Cutting out trunk, bracing, street legal? Options

[pete]

I want to cut out the rear trunk pans and support between the rear shock towers to make more room for a Renegade SBC conversion and make things more accessible. I would weld in permanent tubular cross bracing. This is going to be a street car. Does anyone know if I am going to run into inspection problems in NJ?

Hey Pete,

I'm in CA, so we don't have to worry about rust as much as the east. However,
I take the view that if they can't see it, it's fine. Do you have to take the car through a state approved inspection?

Regardless, I writing laws, I would expect the wording to be something like " vehcle must be structurally sound and in not danger of failure during use." Unless
your law states specifically that there can be "No modification" of structure, then you are good to go.

FYI: check out how much of the trunk I've cut out on my 383 street/track car.

Wow, you have a lot going on there. Excellent! Do you know if there is room for the original battery tray location with a SBC 350? Judging by your pics I'm not seeing a lot of room. However, I have headers which go below the engine. I would like to weld in the new battery tray before going through the trouble of installing the engine. Hopefully this thread will get back on course.

[draganc]

Pete,

If you register the car with "Q" plates (historic) you are exempt of the sate inspection. However, the care needs to be in a safe driving condition and able to pass state inspection.
You will not find anybody at the MVA that will give you a writen OK to cut the boards. DId you ask them?

Dragan