We are relocating back to CT after many years and I'm trying to catch up with the laws. I have a '94 (OBD1 fwiw) track car that has no real stock interior, it's mostly gutted, a roll bar, two race seat shells and 6 point harnesses for each side. I also have taken the catalytic converters out and am running a "track pipe" from the header back. The car has out of state plates still valid through next year.

When I checked the requirements for registering a car in CT there seems to be an exception for a safety and (I think) EPA inspection for cars that are not typically driven on the highway. I don't plan to drive my car on the road except to and from the track. Would this qualify? Does anyone else out there have a similarly modified track car that is street legal? I would like to avoid having to trailer the car to the track for another year or so if I really can. By then it will be a Spec E36 car and the trailer will be a given.

where were you located before?

is your 3pt factory seat belt in place? thats the only safety thing i can see them nagging about, as a 6pt harness technically is ruled unsafe on public roads

as far as not having the cats...as long as you arent throwing any codes i think you should be ok...a friend of mine had a jetta w/ a cat delete and simulators and passed every time (owned it for a few years)...just go somewhere that isnt too strict, i can ask my friend if he knows any "easy" inspection places and shoot you a PM if you like

technically you should qualify for the exception rules, but im not really sure how that works

I'm pretty sure they will give you shit for not having cats.

Now if the car was over 25 years old you'd have no problem at all in CT.

We are relocating from Missouri, St. Louis area. We actually are coming back home after a 12 year pilgrimage.

The three point belts are long gone. I have the cats in the attic of my house in St. Louis. In MO you didn't have to pass an emmission test for a pre- 1996 car, but you had to have the emission control equipment in place. In other words as long as they saw cat converter housings you are ok.

I just got my license today at DMV and asked about the exemption for "rarely used on the highway" cars and got a look that apparently they could see very clearly that I had three heads and was speaking in tongues. I was told I have to pass emission testing.

We are relocating from Missouri, St. Louis area. We actually are coming back home after a 12 year pilgrimage.

The three point belts are long gone. I have the cats in the attic of my house in St. Louis. In MO you didn't have to pass an emmission test for a pre- 1996 car, but you had to have the emission control equipment in place. In other words as long as they saw cat converter housings you are ok.

I just got my license today at DMV and asked about the exemption for "rarely used on the highway" cars and got a look that apparently they could see very clearly that I had three heads and was speaking in tongues. I was told I have to pass emission testing.

I dont know what the DMV is like in Missouri, but in the Northeast all the workers are dumb as bricks. If something doesnt fit into their little cookie cutter forms that they deal with on a daily basis they wont know what to do.

Earlier this year they couldnt grasp the concept that my former car was no longer on the road and wouldnt take "No" as an answer for the yearly taxes. They actually threaten to suspend my license.

I dont know what the DMV is like in Missouri, but in the Northeast all the workers are dumb as bricks. If something doesnt fit into their little cookie cutter forms that they deal with on a daily basis they wont know what to do.

Earlier this year they couldnt grasp the concept that my former car was no longer on the road and wouldnt take "No" as an answer for the yearly taxes. They actually threaten to suspend my license.
They are all about the same, regardless of state. MD was the worst in my experience. You had to pass a two page fine print inspection to register a car from out of state. It was done by private garages and I called it the "Service Station Full Employment Act." Of course if you went to the right shop ...

I'm actually thinking I need to get a trailer and lose the plates. It would solve so many problems.

I'm actually thinking I need to get a trailer and lose the plates. It would solve so many problems.

Now that sounds like a plan the Great State of Connecticut can deal with!

Now that sounds like a plan the Great State of Connecticut can deal with!

Lance, I was wondering when you would surface!
Frankly, I'm not a big fan of pleasing "The Great State of " no matter which state it is. My next issue is going to be how to avoid paying property taxes on the car. The car is paid for (good thing too, I don't think a bank would want to deal with putting the interior, A/C, seats, etc back in) and I have a free and clear MO title. If I transfer the title I think that puts it on the town's grand list. It may not be for much money, but ... times are tough.