one of the joys of rebuilding or restoring a salvage car is finally getting to drive it on the open road. (It’s our favorite part of the entire process.) but unfortunately, you can’t just drive off the body shop lot into the sunset and take pleasure in your newly rebuilt vehicle. Instead, you have to get it appropriately inspected, change the title and (as with all cars) get it insured.
This is probably the least fun part of working on a salvage vehicle, but don’t worry—as part of our You gotten a Salvage Car! now What? series, we’re taking you through the process of getting your salvage automobile on the road and figuring out this whole “street legal” thing. Unfortunately, finishing your work on a fixer-upper salvage car doesn’t indicate you can drive it legally. You’ll still need that rebuilt title.
What is street Legal?
If this is your first salvage car, or you’re just used to driving your automobiles on private property, the term “street legal” may be a little confusing at first. Essentially, in buy to drive a car on public roads, it needs to meet some standardized criteria. (This is why we don’t see vehicles like golf carts on the highway.)
Since different states and countries have different laws, we’re going to look at some general guidelines for getting your salvage car on the road in the U.S. (If you’re not in the U.S., you can check out these resources for how to go about driving your salvage car in Canada and Europe. If you’re located elsewhere, your specific government websites should be able to assist you.) Our first step is identifying the certain state laws for a automobile on public road in your area and making sure your build conforms to the law.
Assessing Your Build
In buy to make sure your car will be suitable to drive, you need some general parts:
Brakes
Bumpers
Engine hood
Horn
License plates
Lights
Mirrors
Reflectors
Seat belts
Steering wheel
Tires
Windshield
Windshield wipers
These individual pieces make up crucial safety requirements that either secure you or alert other drivers. Unfortunately, though, individual states tend to get technical about the placement of these devices.
For instance, you can’t have your headlights too low or too high on your automobile (and some states even limit the range of colors you can use for your headlights). Likewise, in some states you can’t have any window tinting on the front windshield. In other states you can, but only to a certain degree.
Those in the U.S. can check the Federal motor automobile safety Standards to see the standards for manufacturers. This will be particularly beneficial if you’re creating a custom-made build using automobile parts from multiple salvage vehicles.
Getting Your car Inspected and changing the Title
Once you’ve figured out that your car meets the requirements for driving on public roads, you’ll have to get it appropriately inspected and tested. This will ensure that your vehicle meets the proper requirements for public roads (including emission standards). After the inspection is complete, you’ll be able to have the salvage title changed to a rebuilt title.
In buy to proceed with this, your salvage automobile will have to pass a salvage vehicle inspection. Your local Department of motor Vehicles will have the proper paperwork to fill out. but be prepared—you won’t be able to drive to get this inspection performed so you’ll have to get your car transported there.
Once your car passes the salvage inspection and you have a changed title, you can drive it like a normal car. Unfortunately, though, that task comes with one a lot more step: insurance.
Getting Insurance
It’s widely assumed that getting insurance on a rebuilt automobile is impossible, but that’s not true at all. Granted, insurance companies may not extend full coverage, but if you shop around you can find coverage that works for your budget and your car. It’s a buyer’s market if you know what you’re looking for!
Recently got a rebuilt title? Maybe it’s time to start your next project. Find your next car salvage car at Copart.com.
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