[CA B.A.R. rant] Govt. employees....

[Ron61]

Turk,

Maybe you should have just gone back to the CHP office you used the first time and not said anything. The Calif. DMV and CHP must be working together to make everything as difficult as possible. I can't believe that the CHP office didn't know anything at alll about assigining you a vin number. Even the one up here got a memo telling them how to do it just like the DMV got one. At least that is what I was told by a couple of guys who went through this one. Maybe they just think you are registering to many cars, what with the Porsche mess and all. You know the old, This guy has a lot of money and time so lets play games with him" routine.

Ron

[Kputz]

There isn't one rich guy, car club, manufacturer's association or survivalist group waving guns that will defy this nonsense and take it to court??? Perhaps a simple Writ of Mandameus.

Strike that, I forgot. It's California. Unless you're intent on killing a baby, saving a whale, or marrying another guy, the courts would slap you down.

You could, however, consider moving.

[RedBarchetta]

Originally posted by Kputz


You could, however, consider moving.

It's March 9 and we're expecting 87 degrees today. My kids swam in the pool this past weekend. We ain't movin'......

[Turk]

I AM!

Sooner or later I AM.
There are lot of great things about California, but the things that iritate you seem to get longer as we get older.

TURK.

[Randy Rosenberg]

Turk,

Why don't you conference call the Sactramento DMV with the local CHP together, so they can talk directly to each other? Or is that too efficient?

YMMV,
Randy R...

[RedBarchetta]

Originally posted by Randy Rosenberg


Turk,

Why don't you conference call the Sactramento DMV with the local CHP together, so they can talk directly to each other? Or is that too efficient?

Randy, I think Turk ought to do a burnout in front of the CHP station, then have them chase him to the DMV office. Then everyone will be in one place and they can "talk" to each other.

[Ron61]

Red,

I like your idea for Turk. Except up here once you got them together they wouldn't talk as neither bunch doesn't think the other knows anything. By the way, it was 92 here yesterday and is already 86 at 10 AM this morning. Supposed to reach 94 this afternoon.

Ron

[Mike I]

Turk, you're killin' me....great synopsis of your quest for the holy VIN....

It just proves one thing to me....civil servants and bureacracy are the same everywhere...

I got the same kind of run around here in FL three years ago when I was titling my car. Tried to arm myself with all the right info before I dove in, but that was just wishfull thinking.

I was first told that someone from FHP would come to inspect the vehicle where I kept the car. The FHP did in fact perform that service for a buddy of mine several months earlier, I was not so fortunate (where is the consistency?). Next, I was told that I had to bring my car to the only FL DMV inspection post that was authorized to do the inspection. It's in Jacksonville, approx. 35 miles from where I live, and in a different county!!

I attained a temp plate (good for 10 days) and drove my unpainted car to the inspection post. I was extra careful to make sure that everything on the car functioned properly. The highly inept folks who came out to inspect the car had no idea what to look at, nor did they care that the brakes or lights even worked. all they cared about were 4 receipts with serial numbers for the body, chassis, engine, and tranny. They wouldn't even look for the serial numbers themselves, I had to do that for them. Unfortunately, I couldn't produce the tranny receipt, so they deferred it to the guy in charge who, in his infinite wisdom, decreed that if I couldn't provide a receipt, I'd have to replace the tranny with one that I could show a receipt for. He also didn't think he had to honor the pre-established MSO VIN, which is issued by the state of FL and is actually printed on FL title paper. He was insistent that he had to issue an indepenent VIN, oblivious to the fact that EM had already gone the distance with the state and preinstalled the matching VIN plate on the fenderwell. I left with my tail between my legs

I wasn't willing to be bent over the pommel horse that easily, so I called the central DMV office in Tallahassee. Luckily I spoke to a very understanding and sensible person who understood what was going on. She called the individual at the inspection station and told him to accept the MSO VIN. She also said that if I couldn't get a receipt for the tranny, I would have to sign an afidavit stating where I purchased the tranny, how much I paid for it, and why I didn't have a receipt for it....that's it!! Luckily, my tranny guy from NY was still in business, remembered me and sent me a replacement receipt (I had purchased the tranny several years earlier).

This is the part that really gets me whenever I think back about how the inspection guy tried to make me jump through hoops. When I called him to let him know that I now had the receipt and needed to set another appointment, he told me, "just go to the local DMV office and tell them you talked to me and I said okay"....that was it, didn't want to see the receipt or anything else.....if I could have reached through the phone, I would have choked the $hit out of him....

In the final analysis, there was/is no iota of concern about safety...it's all about collecting revenue and exercising power.

Mike

[Turk]

Randy,
Time spent on the phone with different folks at Sacaramento and Fairfield were so numerous, and seemed easy enough to hang up and re-dial.
Honestly, I didn't think I should have asked them to stay on line while I call the other number and listen to another recording. Besides to do that ,a little friendlier voice would have been nice to have at the other end of the line.

My second or third call to the same number got "you again?".
To think I could've talked that person into placing a conference call on my behalf or ask them stay on line while I did is a little too optimistic.

