Tax/Title/License Fees in California

200Plus · #1 (**permalink**) 02-25-2005, 06:06 AM

I am in the process of ordering a SPF Daytona Coupe and am exploring the possiblity of buying the car in NC and having it shipped here to California. I was wondering if anyone out there had experience with registering a "specialty constructed vehicle" in California. The dealer in NC has a better price (almost $3k) and sales tax is almost half (4.5% vs 8.25%). That kind of money seems better spent on things like more HP! Also, my parents live in NC and I could possibly (?) register the car in NC, saving a lot of headaches with CA registration. Not sure if that is "proper" or not. I'm having a hard time finding anyone at the DMV who has a clue about this kind of thing, so I'm looking to tap the wealth of knowledge from you guys/gals out there. Thanks!

CJ428CJ · #2 (**permalink**) 02-25-2005, 07:04 AM

Click on the search button and do a search for SB100 (the California bill that addresses how to register replica cars). You'll find a ton of information. Note that if you buy a car out of state and then bring it into California, you'll end up paying sales tax at the California rate. I think you can get around that if the car is first registered in another state for at lease 3 months (or maybe 6). But driving a Cobra in California with NC plates would be a huge red flag and I don't think you'd get away with it for long. So, if you have to pay California sales tax anyway, and then you have to get it from NC to California (probably $1800 to have it shipped), you really haven't saved much. If it were me, I'd just buy it here. Or I'd really consider buying a pre-owned SPF that has already gone through the SB100 process. You'd save a ton of hassle and probably quite a bit of money too.

Chris

Ron61 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-25-2005, 07:08 AM

200Plus,

Registering the car out of state will get you maybe 4 months driving here. Even if you own property and live in another state part time, it has to be about 6 months a year now as they are really cracking down on vehicles of all kinds that are registered out of state for the very reason of saving on taxes. The Calif. DMV can't tell you anything because no two people working for it think the cars should be registered the same way. The only way you can have it legally registered here is with a SB-100 number or have it registered to the year of the engine block and have to pass that years smog tests every two years. Also if you are buying a turn key car from a dealer, used cars aren't considered under this, you can't register it under SB-100 as that is just for special construction and you have to do some of the work yourself or have all the major receipts from different places for what they did. Example, a Superformance comes minus engine and transmisison. You have to show receipts for the engine, tranny, and installation and they can't be from a Superformance dealer. Also whichever DMV you happen to get and the person in that DMV can either really help or make it impossible for you to get a number.

Ron

Randy Rosenberg · #4 (**permalink**) 02-25-2005, 08:45 AM

200Plus,

All of the advice above is very good.

I see from the ZIP in your profile that you are in So Cal. Given your desire for an SPF, it would be worth your while to discuss these issues in detail with both the local SPF dealer (Hillbank), as well as other owners in So Cal. These two sources will give you first hand advice, face to face, and be able to answer your "follow on" questions easier.

Good luck!

Regards,
Randy R...

P.S. I sat in an SPF Coupe last Saturday. I was really impressed with the fit and finish.

200Plus · #5 (**permalink**) 02-26-2005, 08:21 AM

Thanks, Randy. I had a 3 1/2 hour meeting with Hillbank yesterday and now just need quotes from the engine/transmission guys. Were you in Vegas last weekend? Lance from Hillbank had his coupe there and got it signed by Shelby! He now has signatures from Price, Brock, Shelby and Bob Bondurant. The coupe is really nice and I can't wait to get it!

Doug C

Adrian472 · #6 (**permalink**) 02-26-2005, 08:35 AM

Doug
What color did you go for?????
Adrian

200Plus · #7 (**permalink**) 02-26-2005, 10:01 PM

That is one of the decisions that will be finalized next Saturday when I place the order. Right now I am thinking about titanium with darker silver metallic stripes or indigo blue with either wimbledon white stripes or titanium stripes. Hillbank is having some of his customers bring their cobras by next Saturday so I can see their color schemes. Tough but fun decisions!

crillyiv · #8 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 12:11 AM

200Plus,
I suggest that you go to DMV and ask them all your questions. The dealer and folks here will give you the best info they have, but it is the DMV you will have to deal with.

There are a lot of unresolved areas when it comes to the initial titling/reg./smog of a SPCNS in CA without one of the 500 exemptions. I am looking into this right now as well.

decooney · #9 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 02:02 AM

200Plus,

I gotta a friend, Bob, who is the SPF dealer in Nevada. He had a Brock Coupe in there two weeks ago. Cool car. Be sure to tell Bob that Duane from WSCB sent you. Gotta speak with Bob though... at: Dynamic Motorsports, (775) 323-8795, 9728 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89511. They are brining a few to WSCB as well if you don't buy one before then.

Good Luck.

Turk · #10 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 03:09 AM

Not to be a jerk but, being in the business makes me a little sensitive to these kind of things.

You spent 3.5 hours with the dealer but now planning on buying one out of state to save $3000.00 even though you'll spend half of it on transportation.

