How To Register Custom-Built Car in India?


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hi guys,

few days ago i visited a mechanic related to my safari window problem while he was fixing i saw that he was making jeep it dam tall jeep really fell in love with that machine as soon as i saw it . i asked how much for this jeep he said 5.30L approx. O_O . i asked what about RC . he said no idea[surprise] .

this came to my mind . i have seen people making custom car with totally different engine and chassis . how do they registered their car on RC and also insurance .

any one have any idea

OT : sorry mod if i again posted in wrong section . i always get confused [frustration]
 
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Yes good question , i also need to know the answer. Raj , Ilango any ideas?


Or are they driven without proper RC'S and insurance!
 
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Or are they driven without proper RC'S and insurance!
I dont think thats possible. Without insurance and RC, it will surely attract some legal action against the owner of the vehicle.

Look, any custom made car must be having an RC(which was issued when the car was bought). The person can get the changes(custom engines etc) registered at RTO and get the new RC. And again with that new RC he can get the insurance done. This is just my guess.
 
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Well i said so Akash because nobody knows whether the vehicles is insured or having a proper RC. Only when a problem arises these things are required!

But still waiting for the correct answer!
 

350Z

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hi guys,

few days ago i visited a mechanic related to my safari window problem while he was fixing i saw that he was making jeep it dam tall jeep really fell in love with that machine as soon as i saw it . i asked how much for this jeep he said 5.30L approx. O_O . i asked what about RC . he said no idea
I doubt if I have seen an entirely custom-built car running on Indian roads, yet. Most of them are either modified or already based on some car’s chassis where the registration number, VIN etc. are available, and I feel same for the above-mentioned case too. In the US, at first place you need to build the car according to their defined safety standards and then take it for certification where the VIN is allotted.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
Thread Starter #6
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so if we are putting different company engine on different company chassis does it come in modification or customization
 
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so if we are putting different company engine on different company chassis does it come in modification or customization
It come under INVALID VEHICLE category.
and you would have to put a sticker visible ahead and behind of the car due to same after the rto registers it.
also insurance company will give u insurance but if due to accident engine parts wont be covered only if total loss vehicle insured value is given.
 
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and what about a customized bike??

i am customizing bullets ( some mods in chessy ) and overall length / height will be changed.

so, can i re-register it ?
 
Thread Starter #9
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not official way in other word if tarffic police in bad mood your bike might get lot of rest . there is no official way . other thing you could do is that get MOD written on your RC this way you can save your self 90% times
 
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I don't know why this is so hard in India to register custom built or modified vehicles.
They are killing the passion on a car enthusiast in India
where as in Australia where I live there are lots of engine swaps going on and the Road authorities approve them as long as they are not underpowered.

I have seen normal Honda Civic's with B16 blocks ( Type R engines)

I have seen Silvia with V8 engine (instead of 4 cylinder)
they all are registered and Fully insured.
 
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Okay I had a question regarding the registration of custom built cars in India.
I am an engineering student and at college we are working on a racing car project.
The name of my team is : Orion Racing (Orion Racing India

So basically we design, build and manufacture racing car which takes part in Formula Student Germany competitions every year.



We generally test the car in private roads or car parks.

Now I wan to ask you guys that what is the procedure to be followed if I want to register this kind of a racing car with the RTO so that we can test the car on public roads?
 
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@ arnav, Really great cars. Are these FISSMEs ?? But unfortunately, these can't be legally registered for driving on Indian roads. As for a car to be registered, its needed to be manufactured at a proper plant that too licenced (ie Manufacturers like maruti, hyundai etc) The car also needs to be tested by the ARAI for fitness and various other aspects. Whenever a new car model is introduced, the cars are crash-tested, weather tested by different organizations.
So if we want to register a self designed car we'll have to follow a very long and expensive procedure and also keep few same cars for crash testing [frustration].

Few days ago I discussed the following points with a Traffic Dept. Person as I was willing to design and make a chopper bike:

According to the MV Act 1988, no alterations regarding 1. Fuel, 2. Color, 3. Extra lights/horns, 4. Structure of the car (wheelbase, height, width), 5. Engine, 6. Seating capacity can be done. Same applies to the two wheelers.

