Massachusetts is tough but can be done.

[Mastertech5]

I have researched this for over a month before spending the money and time to do a build that I can't use on the road. MA has a crush rule. basically you buy a gas powered pre 74 car or light truck that was titled/registered in MA for at least a year within the past five years that had an engine of the same or higher displacement than what you plan on using and have the entire vehicle crushed for scrap and get a certificate from the scrap yard stating such with its VIN number. then you can put any engine you want in it and they'll give you an emissions exemption. The idea being your getting rid of a "dirty " car and putting a less polluting car on the road. try and find one, not easy! The other way is to get a take out engine and trans combo that has a emissions certification and you can use that but it must pass emissions testing for that set up. You may have to get new cat convertors, O2 sensors and a canister. A new crate engine is only allowed with the crush scenario or an E-rod Type assembly that has a CARB certification from California. What a pain. These rules were recently eased from what they had before. Bumpers not required, you just can't have bumper mounts or any frame sticking out. Some kind of fenders are required and you must have some kind of wiper(s), Seat belts after 1966 and air bags if originally equipped. Exhaust must exit out the back unless originally equipped otherwise. I was not able to find any of this info from anyone who has tried to go through this here so I combed through the MA laws on the state website to find this stuff and then talked to an ex fellow employee who worked for state inspection system and he called his old boss to get the lowdown. My friend now has a garage and does inspections and he was not aware of the new changes.
GM Performance has eight different E-Rod options. Not cheep But plenty of HP. They are also available from those 2 big racing parts stores and some others.

[JimLev]

Has MA required the inspection stations to have cameras yet?
So glad I moved out of taxachusetts 4 years ago. Got my LS3 from GM.
No CAT’s or yearly vehicle inspection required in the county I live in.

[cnutting]

All mostly true except the wipers. The inspection procedure says to check, but the vehicle code is grey, something along the lines of "function as equipped by manufacturer", yet wipers are optional from FFR. Double check with Paul Davis at MA DEP. He sent me the list of everything that is required. Just went through my 3rd inspection without wipers...

I used a 1965 date code block and that satisfied emissions. All new internals and a TKO trans, all they care about is the block.

And yes, they use cameras at the inspection stations now.

[Mastertech5]

I've tried to call the MAC center and the Salvage inspection garage in Northboro but I couldn't get through. Had to leave a message but no one called back. Everything state run seems to be shut down right now.

[cnutting]

Yeah, ran into that while renewing my registration. Fortunately AAA was able to take care of it. Salvage unit probably won't be much help. They are staffed by Troopers that verify that all major parts aren't stolen. I would recommend emailing Paul. I think he's listed on the DEP website. Maybe he's working remotely.

Definitely the right approach to research it. It's a big investment and you need to be comfortable. The search function here can also give more info. I ended up walking the tech through the inspection process on my initial inspection. The process isn't tough, just a little convoluted shall we say.

[Mastertech5]

It probably won't be for a couple of years and who knows how they will handle things then.

[fostia]

It's crazy that there is a more restrictive state than California out there. There are a lot of hoops to go through out here and the DMV can be clueless about kit cars but in California your kit car can have pretty much whatever you want on it. I suspect some senator had a kit car and made it happen. Now if you want to bring in an out of state Fox Body Mustang that's had some performance mods done to it, forget it. CARB will get you. Massachusetts also has stricter gun laws. My dad recently passed away and I inherited a couple of firearms from him in Maine. I was planning to get them and then fly back out of Logan back to San Diego. Glad I checked all the detail gun laws because it would have been illegal for me to be in Massachusetts with them. Granted there's an exemption for interstate travel but I don't know how that would have worked with flying out of Logan and I wasn't going to push my luck. Ended up just paying extra for tickets and flew in and out of Portland.

[Mastertech5]

There's a lot of reasons not to live here, weather, taxes, unreasonable laws and regulations but, my grand kids are here and that is something my wife isn't willing to be without. I grew up in California and besides the weather I wouldn't want to go back there. I like the Reno area, and there' s a Summit Racing retail store there! Hot August Nights is one of the biggest and best car shows in the country. Just don't enter your car and expect to win. Kindigit designs in Salt Lake City usually wins.

