Okay, I really have a headache now.
The car might be here Thursday, meaning I'll have all the paperwork for DMV, so rather than wait for my appointment I might just show up bright and early Saturday or Monday morning. So I'm actually piling up the paperwork, only to discover that there are some huge contradictions between (1) registering a used vehicle from another state and (2) registering a specially-constructed vehicle. The latter completely assumes that I am the builder, or at least first owner, and I can't tell what DMV is going to want from me.
If I am registering a vehicle with a Massachusetts title and 5500 miles on the clock (thus obviously NOT being some half-constructed monstrosity)... how do I fill out the vehicle construction form 5036? I didn't buy the body, frame, tranny, engine etc. - so do I put down ERA for body and frame, DCE for the engine and whoever for the tranny as if I bought them myself? Or what?
The Registration form 343 also has a general inspection page - does this apply at all, or is it all waived and rolled into the mandatory CHP inspection?
Finally... If the vehicle is registered in Massachusetts, can I drive it here on that registration? If I'd moved here, I could (apparently), but as a resident buying a nonresident vehicle... am I barred from operating the vehicle at all before I have a valid CA registration and/or TOP?
I know this sounds like a repeat of questions already answered, but it's one of those cases where the actual letter of DMV form and website doesn't quite add up for this situation. Clarification from anyone who's done exactly this process would really be appreciated.