nick47 wrote:
Yes, according to the five clerks and two supervisors at the two DMV offices I visited. That was a very frustrating day. I just about pleaded with them to call Sacramento and get me a certificate, but they refused. They insisted the CHP would have to assign a VIN before I could get a certificate. I'm not sure the car needs to be complete, but you definitely need the major components on it so the CHP can determine that you didn't steal anything.
I gave up, and just decided to register my car as a '72. I still have the smog gear, and after the initial inspection it won't need to be smogged again. If I had a later engine, I'd wait until next year to get that certificate.
I am trying to understand what you are planning to do. Are you saying that you are going to register your car as '72 production Lotus 7 (assuming a Locost) rather than a SPCNS? In other words a restored vehicle?
If you are going to use the engine as a means to date the car, from everything that I have read the process is exactly the same except the referee station will look at the engine year it resembles rather than the body/chassis.
Tony
Tony