California SB 1578

[SCOBRAC]

Well It's here, the day we have all been waiting for.. As of Jan 1, 2003, in a brief bit of sanity, the State of California will now accept vehicle registrations according to year of chassis OR year of engine for specially constructed vehicles.

If your vehicle has a 1966 engine it may now qualify (provided you kill your first born child) as a 1966.. 1968, a '68 and so on.. An obious benefit in addition to lower insurance rates and increased resale value is, in my case, no more smog checks...

Anyone have a good California DMV story from Jan 1?.. (or later)
I have one I will share at a later date (after I get confirmation my new title is in the mail)

Regards,

[SCOBRAC]

Ok well then.. I guess that there only being 500 of these slots a year doesn't phase anyone... Or maybe we are all just waiting for our paperwork to clear.. (most likely)

[Turk]

Mike I am right behind you.
I need to find out how you did it!!

TURK

[sfry]

Me Too!! I am concerned about the sales tax. I dont' want to spend 5k to title my car in Calif.

TURK- I think your in the same boat as I am!

Shannon Fry

[SCOBRAC]

lol.. The nice thing about the DMV is registering a Cobra.. The lady look and me and says.. "Cobra.. is that by Pontiac?".. I swear she said that.. Your car is worth what you say it's worth.. You built it..

My total fee's when I registered the car were like $580 which included some peanalties from the former owner.. (that was last year) This years fees are $64.. As a '66 they will be $52. You do the math on what that makes the value of the car..

Regards,

[xlr8or]

Can the insurance companies use that "Value" against you on a claim??? That would kinda suck.

[Dirt Cowboy]

SB100 was enacted to enable folks to INITIALLY register new SPCN builds by either the year of the engine, OR, the year the body most closely resembles. Not by chassis, not to RE-REGISTER replirides. If the BAR dude can't figure out what year your car most closely resembles, the process defaults to 1960. I don't know why anybody would try to justify an engine by year, when there are about 275 million pictures of 64/67 Shelby Cobras in the public domain one could use to establish a baseline.

SB1578 was enacted to REMOVE the "INITIAL" part of the registration process on SPCN rides. If one had a replica that had been "mis-registered" initially, htru no fault of his own, one can use SB1578 to correct this oversight. Of course, one will have to pay the taxes,( NOT sales tax, it's a USE tax, which just happens to be the same rate as the local sales tax.)

The real question is "what does the DMV really need to see to register my SPCN?" Since I just went thru this, I feel pretty comfortable in answering. They want to see:
1. MSO, from the factory
2. RECIEPTS of the engine , transmission, the kit, and any other relevant major components. I took in paper on wheels and tires, engine, kit and tranny, and the DMV seemed pretty happy. Me too. The lady charged me $1800, then reduced it to $1336 when I showed her the reciepts of the "MAJOR COMPONENTS." If one had used a Mustang donor, all one would need would be the MSO and title to your donor car, very frugal. I've seen Mustangs as low as $100 around.

That's it. Some folks take in every receipt for every nut and bolt, but this practice just serves to confound the clerks at DMV. Keep It Simple Stoopid, take in the bare neccessities. It appears, after my recent foray, that the impression is that the value of most SPCN cars are all the same as an FFR kit, i.e. $25K or so, as it appears FFR's are most frequently presented. This info could be beneficial to folks who are building other types of cars. Heck fire, if one bought, oh say, a Kirkam roller for 22K, and a "donor car" for a couple of thou, the bill would be almost the same as mine. If one is adamant that he doesn't own any "cheepo" replica, then step right up to the 8% on 80/100K "use tax".

One further note, if your replica is registered as a 65, 66 or whatever, beware. It seems DMV is asking folks with cars titled as such to present the cars and paperwork to justify the exemption. Check out the Superformance thread from a couple of days ago, there have been some FFR types receiving the same letter.

[RallySnake]

Cowboy,

Thanks for clearing this up. I had read that a new bill was passed to allow older SPCNS cars to be reregistered as of the year of the engine. After 16 years of dealing with smog nonsense, I am looking forward to getting my car reregistered as a '69.

Yeeeee Haaaaa!

Paul

[SCOBRAC]

Yea, I figured you guys could go look up SB 1578, but thank you cowboy for spelling it out..

So today.. Jan 6, 2003, five days after the DMV babe Wanda who was trying to process my title change but didn't have a procedure to do so, but did sit on hold with HEADQUARTERS for an hour failed yet again to call me back as she promised she would.

I called HEADQUARTERS myself.. First guy I get says.. SB 1578 wasn't passed, but then tells me it only affects smog standards.. OK, was it not passed or does it affect smog standards.. But is willing to pass the buck, (and give me a telephone number to the Reichstag itself..

Second person, higher up the food chain... Ya, Ve don't have any information on that new law sir.. Would you like to call the Vice Field-Marshall Von Uberfurer, they make the procedures.. "What.. Yes.. Of course.. Get me their number.."

So I get an intelliget sounding (english speaking person) "Office of the Uberfurer" (cool.. this has only taken an hour on the phone) I ask her if I can find out the status of my particular case, or even whether there has been a procedure established to register cars under 1578. She seems to understand the question, (this is the first person to do so)

"What DMV did you go to sir.. Procedures have been clearly established" (ok I'm this five hours into this including today's calls) So I tell her as politely as I can there has been considerable confusion without making my situation any worse..

