AC Replica Cobra California registration/smog

[vanbuski]

I have recently purchased a beautiful '66 AC Cobra replica from a friend in Pennsylvania. It will be shipped to my Northern California home by the end of June. Now the question: How do I get the vehicle registered and through the CA 'smog red tape'. The car has a clear PA title and VIN #. Any experience out there on the best way to proceed ???
Al

[Snak Iyz]

Vanbuski,

If you do a search on SB100 or CA Registration threads, you will find boat loads of information, how to's, and venting ad nauseum.

Good luck...it's a little tricky, but you will find most if not all of the info you need here. You could also try cobratrader.com and look under registration.

- Snak Iyz

[Snak Iyz]

you have Turk in your neighborhood..... and he is a wealth of information....(good and bad)

[jdog]

Welcome Al,
I hope have lots of patience. dealing with DMV you'll need it. There are 2 ways to register your car in Ca.
1. Wait in line on 2 Jan 05, and get one of the 500ea SB100 #'s that they issue annually. This will allow you to choose the year of your car, and you can go with 65. 65=no smog! All #'s are gone for this year.
2. Smog to the year of the block.
jdog
P.S. see you in line at DMV in Jan

[Turk]

Vanbuski,
Send me email at ate@chevs.com.
I too live in Vacaville...

TURK

[Cracker]

Turk - And all this time I thought you were going, I mean living in Hell!

[Turk]

Same thing..

[BMK]

Stay off the roads in Vacaville




Cheers

Bernie

[Twallerich]

Vanbuski -

I'll be registering a 1981 Aurora Cobra next week, so I researched this. If you want to register your existing car/engine block, the California Bureau of Automotive Repair has a "Referee" service, with whom you'll need to make an appointment. The appointment scheduling number is 800-662-7733. You'll need to bring any existing registration, topped up oil and coolant, working gas cap, $35 fee plus $8.25 for a certificate.

They'll schedule you at a location of your choosing, and the review/exam/test takes about 50 minutes.

Good luck

[jdog]

Either of you guys care to share your results with the Ca DMV?
Just curious?

jdog

[Twallerich]

I'm in the middle of it myself, with a 1983 Aurora Cobra. It's factory built with same year engine and VIN. Your car is from out of state, so must comply with CA regs...If your car was NOT factory built (same year engine and VIN numbers), you'll fall under the "specially constructed vehicle" application process.

The DMV will require a smog "sticker," which, from the factory, is a diagram under the hood showing all the smog components installed. Without that sticker, the DMV will send you to the referee service (California Bureau of Automotive Repair [BAR] Referee Center: http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/StdPage....s-Jun_2003.htm) to get smogged, and you'll then have the option of installing components in compliance with the year of the vehicle number OR the year of the enging number. Even if you pass smog, you'll still need all the emission components consistent with the year you choose. (Pre '76 requires no components, I believe) Once you have the approval and sticker from the BAR referee, you can register title with the DMV.

Another option: Under the Calif. Senate Bill #100 process - new titles and registration docs are issued to the first 500 applicants each year. They are issued first come - first serve and if accepted, your vehicle registration is dated 1960. You'll never again need to get smogged to re-register.

Good luck. -Tom W

[Twallerich]

jdog - As I'd said, I'm in the middle of the reg process. My car has a factory smog component diagram under the hood. It shows several components which have been removed, and I'm in the process this week of locating these parts. I've been once to the referee, passed emissions easily, but was failed because of the missing compnoents.

The process is - I replace the components, go back for second (and final) referee check, and get the certificate needed by the DMV.

My problem may be in locating the missing 1983 Mustang smog devices. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm told there's a revision bill in the state legislature to change this process back to how it was. I'm also looking into that as it may save me a bunch of time and money reinstalling needless hardware.

[Twallerich]

THIS JUST IN - This bill passed the CA Assy on Aug 4 and Senate on August 10 and is due to be signed into law next week.

SB 1615, Denham. Air pollution: smog check: out-of-state vehicles. Existing law establishes a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program (smog check), administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs and the State Air Resources Board, that provides for the inspection of all motor vehicles, except those specifically
exempted from the program, upon registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain other
circumstances. Existing law also establishes an enhanced motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program (smog check II) in each
urbanized area of the state, any part of which is classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment area for specified air contaminants.
Existing law also requires the smog tests to include, at minimum, loaded mode dynamometer testing in enhanced areas, and 2-speed testing in all other program areas, and a visual or functional check of emission control devices specified by the department. Existing law exempted from those requirements, until January 1, 2003, any motor vehicle manufactured prior to the 1974 model-year, and after that date, exempts any motor vehicle that is 30 or more model-years old. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to require that, upon registration of a motor vehicle subject to the smog check program that was previously registered outside this state,
a person obtain a valid certificate of compliance or noncompliance.

This bill would repeal that provision requiring a person to obtain a certificate of smog check compliance upon the registration of a motor vehicle that was previously registered outside this state and would instead make those motor vehicles subject to the same requirements as in-state motor vehicles. The bill would make related
conforming changes and delete obsolete references from existing law, and would provide that the deletions of obsolete references from existing law would only become operative if AB 2683 does not become operative, as specified.
Under existing law, 1965 or older model vehicles previously registered outside this state, with certain exceptions, are exempt from existing requirements for obtaining a certificate of smog check compliance or certificate of noncompliance, as appropriate, as a condition of registration of the vehicle in this state.
This bill would revise the exemption to apply instead to the registration of vehicles previously registered outside this state that are 30 or more model years old, unless Assembly Bill 2683 is also enacted, and both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2005, in which case this bill would revise existing law, operative April 1, 2005, to make the exemption applicable to the registration of 1976 and earlier model year vehicles that have been previously registered outside this state.

[jdog]

I hope to have my car by the end of the year. I will be in line in Jan 05 to get an SB100 #. If I don't have it by then I will try the year of block route, mine is a 66' 427fe.

jdog

[SCOBRAC]

Man I'd just run it with no registration until 2006...