Finally There

[SStrong]

Finished! Nearly, anyway.
Car is in for paint and body. Went to the DMV for a title, and discovered my Certificate of Origin serves as title to get plates. I was sent to the County Tax Assessor. I was the first Replica Vehicle title they had done. Clerk was great.
This is Texas, so they keep the COO and issue a normal title. The Serial Number is the VIN, and it is titled as a 65 Cobra. Instead of 2 plates and a window sticker, you get a single plate, no sticker if you request Antique Plates. With the Antique Plates you don't get a yearly safety inspection. You are also not supposed to use it for a daily driver.
If you are getting a Texas title, you need:
Photos of the build (just a few).
I had an Excel list of all purchases, which they kept (4 pages).
Receipts. Take your Factory Five inventory receipt for the kit. Receipts for engine or title for donor.
Insurance. I convinced my agent to use the Serial Number since I didn't have a title. Turned out that was correct.
Certified weight.
Certificate of Origin.
Affidavit for Replica Built Vehicle, Notarized. You can find examples online, just type your own.
Form VTR-852 Safety Inspection - Done by ASE Certified Master Technician
Request for Specialty Plates VTR - 54
Took a year and a half.
Steve

[Tyler Wayne]

I registered mine in Dallas County and my process was much different. I brought the invoice from FF5, block VIN rubbings, assembled vehicle documents, etc but all they wanted was COO and original purchase price invoice. I did not register as antique vehicle so I was issued two plates, and have registration sticker and inspection sticker. They treated FF5 as previous owner and transferred to me and i was sent the title a few weeks later.

Since the clerks do not see these builds getting titled that often we see a lot of variation between what each clerk wants to do to get it registered.

[Slider]

Steve, congrats on completing the build. It's been fun to follow your progress especially since we went through the build school in MI together. Ours has been on the streets for about 3 months now, and its cool to know that yours will be out putting on miles very shortly. Share some pictures please when you get a moment!
Finished! Nearly, anyway.
Car is in for paint and body...

[trichardson]

Thanks for the info. I'm still a couple of years out from completion but I'll probably start the titling process early. Congratulations on your build.

Tom

[CraigS]

Anything you can do to get antique or classic or historic, etc. tags it will be worth your while. Exemptions from emissions and safety inspections are common in different states. Insurance is usually cheaper too. In Md. I went from a MkI I bought in Va and was able to title as historic, to a MkII I bought in Ga which was tiled as on 05 model by their rules. That forced me to also title it as an 05. That difference in status added about $150 per year to my otherwise identical insurance from the same company.