Quote:
Originally Posted by drmiller100
3 wheeled vehicles are classified as motorcycles by the federal DOT. No crash safety problems.
3 wheeled vehicles are classified as motorcycles. Much easier to get the state DOT guys to pass.
Federal laws for motorcycles say the motor must be EPA certified. If you use electric, you bypass this. if you use an ICE from a car, you get past this as long as you have all the emissions equipment the car came with (read CAT).
Motorcycles do not have to pass emissions. 4 wheel cars have to pass emissions, which means operating OBD2 port with serial number of the car embedded in the ECU, which means you have to hack the ECU fundamentally, or build your own from scratch (not available anywhere).
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The problem is states like Minnesota now say that 3 wheeled motorcycles have to have the driver sitting upright with driver straddling the engine and it seems like more and more states are moving in this direction, Wisconsin a 3 wheeled motorcycle can't weigh over 1,500 pounds if I remember correctly and can't seat more then a driver and passenger.
I don't know how old a vehicle has to be before it no longer has to pass emission tests in most states, but here in Wisconsin if it's over 20 years old a 4 wheeled vehicle can be modified in to a hot rod and is exempt from all sorts of laws, that is why I suggested going with a 1992 Honda Civic as your base vehicle, even if you do need to pass smog tests with one it should be easy.
Some states I think ask that the base vehicle be over 25 years old, but I don't know the details there.