CERTIFIABLE?

HI, I’M currently building a ’63 Chevy Nova and I want to use one of the front clips from the States that replaces the whole front chassis. Just wondering if you know of any engineers that might sign off on this modification. I have found one that will do it, but at $6-7K for the front clip on top of the $2-3K for the rest of the car, it’s a pretty steep cost for a piece of paper. So if you guys know of any engineers that might help my situation, it would be greatly appreciated.

Luke Bell, email

HI LUKE, when you bring in an aftermarket chassis or a subframe from the USA to put under an American-origin car, the Department of

Transport in each state requires the certifying engineer to ensure that the product is going to perform satisfactorily. This involves reverseengineering the chassis and any custom suspension arms – not a cheap job to do properly. Be careful about finding someone who will do your job too cheaply, because if something goes seriously wrong, both you and your certifier can find yourself in court. You’ve started off right by talking to a certifier; finish the job by choosing a capable contractor at the market rate. – Dr Tim