rear engined golf

[Mike Arman]

>From: "Jay Rabe" <jeremiahrabe at hotmail.com>
>To: quattro at audifans.com
>Subject: rear engined golf
>Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 
>
>How would a person go about registering/insuring a rear engine/drive golf?
>Not exactly something that would sneak by, Anyone know how to do something 
>like this???
>
>Please respond directly.
>
>TIA
>
>Jay

Jay, I think this does belong on the list, since many of us have modified
our cars to some degree or another.

The answer is going to depend on where you are as much as what you've done.
Most DMV's are simply tax collection agencies, and couldn't care less what
you've done to the vehicle as long as you pay for a license plate.

The states that require inspection mostly don't care, either. As long as
you meet safety and noise requirements (and the car isn't apallingly
visually offensive), you should cruise right through that as well. If the
car looks like something out of Road Warrior (and you do too), you may have
problems, but if it (and you) are presentable, you should go right through.

Insurance can vary all over the map. If you TELL them it is a custom or
hot-rod, some insurance companies don't care, others will drop you like a
hot rock. Example - I had a MiGi - fiberglass MG-TD replica built on a VW
chassis. My regular insurance company wouldn't touch it, but the insurance
company next door to them simply listed it as a 1949 VW with no problems at
all, and the insurance was even cheap. Some insurance companies just want
to have the VIN, others might want an appraisal if the car is unique (like
a rear engine Golf probably is).

All this changes in some places in Euroland. It is my (unverified)
understanding that the German TUV can be very difficult, and that the UK's
MOT inspection may not be far behind. It is possible that a careful
selection of the location for the testing station might help, as it used to
in Florida when we had inspection. A car that would fail miserably at one
facility would sail right through at another, even on the same day, and
with nothing changed.

Problem is that car enthusiasts don't hang around inspection stations much
- they tend to be staffed by almost-retired bureaucrats or mechanics who
have a financial interest in finding things wrong with your car, which they
will be only too glad to fix for you.

Let us know how you do, and I'm curious about your rear engine, rear drive
Golf (maybe you should just drive it backward through the inspection
station, and then they'll probably see nothing unusual!).

Best Regards,

Mike Arman