Help getting my 5.0 legal in Texas

Nitrous N20

New Member
Jun 3, 2003
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Dallas Tx.
Hi everyone. I havent been around in a while. I just recently located my superchared 93 which has been out of commission for some time. Long story.

I need to get it completely legit in the Dallas area so I can keep it at my apartment. But here is where things get messy.

The car started out life as a 93 four cyl LX. Now it has a rebuilt 5.0 in it with heads, cam, full exhaust, intake, etc, plus vortech supercharger and Tremec. Lots of other stuff too. So basically, the motor and trans dont match the VIN. So assuming that I can get ahold of the clear title, is that going to cause a mojor problem when I try to get Texas registration?

And after that, what about inspecting it? Is the number mismatch going to be all kinds of trouble there too? Does a 93 have to pass Dallas emmissions?

Right now, it has an offroad prochamber with no cats and flowmaster 1 chambers. All that is probably going to have to go. But even with cats and reasonable mufflers who knows if it will pass...

Anyone been down this road before?
 
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My uncle just went through this in his EFI 302 swap into his ranger. The DMV where he lives (ohio) told him that when he swapped motors, he needed to bring any documentation he had. He brought the recipt from the junkyard where he bought the block, and it was a damn good thing he did. When the DMV ran the numbers on the block, it came up stolen.

Long story short, the junkyard had bought a flatbed full of long & shortblocks from a junk hauler guy. They didnt pay the money it costs to run the numbers themselves, so they got fined, and my uncle had to take the whole damn motor apart and destroythe block in front of a sherriff a few weeks later.

I told him he should have said **** off, do it yourself, but not be hot tempered like i am, he did what they asked, and got the junkyard to pay him for his time and a new block from wherever he bought the second one from.

I would get the numbers from the block, and call your local DMV first to find out exactly what you need to do. If they ask about the swap, tell them the original motor blew and you bought one from a friend in a wrecked car
 
I would get the numbers from the block, and call your local DMV first to find out exactly what you need to do. If they ask about the swap, tell them the original motor blew and you bought one from a friend in a wrecked car

Thats an idea. We bought the car complete with the V8 already in it. A mechanic that works on tons of Fox's had built the car quite some time before we bought it. Id rather not involve him at all unless absolutely necessary. We dont have a good rappore anymore...

But I suppose I could just contact the DMV and see if I can find someone who can tell me what Ill need.
 
And normally, (ive since moved to a non emissions state) they frown on EFI to carb conversions, but as long as you pass emissions, you shouldnt have a problem.
 
And normally, (ive since moved to a non emissions state) they frown on EFI to carb conversions, but as long as you pass emissions, you shouldnt have a problem.

Right. Im just not sure how a supercharged car with heads, cam, intake, headers, and aftermarked exhaust is going to pass inspection. And in Collin county, where I live, they make you do a simulated acceleration emmesions test on a dyno.
 
Thats the same thing they used to do in ohio... read up on this, it may help ya get by..

http://www.jason.fletcher.net/tech/sniffer/sniffer.htm

Those are all good ideas. It looks like the issue with the engine mismatch is going to cause more of a problem with registration than with inspection.

For inspection, I can just use some of those suggestions t get it to pass emissions. Namely, putting the factory hpipe on "if I can find one" prior to getting the test. Personally, I think the car sounds like crap with the prochamber in place anyways. Id rther have something different.
 
Those are all good ideas. It looks like the issue with the engine mismatch is going to cause more of a problem with registration than with inspection.

For inspection, I can just use some of those suggestions t get it to pass emissions. Namely, putting the factory hpipe on "if I can find one" prior to getting the test. Personally, I think the car sounds like crap with the prochamber in place anyways. Id rther have something different.


The DMV didnt ask me anything about the drivetrain when i got here, but my insurance company did. :shrug:
 
I'm in Texas. I don't think anyone is going to check the numbers on your block. All you have to do assuming you have clear title, is get insurance on it using the VIN and get it to where it will pass emissions and you should be good. I don't think getting insurance will be an issue unless you tell them it's an engine swap car. Has it ever been registered in Texas or anywhere else as a swap vehicle? If you manage to get it registered okay you could always find a place that will sell you an emissions sticker under the table. There are plenty of them around I'm sure

*EDIT* I just noticed the post right above this that said your insurance asked you about it. You should be good to go now.