"If your information was taken and a SPCNS Sequence Number was issued you will receive a Certificate in the mail." Certificate? for what? Just a certificate?? How is it used? (no reply.. then..) "Once a certificate is issued no further action is required".

Ok.. so I need do nothing more, I ask.. "NO" Ok.. thank you for your time.. (leaving well enough alone knowing that the Uberfurer can take as easily as he can give)

So.. I guess you can go to your DMV with a copy of the new law and hope they have been brought up to speed.. I had a internet print out from the California State Senate explaining the new law as well as a page from the DMV website.. The DMV in my local office looked at it and said.. "I hate when they put this stuff on the internet"...

Without it I would have been turned away in 3 min. Good luck..

[agro1]

...Like I've said before - It'd be a shame to see the DMV blown off the face of the planet, I would loose some serious sleep over that one...And all the mental midget room temperature IQ idiots that works there too, it'd be a cryin' shame...

Crap was that out loud ?

[good2go]

Hey guys,

Remember the DMV investigators monitor this forum. Be careful about discussing ways to beat the system on taxes since that is what it is all about. "follow the money"

Private e-mail is better for these discussions.

[agro1]

I don't think anyone here is TRYING to beat the system as far as taxes are concerned - I paid mine already, so have many of the other guys I have talked to...All we really care about is being able to drive our cars...
If the DMV investigators ARE in fact listening, maybe they will wise up and realize that fact and maybe also realize that their efforts would be better served by trying to find a way to track down the millions of uninsured motorists on California highways that end up causing the public at large millions of wasted dollars everytime some uninsured jerk rearends someone.
But that would be a stretch cause all the DMV cares about is money in THEIR pocket.

Furthermore I think all of you guys who are hiding and reluctant to say anything here cause the DMV may be watching are a bunch of cowards - this is where you speak you mind and hopefully they will listen. What do you think they are gonna do, come after you for something you say on here ?? Give me a break, as long as you don't overtly talk about doing something fraudulant, what's the big friggin deal??? I hate the DMV, they f-ing suck and they employ a bunch of idiots - there, I said it. Hope you are listening MR. DMV Inspector -

[SCOBRAC]

Value is in the eye of the beholder.. If you built a car and you say it's worth $3,500.. It's worth $3,500.. If you buy a car for $35,000 and say you bought it for $3,500 you are violating the law..

As for the DMV monitoring this site.. I will tell you from experience they do not have the time nor intellgence.. This is not meant to be insulting. It is simply truth..

[agro1]

SCOBRAC - Well said...

[SCOBRAC]

Well..

It's been a week.. No "certificate" as yet..

[BULLITT]

I wonder if SPF Owners are regestering there cars as "1965 Ford Cobras", maybe thats why they are getting flaged by DVM. I have a SPF, I've had mine for 6 years. Many of my friends have SPF cars & I have a friend on the Force will be buying one soon.
It makes my head spin with this DMV Garbage sending letters & Revoking Regristrations. Where will it end, If ever.

[SCOBRAC]

Is that what you meant by a "dirty" title? I haven't heard about DMV pulling titles.. But I suspect if you have a title that says 1965 Ford Cobra it is Carroll Shelby running amuck in the DMV computer room.. Probably wants a royalty check to get you re registered..

[Lew the taxman]

SCOBRAC

I beg to differ with you. You can't build a cobra and tell them it's worth only $3,500. Unless that's all you paid for the kit and all of the components. Don't think so! Example: If you build a real nice cobra say for $30,000. You'll have to pay sales tax on the kit plus components that you haven't already paid taxes on. Your cobra maybe worth $50,000, but you still must pay tax on the 30 grand. Actually! You're lucky. How about the guy who buys a vette for 50 grand plus. $50,000 x 7%. That's $3,500 or over.

I guess we just have to pay for the privilege of living in Calif. Where we can drive our cars year round. (4,800 miles since I took delivery on Oct. 1st)

Lew

[Turk]

Lew,
We DO pay for that priviledge, and Pay and PAY....
It would be nice if we didn't have to sit in our cars in traffic for hours or tore our cars apart on the roads we paid and paid.

TURK
Maybe we should pay more so the state can spend and spend more and more.

[SCOBRAC]

Privledge for living in California... Hmmm.. I am sure you are good at what you do.. If you are willing to give up $3500. to reg YOUR creation after paying 43% tax on the income it took to get the money to build the car, 7-9% sales tax (in California) to buy the parts for the car YOU built, on top of that every gallon of 91 octane you buy has fuel taxes and fees of 45%..

Lew.. That's 96% in taxes.. Ad in speeding tickets and we are at 100%.. I suppose technically somehow by law you might be right. But If I am willing to sell my car to Turk for $35,000. $3,500. or $3.50 that that is it's value and as a basis for value and the basis for common law in 49..er 48 states (not including Lousiana). Go wreck your Toyota.. That is one way your insurance company decides what it is worth. They don't ask the DMV.

As for the sucker that bought the Vette.. He deserves to pay 5k in fees..