How to register in California

I'm a newbie to this site (just joined yesterday) and probably asking a question that has been answered many time over, so please bare with me and I truly appreciate all member's input, help and suggestions. I am close to purchasing a speedster from VS in March. Who has recently registered their speedster in the State of Cal.? Please provide a step-by-step process. Again, your feedback is greatly appreciated. I am excited to join the madness that is speedsterowners. Thanks in advance.

Hi Michael,

Welcome to the Madness!
When Kirk/VS delivered our car last year it was all ready registered in our name in California....Kirk took care of that. We were driving the car out of state so I'm not sure what he does for California customers but it can't be to hard.

Jay

Thanks Jay for the information. I really appreciate that. I'll check in with Kirk when I'm done there in a few weeks. I'm just trying to be proactive and have those details handled before it's too late.

Hi Michael,

I would be surprised if Kirk registers his vehicles using the SB100 process, but I have no personal knowledge, as SB100 wasn't in existence when I bought my VS. I registered my unfinished SAS coupe in CA on Jan. 6, 2012. The process is outlined in the General Non-technical category, under the heading: CA SB100 registration, so I won't repeat it here. You can use the SEARCH function, or go back 4 pages in the Non-tech category. The process isn't that difficult in the final analysis. Feel free to PM me if you have additional questions. Welcome and best of luck! Regards, Jim Kelly

Thanks Jim. I'll look for that thread and get myself familiar.

Michael, If you are buying a previously registered California car there should be no problem.
If it is from out of state then the SB100 process probably applies. I found the local DMV to have little to no knowledge of the process. However, the state Bureau of Automotive Repair people could not have been more helpful and friendly. It was after the traditional first of the year rush but they informed me there were still applications available. I was standing at the DMV with all paperwork in hand and approved by the BAR and they still balked at approving it. So I called on my cell phone to the helpful BAR person in Sacramento and offered to let them talk to her. The DMV person refused so I gave her the phone number. After more unnecessary delay they approved it. Welcome to the madness!

Kirk registers all his cars that are staying in Calif....

Hi Roy and Vince. I am purchasing a "brand new" VS in two weeks. Very excited about that. Based on Jay's reply (earlier), Kirk at VS took care of the "California DMV registration" for him. I will speak to Kirk when I'm down there and I hope the same will apply to me. I live and California and will stay in California. I appreciate your input and will likley rely on other members as I go through my purchase process and the post purchase. That will be more exciting to share our driving experience versus the background DMV and insurance details. Speaking of which, that's my next hurdle...insurance. I currently have State Farm Insurance for my daily and from a few threads I've read about insurance, it appears that State Farm will insure the speedster. I just need to make sure I am clear on my usage (work versus pleasure) and the all important, insuring the car for full "agreed value" in case of a total loss (i.e., thieft, accident).

Kirk registered mine for me last month. Its registered in the year of the pan/VIN number off the donor car, which in my case is a 61 VW. I had some matching 1956 plates I inherited from my father, which I UPS'd to Kirk to take when he registered my car. The plates were usable I thought because I had called the DMV in advance and they told me so, but apparently, according to Kirk, when the DMV woman saw the 62 sticker on the plate, she disqualified it because it did not match the year my car was registered in, so for now I had to accept the modern random numbered plates. If you can find some old plates that were last registered (by evidence of sticker)to a particular year, say 1961, then have Kirk used a donor pan of that same year. In the same breath I am not guarenteeing DMV makes resonable sense of anything. Their rules are abundent and designed to minimize their workload, while making the rest of us who pay their salaries pull our hair out. Plate sets can be purchased on EBAY but are 3-400 dollars

Thanks Steven for confirming that Kirk will handle the registration in California. Kirk from all the feedback is just a stand-up guy, going the extra mile for his customers. I appreciate the attention to detail.

Steven, you will need to buy a sticker on line for the year of the pan registration, hence if your tub is being registered as a 61 based on the pan VIN being a 61 than you will need a 61 sticker...
I paid something like a 100 bucks for one on my 57 T-Bird....

CuzinV, thanks, already figured that out and got one coming....

The Wongster.. nice.. welcome to our madness too, but you have already heard that too... I just dig your ID name! WONGER! that's just awesome... hope you come to Pismo this year...

Speedster "D" your new American style boy friend!

...?

I agree with Colin... Is somebody coming out of the closet here??? ;-)

I suppose I should come clean and say I prefer girls...hahaha!

Troy, I can't wait to install those snazzy cruzin windows on my new Speedster. It's been sitting waiting to be used and soon enough they will be.

Cool! Post some pictures when you get the new VS and when you install the "Cruzin" windows.

Actually David prefers girls too, but I couldn't resist. "Not that there's anything wrong with it!"