Can you title as Kit Car?
 

I am in the process of my build. My donor was a 1996 OBD-II car. Obviously when I am done, it will not have a functional OBD-II port anymore.

I want to make this a street car, so what are my options? The motor is fresh and it will have cats and required exhaust components. It should pass the sniffer test.

Has anyone tried to get their cars titled as a "Kit Car" so the year of the donor body would not matter?

Most likely, it will have to be registered by the VIN#. A "kit car" comes with a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin that is taken to the DMV, & the DMV assigns that vehicle a VIN#. Some states require the kit car's emissions conform to the year of the vehicle model, the year of the engine, or the year that the kit was produced. Check with your local authorities to be sure, but you will probably get several different answers.

The short answer to your question is yes. But, the options, procedures, and requirements can vary a LOT from one state to another. There are workarounds that some use to avoid complying with the laws in certain states. Rather than risking the trouble it can bring I suggest not doing that.