So ... been posting I bought an investment grade 1987 Turbo from Cleveland. Car is a time warp, 5k miles as new example. Took car to CA DMV like a good CA citizen paid sale tax (10%) and was approved for historic license plate due to condition and mileage, subject to smog.. Historic plate limits my miles to shows and events, which was fine with me. DMV told me to go smog the car, results were outstanding. Passed like a modern car, Smog station and DMV impressed, see pic.

Here is the rub, this silly state (which BTW hosts pebble beach classics and is the father of speed and car collectors) has a STUPID DMV rule that states if a car has less than 7500 miles it’s classed as a new car. All new cars need to have CA emissions stickers , not 50 or 49 state stickers . A CALIFORNIA STICKER only works. My car is a 50 state car from 1987, has ALL state emissions and PASSED CA emissions today amazingly well, BUT because it is less than 7500 miles, its a NEW car with no offical CA sticker so i can’t register it here without a special hall pass from bureaucrats . Now, if i drive it a few thousand miles to 7501 then all is good.

MY MIND is BLOWN.. car passed smog in San Jose, I paid the sales tax and guess what, a rule over a sticker won’t give me a registration tag. what is their point. It passed emissions people.

How silly is that, a Jerry Brown stupid policy holds me back. This state is officially nuts

Off to grab a glass of wine and look at houses in Florida…

Bring on the comments folks… we need to stop the crazy people here.

 

You weren't planning on driving it anyway, were you?

That thing really passed!

 

The 7500 rule has been around for at least ten years so I don't see what Gov Brown has to do with it.

 

Could you buy a speedo with higher miles off of eBay and then switch back after it is registered. Speedos can be replace in a matter of mintues.

 

let's see how far I get with DMV. I am determined to get tags. And yep I do intend to drive ��. Only other option is to bring car up to 7501 miles , which seems nuts.

 

LOVE Visiting Cali, NEVER would live there for reasons lie that....

 

More info for those interested.... The 7500 mile rule has nothing to do with smog. This is all about new car sales tax. Our state is attempting to stop all new cars crossing the boarder by Cali residents trying to save a buck on new car sales tax. So ANY car with less than 7500 is classed as NEW and therefore not allowed to be registered or driven here. Exceptions are narrow, so my 1987 930 is a NEW car. Oh Boy !! Canepa folks were kind enough to recommend a company that helps them get their classics registered. The journey goes on...

 

You've paid sales tax so too late to get out of state plates?

...despite all the challenges we have in IL the state has a law that allows for emission test exemption if we can prove that car is kept at an out of state residence...this law really helps and provides options to not have to keep a car emission compliant...The state also does not require a physical verification of vin tag, odometer, ... on out of state purchases, etc. or any sort of annual inspection, etc.

 

Even the Big Dog Garage guy keeps many of his cars with out of state plates. California DMV rants go back to the gubernator days when Arnold could drive his Pinzgauer , while we were handed a scheiss sandwich of fees+harder smog requirements.
I jumping back into the jacuzzi for now.
Marty

 

California! I hated the idiotic state laws when I lived there!

Michigan was almost as bad. They have a sliding scale for registration fees, based on what your car cost new, not on what you paid for it. When I registered my '85 928 there (that I bought for $7K) in 2005, they looked at their book and said "Ohh, that car cost $42K new." I ended up paying more state fees on that car than I did when I purchased a brand new diesel pickup for $38K.

 

- the story continues. Fingers crossed its done.

My Problem (1987 Porsche 5000 miles)
If you are a California resident, and you wish to purchase a new vehicle from another state, it must be certified to meet California’s smog laws in order to be registered here. Under California law, a new vehicle is any vehicle with less than 7,500 miles on the odometer at the time of purchase. Not all new vehicles will meet California’s smog laws.

Challenge to solve (No CA EPA sticker, just US EPA sticker)
Many vehicles are made to meet the federal emissions standards, but don’t meet California’s standards. If California’s smog standards are met, the vehicle is considered California certified. (underlined statement came from legal website)

I researched and found that all 1987 911 Turbos were 50 state cars. Called the DMV technical compliance group in Sacramento with my findings, they put me onto the Engine Family Identifier as a potential way to help. Told me to call ARB to see if I could prove my car was in fact 50 state. Through talking to them and their website I found my engine was designed for California emissions and I found the 1986 executive order from ARB site proving that. Called DMV compliance back and they told me I am good to go. This executive order was in fact the replacement to my lacking CA sticker on my hood. See pics of my hood attached, it states US EPA emissions, no mention of CA. But with the Engine Family Identifier and executive order I proved the car was in fact a 50 state car and designed to meet CA emission laws - Bingo!

Went to local DMV and turned their process into the evidence that my car may not have lived in CA BUT it is complaint. The same manager at DMV who refused me on Friday read all documenation and signed off. The DMV compliance office even told me if i have any issues have the manager call them and they will explain.

 

This is why I use AAA for registering my out of state cars. They're a bit more lax in their inspections. They can only do it if its a private party purchase though.

 

Someone explain this to me: how can a car be new if it has 7499 miles on it. You could buy it new from Banghor Maine and drive it home to Los Angeles and its not going to have 7,500 miles on it. If its a new car is has about 10 miles on it. A 7499 mile car is a very used car. About 7490 miles of use. Also, aren't new cars purchased at the dealership? If you buy a car from someone other than the dealer, its used. If you were not the first to title the car, its also used. Mileage has nothing to do with anything -- its correlation without causation.

Do you really think bureaucrats are sitting around conference rooms lamenting the fact that 30yr old classic cars are putting us over the edge in terms clean/dirty air. Its like complaining about pollution in the sea and forcing everyone with a Ronco Pocket Fisherman to pay a pollution tax when the problem is Exxon.

 

UPDATE...

Me 1 DMV 0

Car registered and Historical DMV Plates arrived today.

 

Great outcome.
Always nice to see the score when the Good Guys win!