CA Registration - it's done!

[cobra de capell]

Short story - purchased a Cobra from CA when I was in AZ, registered it in AZ (as a 1965 Ford - as it was registered in CA)- no issues, no problems. Moved to CA, DMV came after the car - illegally registered in CA.

One year later, SB100 in place, BAR done - had to purchased a Bond, lights/brakes, VIN changed - it's done and legal. Cost - around $3,500.

Advice - don't buy a replica in CA that doesn't have an SB100, don't move to CA with a replica. Be prepared for a hellacious and long 'experience' with the CA DMV when a replica is involved, but always be nice to DMV personnel, especially the local people. Always have a lot of money.

[Randy Rosenberg]

I went thru a similar experience - what a nightmare!

Congrats on weathering the storm and sticking it out. It's a very beaurocratic process fraught with tons of red tape, but you made it thru!

Regards,
Randy...

[Got the Bug]

Great to hear you made it through the process and you're now legal!

It defies all logic that the DMV will register anything (and take your money), then turn around and say that a car is registered illegally. There's also no standardization in the SB100 process and the requirements vary from DMV office to DMV office (and even between the reps in the same DMV office). Just takes perserverance to get it done.

[cobra de capell]

True - it's actually an interesting study in how a state agency works, or more specifically doesn't work in that the right hand doesn't seem to know what the left hand is doing, except when one is able to get someone in the agency interested in actually helping one out.

The best part of the experience was with the CHP, the guy that assisted us knew his stuff and it only took him 4 hours to work out a new VIN. BAR ended up confused, but made a ton of calls and ended up OK.

It was really strange to have to buy a Bond covering a car I owned for 4 years with the complete history of the car well known and verifiable (original owner and myself since the late 1980's).

All I can say is that it was a long, strange trip with a ton of paperwork to now file away.

I really, really enjoy my Cobra so it was worth it, but I'll never buy another kit car, never.

[cobra de capell]

Originally Posted by Randy Rosenberg

I went thru a similar experience - what a nightmare!

Congrats on weathering the storm and sticking it out. It's a very beaurocratic process fraught with tons of red tape, but you made it thru!

Regards,
Randy...

The interesting part is that your experience and my experience are more than likely not the same experience, simply based on the DMV personnel, BAR personnel, CHP personnel that each of us dealt with and that is why it's impossible to convey an ABC of what to do and expect to anyone else that may be facing this hellacious 'event'.

If one buys a Cobra in CA, buy real (really documented) or buy one with a verifiable SB100 and legal registration, period.