.

Also if you have no windshield where are you going to put the sticker since DMV states to put it in the lower corner of the windshield?

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Haha, funny you mention that... if no windshield, the sticker has to go on the farthest forward point on the drivers fender!! NC is ridiculous...

There is a slight problem with putting the sticker on the fender. Car stickers are sticky on the face side and therefore you could not read the sticker if it was placed face down on the fender. But motorcycle stickers are sticky on the back side.


No body ever said that NC laws made sense.

BTW I called the DMV inspector for my shop and he said to flunk a car without a windshield for wipers.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

inspection laws are a farce....The whole idea is off base. You simply cannot use the current system to make sure that cars are safe or meeting emissions standards. The inspection people are stuck to the book and the book is arbitrary and worthless.
Any DMV officer could remove a hard to find line and send a car through the process just to see if it passes.....likely it would go unnoticed and the station could loose it's inspection license....
on the other hand...the whole process makes no attempt to actually check the condition of the emissions systems..other than visual external condition.
The sniffer test does not test the systems for cold start, canister purge, deceleration, or WOT, conditions. They do not pressure check the fuel tank, test the CATs, or check the operation of the crankcase evacuation systems. If a car fails to pass the siffer test it may have more to do with improper tuning or fuel additives than emissions systems under most conditions. Of course there are plenty of vehicles with malfunctioning emissions systems that will pass the sniffer test in spades.

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Paint don't make it go any faster.

Probably part of the reasoning that NC now does a OBD-II test for vehicles so equipped. More things get "checked" than a simple tail pipe test would show. Of course, the EPA drives the requirements ...

Frank