[FFinisher]

I have researched this for over a month before spending the money and time to do a build that I can't use on the road. MA has a crush rule. basically you buy a gas powered pre 74 car or light truck that was titled/registered in MA for at least a year within the past five years that had an engine of the same or higher displacement than what you plan on using and have the entire vehicle crushed for scrap and get a certificate from the scrap yard stating such with its VIN number. then you can put any engine you want in it and they'll give you an emissions exemption. The idea being your getting rid of a "dirty " car and putting a less polluting car on the road. try and find one, not easy! The other way is to get a take out engine and trans combo that has a emissions certification and you can use that but it must pass emissions testing for that set up. You may have to get new cat convertors, O2 sensors and a canister. A new crate engine is only allowed with the crush scenario or an E-rod Type assembly that has a CARB certification from California. What a pain. These rules were recently eased from what they had before. Bumpers not required, you just can't have bumper mounts or any frame sticking out. Some kind of fenders are required and you must have some kind of wiper(s), Seat belts after 1966 and air bags if originally equipped. Exhaust must exit out the back unless originally equipped otherwise. I was not able to find any of this info from anyone who has tried to go through this here so I combed through the MA laws on the state website to find this stuff and then talked to an ex fellow employee who worked for state inspection system and he called his old boss to get the lowdown. My friend now has a garage and does inspections and he was not aware of the new changes.
GM Performance has eight different E-Rod options. Not cheep But plenty of HP. They are also available from those 2 big racing parts stores and some others.

This has been done many, many, times by many people in Mass.

Wipers are not required unless the vehicle was manufactured with them, As Cnutting states. "Wipers have to work as designed" if they aren't there the question is answered. Just had a customer go through it last week.

I currently have three sets of Crush care paperwork for customers on my desk. Its not impossible, you just have to know the rules and follow them.

I just bought another one today.

Its doable.

[Mastertech5]

I haven't been able to find one. How many are there that fit the rules and how much will one cost? Private sales or junkyard connections? I got frustrated and gave up.

[FFinisher]

I haven't been able to find one. How many are there that fit the rules and how much will one cost? Private sales or junkyard connections? I got frustrated and gave up.

No Junkyard connections, Private sales. $475-$3000.

I would have no way to know how many there are .

Its doable, you have to be persistent.

I am going to buy another this week.

[Mastertech5]

I think I'm going to try and find a pre emissions block. Found a 69 327 Camaro block in NH for $100 but someone had it decked and the numbers you need are gone.

[FFinisher]

if you aren't going to be done with the cobra for 2 years, and the car only has to be registered for 1, it seems the solution is a fairly simple one.

[Mastertech5]

I'll just keep my eye out and grab one along the way when the opportunity arises. 33 Hot Rod by the way. Always wanted a Cobra since I had a ride in REAL 427 one in California about 1972, but my tastes have changed. I like a car with a roof and the Cobra roofs look funny to me. No offense to anyone with one!

[chuckster]

I went the crusher route with my roadster, which was completed and registered in early summer 2018. it was no big deal, took me about a month to find a car looking on craigslist every day.

[Mastertech5]

I found a 1972 350 4 bolt out of a K5 Blazer, complete, all holes taped up and cheap money. He is going to send me the numbers to verify and if its good I'll pick it up next weekend. That'll leave me plenty to rebuild it into a 383 stroker with a Sniper set up.

[Mastertech5]

I gave up trying to find a crusher. The laws were changed and you can now use a crate engine without having to meet emissions requirements for the year you register it. If you buy a crate engine that has a California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved calibration your good to go. After assessing the cost to rebuild the 350, pretty much everything and machining, plus buying a crusher you can get a GM E- Rod LS3 crate motor for about the same money. It comes with a 3 year warranty too. Every thing to make it compliant is included. 430 HP and 425 lbs. of torque. A lot cheaper than a Coyote. That's the plan! It's in my garage now waiting for FFR to send me the LS install parts that were out of stock when I picked up my kit.

[cnutting]

Interesting they changed the laws allowing CARB crates.

If your donor block met the cutoff date (1972 or earlier IIRC) then you wouldn't need a crusher. Not sure if that changes your calculus.

[Mastertech5]

You need the VIN of the vehicle it came out of and then have it run by the salvage inspection officers to VERIFY it's not stolen. If it doesn't show up in the system at all you can't use it. That's what I did before spending any money on the engine. Not in the system. Any one want to buy a 1972 4 bolt main 350. Needs machine work and rotating assembly. You can put it in an existing titled vehicle.

[cnutting]

Yep, need to ensure it isn't stolen. In my case it was a 1965 block. Ford didn't put vehicle specific info on the blocks until 1967, just the casting date. I "reminded" the Trooper of that when he asked during inspection and showed paperwork to a business, Forte's Parts and we were good. Yes, 1972 would have a VIN on the casting, but if you had a paper trail all would be good. Sounds like this isn't the case here.

[Mastertech5]

It came out of a K5 Blazer and in my research I found out GM didn't put any VIN numbers on truck blocks at that point. The code numbers tell you it was only installed in '72 Blazers and Jimmys with standard transmissions.

