>From someone who has been there and done that.
A guide to relocating to California and trying to take out-of-state cars
with you:
1. DON'T DO IT, especially if the California you are referring to means
Los Angeles.
2. Take your life savings along with you to the DMV, you'll need it. I
registered a 95 Pathfinder and a 94 Geo Prizm there, and after paying the
various smog checks, registration fees and environmental impact fees, I was
out about $1500. Then when you take into account the extra 2 grand a year
for insurance compared to wherever you are moving from, your savings get
depleted quickly.
3. If you are actually planning to take a post '73 MG that has had its
smog equipment stripped, consider selling your car before you move and
buying another one once you reach California. I wanted to register my 76
MGB there, but I looked in the Vicky Brit catalog and figured out it would
cost $1500-2000 for all the emissions equipment that's been stripped from my
car. Then I realized that is about how much I could get if I sold the car.
So if you add up all the equipment, environmental impact fees and
transportation charges (I paid $700 to ship my B from PA), you may end up
with a much nicer car without all the hassle, especially if you get a pre
'74. I know I would have.
4. Don't drive with out-of-state plates. The law is you have to change
registration within ten days or face fines that get steeper the longer you
wait. They are really starting to crack down on this, since all the cars
driving around with out of state plates haven't paid their $300
environmental impact fees. When you go to register the car, they ask you
when you brought the car into the state. If you say something other than a
date within the past ten days, you get fined. I know someone who replied to
the question with "Oh I don't know, about two weeks ago" and got fined.
5. If you do choose to drive with out of state plates, be nice to your
neighbors. A new thing in LA is reporting out of state cars to the DMV if
the owner is a neighbor in your apartment complex and does something
aggravating like playing the stereo too loud. Then you are put in the
computer and will get caught if you ever get pulled over or eventually try
to register the car.
John Miller
This is a hypothetical question at this stage, but it may become
reality
in the not too distant future. I have a 1975 and a 1974 1/2 MGB.
Both
cars have had the air pump and other emissions control stuff
removed. Do
I have to put all that "good" stuff back on before I can take the
cars to
California? What other problems may be encountered if I choose to
keep
the cars and re-locate in California?
Regards Philip
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