What does Hillbank get out of this?
As for registering it out of state to get around Calif. DMV etc.
I wouldn't if I were you.

Not now, not in California.

TURK

ToyCollector · #11 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 07:56 AM

Good advice from all. I am with TURK on this as well, enclosed transport will easily be around $1500+. Consider that still leaves some differential from buying locally, but also consider after sales support and what Hillbank has already done and is willing to do for you. If $1,500 is going to swing this deal, you might want to build a motor for 87 octane then to save on operating costs as well.

tpiini · #12 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 08:17 AM

I no longer live in CA (thank God) but I spent 24 years playing cops 'n' robbers there. I can say with the utmost certainty that driving a Cobra in CA with out of state plates will attract attention. Sooner or later, some cop will notice that you have "sure been visiting for a long time" and yank you over to check it out. Even if you have an out-of-state address, you'll be cited for registration and likely end up paying BACK registration, taxes & penalties when the DMV is through with you.

And as for buying out of state and bringing it into CA, you'll have to pay sales tax at the DMV even if you paid it in another state just a few minutes before.

There's no easy way.

Ron61 · #13 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 08:35 AM

Tpiini,

You are certainly correct about the out of state plates, but it is on any car, not just SPCNS. I live close to the Oregon border and for many years it seemed half the people around here had Oregon plates on their motor homes and trucks to avoid the taxes. Now any out of state license plate that is seen is automatically checked to see if you are a resident of our great Republick. And many large fines have been issued to owners of those big motor homes and trucks. Now if you have property in Oregon and can show receipts for utilities and such that prove you live there at least half the year, that is ok. But you will have to show them an Oregon drives license as well. They are especially watching plates from neighboring states such as Nevada too.

Ron

200Plus · #14 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 05:14 PM

Thanks for all the input from everyone. I would not go around the dealer here to save $1,500, but right now the difference is $9k not counting the incremental difference in tax on $81k versus $90k... My first option is to buy in CA if I can get the difference to be reasonable... Thanks again for all the input!

Doug

Turk · #15 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 05:50 PM

In that case, I think you should tell the local dealer as much as you would love to buy locally he is making it difficult for you to do business with him by charging almost $10,000 more than you can buy elsewhere.

If it is anything like the conventional cars, both dealers probably paid the same to get the cars in. If he is not willing to make some price concessions to earn and keep your business, then all bets are off.
You tried...

Big difference between $3000.00 and $10,0000

jdog · #16 (**permalink**) 02-27-2005, 07:43 PM

Looking back on things, I think I would have been better off to buy an existing Ca car w/sb100 #! What a pain-in-the-#ss registration in Ca has become!
Those SB100 #'s have turned in the 'Golden Ticket' here in the Golden State. I can't believe how many SB100 #'s have been used up by 'old clunkers' trying to avoid the smog regulations. They are keeping some very nice cars off of the street, not to mention the loss of revenue to DMV. A new Cobra will pay a lot more for registration for his SB100 # than some old Buick!

jdog

P.S. Sorry if you have an old Buick!

Ron61 · #17 (**permalink**) 02-28-2005, 03:51 AM

Jdog,

Not sure how much of this can be taken seriously, but when I spent the half day on the phone with the CARB people, the head person told me that they were in favor of auctioning off the 500 numbers as they had people willing to pay $100K for one of them. He said there would be no need for an amnesty period then as that woud take many of the low end people out of the market. That pretty much sums up what I heard from some other sources too. Also when I asked him how many any one person could buy, he said as many as they can afford if he was doing it. His exact words, "Just think how much money we could raise by doing this each year." However I don't think the intent of the bill was for the select few to get numbers and a select few in Sacramento to get wealthy off of it.
As for the old Buicks, they should fall under the 30 year exemption for the most part.

Ron

jdog · #18 (**permalink**) 03-05-2005, 09:25 PM

Maybe they could issue them like they do some of the deer hunting tags. You have a few months to buy an application and send it in. Then they have a drawing and the first 500 get their SB100 #. Everyone else has to wait until next year.
For some animals that are in high demand (Bighorn Sheep) they reserve a few (1 or 2) and auction those off every year. In some states if you don't get drawn for the 3rd year, you automatically get one! You only pay for the tag once, but you pay an 'application' fee every year!
How fair would this system be?

jdog

Ron61 · #19 (**permalink**) 03-06-2005, 04:10 AM

If they priced them within the normal persons range and then if you never got drawn for the 3rd year they automatically issue you one, I think that would be as fair if not more so than the system now. At least people wanting to register a car would know they could do so in 3 years, but what about the thousands they won't draw the first two years. There will still just be 500 numbers for the 3rd year.

Ron

CoupedUp · #20 (**permalink**) 03-06-2005, 08:28 AM

My user id was 200Plus, but there was a database problem. Just a follow-up to let you know that I was able to work things out with my local dealer (Hillbank) and ordered my SPF Coupe yesterday. Thanks for the help and advice. Now the real fun begins - I get to look forward to dealing with the CA DMV. All things considered, I guess it's a good problem to have!

Doug
(formerly 200Plus)