If I wasn't sure about it that I would get my appointment, and that they didn't know what they were doing I would have been more frustrated. I knew better. SO I will go see them tomorrow morning. No biggie!

[Dave Bermani]

Well, this is timely because I'm going to the same BAR this Friday. I just got my VIN from the Santa Ana CHP yesterday and I was asked where I wanted it! It had to be visible and on the frame of course, but I had some latitude. I've met the BAR guy and he seems nice enough but I don't think I'll push him on the sticker placement. But, hey, it's a fiberglass fiberwall. I could just cut it out, move it to where I want it, fix and paint the hole... Nah, I'll just be thankful when the registration process is over.

Speaking of which...the brake & light cert. has to be done. Do you know if I have to have wipers? And where is a good, friendly shop in So Cal that will do it?

Dave

[G.R.]

Turk--what you guys have to go through in CA to register one of these cars is something that reminds me of the routine we often would go through when we made port at a new destination in Mexico, Port Capitian,at the harbor, Migration,get papers stamped,then Banco,usually they were on the other side of town from the harbor, back to the Port Capitian, pay fee,get papers stamped,back to Banco, then Migration get papers stamped again,pay fee, then up to the Port Authority, get papers stamped(PA was usually in the same building as Migration)---finally back to Port Capitian, have passports and travel permits for all crew stamped, when you left you just had to have the PortCapitian stamp your papers and passports. Some ports were easier than others to check in and out of.

And I thought my encounter with WA DMV was bad
Glad It wasn't CA now

[Kputz]

>>It's March 9 and we're expecting 87 degrees today. My kids swam in the pool this past weekend. We ain't movin'......

It's all a matter of your level of pain tolerance. You haven't met yours yet. If so, and you're happy with your lot, stay put, but stay put...quietly.
I would have long since turned out the lights on that tax level for a little sunshine. I own 640 acres with a home and 1/4 mile of shoreline on a Great Lake and my taxes total $2700/yr. For that level of painlessness I'll put up with 250" of snow a year and not b*tch.
Tis all about how high maintenance you are and how much you're willing to give away to get all that government largesse.

[degordon]

Turk,

Did you tell Mr. CHP that your car was a Cobra?
It makes a difference. When I called they said 4 weeks. When I told them it's a Cobra, they said any Tues or Thurs.
Why the difference, was told that was for the normal Toyota or Honda!
Loved it, showed up he took me first!
Rather than assign a VIN he insisted on using the Manu. VIN plate already there!

Dennis

[Dave Bermani]

My experience this past Monday with the CHP in Santa Ana was short & sweet. I called in the AM and was asked by the officer if I could come in that morning. No, but I could come at 2pm. I got there at 1:30 (car running hot in 94 degree weather), waited until 2, and was then seen by the officer. Handed over my license and paperwork. He took it, made copies, and came back to tell me to drive the car around back. He even asked me if I had a pref to where I wanted the sticker! Uh, how about here....?He said wait in the office and it would be about 20 min. Sure enuf, within 1/2 hour the car was done. Drove away with a VIN and a warm smile.

Dave

[SkipB]

As you have read, there are two stickers to put on your car.

The DMV put my vin# (they used the Backdraft vin!) inside the door jamb! They didn't want to rivet it on so they just glued it. Funny place! Anyone can get to it. No door locks on these things. But then again, who would want it? (no additional cost)

The BAR put theirs in the middle of the firewall. On a Backdraft it is stainless steel, so it looks OK. Plus the engine is so far back, you really have to search to find it! (no additional cost)

As for brake and light stations, I got lucky and the BAR guy thought there was one in Escondido. I called a friend who knows that area well and he knew the shop! Easy in, easy out. No check for wipers or back up lights. ($65.00 as they had to rewire my license plate light. A connector was broken.) If anyone wants to drive clear to Escondido, let me know and I will look up the shop name for you.

[Turk]

Sometimes things go OK.

Today was one of those days. I showed up for my 8:00 Am appointment at 7:45.Noise got some of the officers to come out to see what the racket was.

One of them happened to be the VIN Officer. I wasn't expecting to be served not until 8:00Am when the offices opened. I was on the phone talking to Tom Kirkham. I had to hang up on him in a hurry when the officer asked for my paper work.

He asked if I want to come in or wait by the car. I stayed with the car. Came back within minutes asked where I wanted the sticker put, and handed it to me.

Different than last time, no glue, no drilling no rivets. Only one Vin Plate this time. Last time they had to drill holes in the trunk and put a hidden plate there as well.

No charge, real courteous and done.
I left my 8:00 AM appointment at exactly 8:03 AM??

Go figure.

TURK

[Jamo]

Maybe they're sick of you.

[Turk]

We'll find out Friday.
Got an appointment two days out!!
Going back to the same place that did the
ERA
4308
Porsche

We should be on first name basis this trip.

I know I am sick of them and don't see a reason why they should feel differently.

TURK
I wonder if I can take them some donuts?

TURK

[Jamo]

You may have discovered the secret for dealing with them...make them hate you as much as you hate them.

I've yet to come across a situation where donuts couldn't help.

[G.R.]

Crispy Cremes--seem to be a favorite.