Registering A Speedster in California

I'm interested in purchasing a used speedster in California. Been doing my best to educate myself with all the input from you guys here on the boards which is greatly appreciated.

So what's the deal with getting a used speedster registered under my name if I'm buying it from someone who already has it registered in california say as the vw pan year?

What is the worst case senario?
What should I be looking for where registration is concerned? I really don't want to have to jump through all sorts of dmv hoops.

thanks,
james
san diego

James
Do a seach here as this has been addressed previously and will guide you accordingly

Thanks,

Actually did as much of a search as possible and read all the relevant posts I could find which is what lead me to my specific question. But if there is a post which directly talks about prefered registration status when purchasing a used speedster in CA as well as whether inspections and such are required when transfering existing registration within the same state, I wasn't able to find it. So any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

best,
james

James, in a nutshell
If you are buying a car (any car) that already has California registration which is prior to a certain year in the mid to late 70's range, I forget the cutoff year, I think its 25. they are smog exempt and it is nothing more than a name change on the pink and a new issued registration.....
I do it all the time...
If its an out of state car, but fits the age criteria, still the same

The problem starts when you have special construction and cannot claim the old pan as the year of the car....

Thanks very much for the answer, this is the one I was hoping for. Seems like this makes a strong arguement for buying used in california as opposed to new. And also sounds like the key is to ensure the tile is late vw as opposed to recently constructed. But didn't someone else write a post that eluded to the fact that in california they were auditing these registrations somehow and making trouble for people or is this incorrect?

James

Thanks Paul,

That was the part I had concerns over.
james

James,
I purchased my car used from another person in Calif and the only issue I had when registering was that the car had only a single license plate and DMV made me buy another set as they said I must have two. This was my fault as I stupidly told them I only had one when I was asked. Otherwise it was seemless. The car is on a 61 pan and it is registered as a 61 VW.
Troy

As Troy and the others have said; in that respect VW pan based cars are easier to deal with; they are basically a VW Bug in disguise. When you buy a newly constructed pan based car from any of the makers such as JPS or Vintage the car is registered as the donor vehicle with the same VIN.

"they are basically a VW Bug in disguise"

Or . . . are they a fiberglass automobile replicating an antique shape with a remanufactured VW based chassis (altered length, suspension, transaxle and engine) and as such they are nothing more or less than a custom built specialty vehicle that ought to carry a year of manufacture title and paperwork?

Massachusetts believes the later. Like California, we're in it for all the money, Honey.

It's the nuance I love,
muchas gracias and good motor'n

James

TC; I'd say the car is what it is even if it's customized or remanufactured. For example, a '32 Ford hot rod is still a '32 Ford after all is said and done (even after sometimes going to the extent of putting in a Chevy motor, etc. etc.)...Just my humble opinion.

J nid,
The reason cobras are being nailed is because guys were buying them for 40k - 60k or even more or less and then showing up to the DMV with a false title from a title company for a '65 ford and reporting that they paid $500 for it. So when the state catches up to these guys and finds out that they took the state for hundreds of tax dollars they come down hard on them. If you report the actual price you paid for this car upon transfer of title the liklihood of you getting your nuts fried by the state are reduced.

...among my many rants, there are politicians that see specialty and hobby vehicles as an easy target to make it appear the golden state is addressing polution concerns. The goal of which is not to improve our environment but protecting federal highway money along with the graft and greed which goes hand-in-hand with large contract granting, etc, etc, etc.

As it relates to your initial question, yes a few folks have been investigated and a number of enthusiasts are in harms way, mostly Cobra owners and perhaps the guys who build those great old-time classic Mercedes and such... they are all special construction as they have little if anything to do with their donor frame.

Pan-based used cars in California, like my speedster didn't raise any eyebrows when I went down to DMV. I bought it on-line and it was registered as a 69 VW in CA. It is currently registered as the same. It is smog exempt (I think the cut-off is still 1973, the legislation to make that a sliding date based on a twenty-five year age of vehicle was placed in jeopardy or limbo by the greedy-bunch at the trough)...

There are efforts afoot to revoke the smog status. It is critical that every speedster owner make writing legislators the second or third thing they do each morning. The Haggerty Insurance website has sample letters for emailing.

If you want to own a replica speedster, you best make your greedy-pig legislator a penpal or be prepared to endure who knows what consequence!

As Dale Bates found out and shared with us, the enforcement division is small, but that is for now, they may not be sucking hind titty for long if highway funds are at stake.

I can say with all honesty that to register a replica speedster in California, and be LEGAL, it must be registered as a "specially constructed vehicle" even if it has a VW pan and title. It does not matter if you paid all fees and honestly declared the purchase price, the state still considers it a "specially constructed vehicle". Legally it is not a VW no matter what the title says.

Dale - Makes sense to me more than registing it as a xx Porsche or xx VW. But seems I could have a stable of "specially constructed vehicles" with Bogus identical VINs and use a single plate/title. Somehow it seems it would be best for law enforcement to add Speedster Replica or Cobra Replica or MGTD Replica or Ford GT40 replica. Just wish all states would take a sane logical approach. In VA we get to pay a personal property tax each year on assessed value (plus the original sales tax). Guess its better in US than some of the European countries where govt groups like TUV seem to effectively prohibit "kit cars" --- or so I hear.

OK, I konw this won't help the original question, but just to put another perspective,,,

Here in NC, the Beck Speedsters (and things like Superformance Cobras, IM Speedsters, Beck Spyders, etc that are not on VW pans) get registered as a Custom Built Vehicle. You have to have the local DMV License and Theft Inspector come and see it, and register the engine, trans and chassis numbers, send them to Raleigh (capital of NC for those geographically challenged) and hope things don't get lost. Then DMV issues a NCS number (NC Serial #) and you get a title. Easy right...

Takes about 2 months. And during that time, you can't get plates, so you can't drive it!!

BUT...you can do it legally.

We do it for all our incoming speedsters before they get sold, so you don't have to deal with that hassle.

-Bob

I purchased my Speedster from another party here in California. When I went to DMV to register it, there were no questions just the simple transfer. It is registered as as 1967 Volkswagen and the numbers recorded are from the same. One of the aspects of this is that I live in a small town (north of San Francisco about 100 miles along 101) and the atmosphere in the DMV office is not so adversarial(sp?). I think that sometimes if you don't particularly want an answer, it is best not to ask the question.

Just my 2 cents

Gary

Two ways to register a Speedster....either apply for one of the 500 SPCNS titles that are avaliable after January 1 of each year....they go fast. You will then be exempt from smog inspections.

The old way of registering to the pan is not available to new constructions...unless you don't tell DMV...%^B

OR you can have it inspected by the BAR ref AFTER starting the registration at DMV. BAR will inspect the ENGINE using the engine number and test it visually and at the tail pipe. So....a 1971 dual port engine needs a PCV and a single barrel carb. You WILL have to smog it every two years...BUT to the smog regs of the engine.

THIS is according to the BAR ref that I had a long talk with last week.