But many of us do these alterations (Sometimes are caught my cops and sometimes are saved)

1. Alteration of fuel
Many omni/taxi owners use LPG kits without endorsing it on the RC book. I have seen many car owners doing the same. Car owners use toroidal (tyre like) LPG tank which is kept in the place of spare wheel and can not be seen by the cops. None of the traffic policemen or police-men ever open the hood to check for a gas kit or to match the chassis/engine/gearbox number.
Reason for this rule: Uncertified/Local make gas kits are dangerous, not only for the driver and the passengers but for the people on road too. Earlier many fuel saving devices were used which are unsafe and cause more emission.

2. Alteration in Color
This is a weak point. If one has different color on RC and different in Car, then the cops may fine him for this. I, too have Silver metallic endorsed in RC while my car is painted white. So many a times I take a long route, rather than passing by the area where strict checking is possible.
Reason for this Rule: If a car owner commits a crime it would be difficult to trace out the person using records. And various other reaons. The base color should be the same as on RC (for eg someone has a red car and red is endorsed in his RC) then the owner can put a vinyl wrap on the hood and roof and also few stickers but the car should be recognized as a RED car.

3. Alteration in Lights and Horns:
After-market driving lights are not allowed. Whereas, OE extra lights (bumper lights like in i-10, swift) are allowed. For cars without any provision of extra lights (Like M-800, Zen etc) Only a pair of fog light (yellow light) is allowed that to is needed to be covered while not in use. No after-market horn/hooter/siren is allowed. In fact if a person with police siren toned reverse horn is caught he may be fined too.
Earlier I had 3 pairs of fog/driving light on my car. I was many a times stopped due to this. At last I removed two pairs. I have also installed a pair of windtone horns. But also have the stock horn.
There is no rule regarding under body lights but, if LED are placed on windshield and cause distraction then the owner may be fined.
Reason for this Rule: Extra lights will cause problem for the on coming traffic. And cyclists/ two wheeler drivers may get distracted by loud horns and lose control over their vehicle.

4. Alteration in structure: This can not be done as altering a car's chassis will weaken it and the vehicle will no longer be safe. Some minor modifications like body kits and suspension upgrades can be done. But if we increase the height/width of a vehicle the center of gravity will change, providing unstability at high speeds.
Reason for this rule: The wheel-base can't be increased ie for converting a bike into chopper as the wheel base is a factor deciding the road tax. In the similar manner the gross weight can also not be changed.

5. Alteration in engine: Many of the restorers use overpowered engines on a old cars. Many commercial vehicles also replace the engines from other vehicles due to various reasons. This if not done properly makes the car unfit to be driven on road. But when such a car is stopped by the cops rarely someone matches the engine number on RC. If condition is severe then only the cops open up the hood.
Reason for this rule: If the engine of a vehicle is dead then the fitness of the vehicle is over so it should be condemned.

6. Alteration in seating capacity: This is many a times done by omni taxi/school cab operators. Many 3 wheeler drivers use a wooden bench to carry extra kids to school.
Reason for this rule: This can not be done as extra passengers will be extra load on the engine causing more emissions. Also the braking capacity will be reduced due to extra load thus making the vehicle unsafe.

After the discussion I think that engine swap is safe (But till date the vehicle meets an accident and gets thoroughly checked up)
 
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Well its true in any country, you cant register a racing vehicle as a street legal vehicle. You have to confine it to the race tracks.

However, taking an existing car chassis & building on it IS allowed.
You can even import really high end chassis for 37% customs duty -as opposed to a 105% vehicle import tax.

Jayaram GT is a prime example of just such a project. It is even registered in RTO as a 'Custom built car'. I am still trying to get in touch with him & ask him how it was made possible.
 
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I talked with a arai guy he said a custom chassis car must be crash tested just like any other vehicle. But i am still having doubts is it okay to use a existing chassis of a car and build a body on it?
 
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Is there any legal way to register a custom car to the rto in 2022? It’s completely built from scratch.

I’m a college first year student completing an electric vehicle build of mine, it’s 311kg and a power of 6000 watts, range of 98km. It’s built from literal cut up rods, after a well researched and planned chassis design in cad. It’s got more than a year of my work in it, and I’d love to have it road legal. I guess it’ll be classed as a quadracycle, and probably a non-transferable car. It’s a complete car, nothing lackadaisical or incomplete. Seatbelts, full fibreglass body panels, a laptop as it’s computer brains. But, how do I go about it? Or is there truly no way, it’s just an experimental car which can never be road legal in India? I really hope there is a way, maybe after an inspection and some tests.
 

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