[Chrisg00]

I'm at the point where I cannot go much further w/out the powertrain. Although I'd like to, I'm not going the pre-1974 route and being emissions exempt. Too difficult to find a vehicle or block. Considering changing courses and going LS. But Unless I am misinterpreting this statement, For purposes of 310 CMR 60.02(12)(c), “used” means the component has been in a vehicle that has been titled to an ultimate purchaser. We still need a crusher even if installing an LS motor? There are plenty of used LS engines online and at junk yards but we cannot install one unless we are the "ultimate purchaser" of the vehicle it was in.
Tried looking up Paul Davis, email kicks back and phone number is no longer in service. Where do you turn for clarity on this?

[Mastertech5]

You can use a junkyard engine in Mass, but you must meet the emission standards of the vehicle that it can from. That means the computer from that vehicle, New cats and O2 sensors and the evap. system. I went with a GM LS3 E-rod crate engine. It has the California Air Resources Board certification and those are allowed in Mass. A little pricey compared to a junkyard engine but you get everything you need and a 2 year warranty. I had to have the cat pipes cut and rewelded because they won't work as assembled. 430 HP AND 425 lbs. of torque. My build thread shows the mods to the exhaust.
You can use a donor car engine but the same goes with the emissions.

[michael everson]

One of my customers that I built the car had a confirmed 1969 block and they still rejected him because it had aluminum heads. This was just last year
Mike

[WayneP]

I’m going to have a brand new 33 Hot rod built soon. I just purchased the kit. Am I looking at problems with registering in Mass with a brand new engine?

[JTG]

I’m going to have a brand new 33 Hot rod built soon. I just purchased the kit. Am I looking at problems with registering in Mass with a brand new engine?

My understanding is you should be ok. I spoke with Dave V. at FFR, and I have a Gen 3 Coyote on order from Mike Forte and they both indicated that it's possible. There are a lot of factors in that statement, and I'm sure it depends on who is inspecting the vehicle amongst other things.

What I don't know is if I need to install Cats, which could be an interesting challenge in the Type 65. We're starting our build this fall, so keep in touch and maybe we'll both go through this process about the same time and can compare notes.

Jon

[Dgc333]

Getting a VIN and registering the car is straight forward. It's the emissions portion of the inspection after its on the road that is the hard part.

I finished my 33 in May 2024 and had it registered and on the road June 24th. I have chosen not to take the car in for inspection. If you walk around a car show there is a very significant number of vehicles that don't have inspection stickers and go for years without one. As long as you aren't doing something stupid the cops leave you alone.

A friend of mine has got a sticker on his car for the past 5 years with only safety being required, last year the car was rejected for emissions and was referred to the MAC center. He was initially told to crush a car, he went back and forth with them and was finally told in January not to do anything because the rules are changing. He doesn't know what that means but hopefully will relax the rules for an emissions exemption

[WayneP]

My understanding is you should be ok. I spoke with Dave V. at FFR, and I have a Gen 3 Coyote on order from Mike Forte and they both indicated that it's possible. There are a lot of factors in that statement, and I'm sure it depends on who is inspecting the vehicle amongst other things.

What I don't know is if I need to install Cats, which could be an interesting challenge in the Type 65. We're starting our build this fall, so keep in touch and maybe we'll both go through this process about the same time and can compare notes.

Jon

Thanks Jon. I’m going to call Dave V Monday. He’s my sales rep. He never mentioned this and honestly, it’s going to be a deal breaker if it’s true, and #2, him not telling me. I have to assume at this point that I’m, or we’re, not part of this fiasco. I’m ordering a brand new Coyote and trans, so I don’t expect issues with emissions. As Dgc333 mentioned, he’s not going to have it inspected. At the open house, I did see many without the sticker. I asked one guy, and like was mentioned, he never gets stopped and questioned. This has about ruined my weekend and sleep lol. I hate this state…for many other reasons too. I may flee in future years, but can’t now due to family commitments. I still need to confirm a builder. I talked to Mike Everson, but never really got an ok. He’s just 20 minutes up 495 from me. I know I’m a year out from seeing this on the road.

[Dgc333]

FWIW, I go to the cruise Sunday mornings in Plymouth, the Plymouth cops stop by pretty much every week. I had one give my 33 Speedstar a good looking over and had many questions. No mention of no sticker or no front plate.

[WayneP]

I need to go there. Maybe next Sunday.

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

This has been done many, many, times by many people in Mass.
........
I currently have three sets of Crush care paperwork for customers on my desk. Its not impossible, you just have to know the rules and follow them.

I just bought another one today.

Its doable.

That is the way to do it. your thinking ahead.