Why are 98 355 challenge not street legal? | FerrariChat
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Why are 98 355 challenge not street legal?

Discussion in 'Challenge/GT Cars/Track' started by m80hot, Nov 6, 2014.

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  1. m80hot

    m80hot Formula Junior

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    #1 m80hot, Nov 6, 2014
    I know we have discussed this on many threads but would be good to finally capture in one place the definitive answer?
     
  2. m80hot

    m80hot Formula Junior

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    #2 m80hot, Nov 6, 2014
    1) is it vin?
    2) is it obd1 ?
    3) is it emitions ?
    4) is it crash testing certification ?
     
  3. Andi355

    Andi355 Formula Junior
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    #3 Andi355, Nov 6, 2014
    All 355 Challenge car have 2.7 Motronic OBD I .

    Mid of 1996 emission standard changed from OBD I to OBD II (5.2 Motronic).

    If you want to make a factory challenge car street legal (Mid 1996+) you
    first have to change everything from 2.7 to 5.2 (Motronic, Intake, Exhaustsystem.....)

    I think not possible nowadays with the strict rules.........
     
  4. Ira Schwartz

    Ira Schwartz Formula 3
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    #4 Ira Schwartz, Nov 6, 2014
    Even earlier cars have issues. In the US there are 50 different sets of laws on what equipment a street-legal car must (and must not) have, plus federal EPA and DOT rules. That's why, aside from emissions, VINs, etc., few places will issue tags for a car without an exhaust, or with a roll-cage or 5-6 point harnesses, etc.
    Even if you do get a license tag, that does not necessarily mean the car may be legally driven on the street, as even in States without safety inspections (that would rule out race-equipped cars) various local laws require specified street equipment that race cars typically lack, and forbid equipment they typically have.
     
  5. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #5 Rifledriver, Nov 6, 2014
    Not to mention they were imported under an exemption from US Customs stating they did not comply with various laws and would never be registered and used as street cars.
    Failing to comply would subject the car to seizure and deportation unless a mountain of paperwork was taken care of.


    Far easier to modify a standard 355.
     
  6. m80hot

    m80hot Formula Junior

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    #6 m80hot, Nov 7, 2014
    great, so I want this thread to be a record of fact, not just opinions and hear say

    1) OBD1

    so all cars are OBD1 then?

    and in the states any car registered after 95, must have obd2
    or any car manufactured ?

    what happens if you build a car must you add obd2?
     
  7. Andi355

    Andi355 Formula Junior
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    #7 Andi355, Nov 7, 2014
    if you built a car with OBDII, its then a "new" car. This new
    car must have all security Systems like new car must have....ESP.....Forget it!
     
  8. m80hot

    m80hot Formula Junior

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    #8 m80hot, Nov 7, 2014
    so I have a uk street legal 98 car .. so I am fine.

    however a lot of 'myth' gets talked about on threads so just trying to get to the definitive answer

    (btw, I was told on a number of occasions I could not register mine, vin is wrong etc)
     
  9. m80hot

    m80hot Formula Junior

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    #9 m80hot, Nov 7, 2014
    I suppose what I am probing is ... are the us laws so tight that you cant have a car newer than 95 ... AT ALL ... that doesn't have odbII?

    no exceptions.

    is it the year of manufacture that ties it to the legislation?
     
  10. m80hot

    m80hot Formula Junior

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    #10 m80hot, Nov 7, 2014
    second question

    2) Vin ?

    I have read on here that the US vins are not standard us car vins ....

    my 98 car is definitely a UK vin no difference (mine is a full factory car, one of the 3 RHD factory cars)
     
  11. wrxmike

    wrxmike Moderator
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    #11 wrxmike, Nov 7, 2014

    Street legal where ?
    UK
    USA
    EU
    Australia

    I don't think there is a definitive answer, It varies from country to country, and even how a specifc car was built for Challenge use ( and in the case of Australia , how it was imported - a car that was brought it as a race car (tax exempt) can never be registered as a road car in Australia, ever.

    Quite a few Challenge cars ( more than 50% ) where built up using the factory conversion kit, they would be good candidates for road car conversion as that's how they began life in the first place.
     

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