CA: New criminal cases filed

[JohnWorthing848]

I understand all of your arguments concerning origin of title and state laws and such, believe me I do. This is not a single issue problem.

I am the owner of an SPF that was registered illegally by the original owner.

[JohnWorthing848]

BTW Randy Rosenberg is an expert on this subject having gone through the same drill I went through to legally register and drive our SPF cars.

As for all of the free advice from you good folks in other states.

You know what they say about free advice, "It is worth every penny."

[MaSnaka]

Replica Cobras have become a special class of car... SPCN. They are NOT 1965 anything but a replica of car built in 1965. It doesn't matter what state you live in. The only part of the car that assimulates an originally titled 1965 Cobra is basically the body and some engine blocks. Some more so than others. If your out of state title says it's a 1965 Cobra I would say it's part of the sherade. What does your insurance carrier call it?

The original thread by Mr. Morgester used the terms "sale of counterfit VINs, offering false instruments, perjury by declaration,and identity theft". This isn't just you or me with a bad title, but people doing this shady stuff for a profit. The people who unknowingly bought these cars have to then clean up the titles and deal with the mess. Innocent until proven guilty but I don't have a problem with this. This has been going on for some time and I believe the messenger here is being upfront with a warning to all...Clean up your titles. I don't understand why there can't be some sort of amnesty giving folks a fair opportunity to do so...allowing more than 500 SB numbers a year comes to mind or an allocation of special numbers for people who come with older titles already in the system. There is obviously a demand and the shortage forces some to try and beat the system.

Maybe an insurance guy could chime in about the position of their company when the so called 1965 Ford that you have been paying a minimum to insure turns out to be a SPCN built in 1997. Would your coverage become void if your car was misrepresented? I don't know.

John

[Randy Rosenberg]

To be frank, there are two problems at hand:

1. Tax evasion
2. Smog requirement avoidence.

I would argue that it is the second of the two above that is giving this group the most headache/heartache. If we could be assured of smog exemption for all of our Specially Constructed Vehicles, then this problem would go away very quickly - everyone with an incorrect title would correct it in a heart beat. But with only 500 SB100 Sequence Numbers, not everyone is willing to take the chance of not getting one by 11am on Jan 2.

The problem in CA is that we have a pretty severe air polution problem, such that the state measures air quality and level of this air quality has a strong effect on the federal dollars that CA receives. Poor air quality means less money from the Feds. With money such a big issue in Sacramento, it is easy for me to see why our state government is not willing to allow an unlimited number of vehicles in the state as smog exempt (or increase the number of SB100 Sequence number 10x or 100x). Unfortunately for us, there are more "tree huggers" and "bean counters" in Sacramento than there are SEMA representatives. Yes, CA has a huge car hobby industry, so how come SEMA has been so successful in other states to get new laws that allow for unlimited smog exempt vehicles, but not successful in CA? How come for the past 7+ years, SEMA has been unsuccessful in getting laws passed in CA like they have in other states to help car hobbiests (us)? I think the answer is based on the strength of the "tree huggers" and "bean counters" as compared to SEMA.

That's my simple view of why we are where we are...

P.S. Thanks John. I'm no expert - just another guy who had to correct an illegal title.

[joey_hv]

with all the problems Cali has this Morgester DA fella feels it is important to take the time and come online to a cobra forum and harass people? and from what I read it is not the first time he has done this.
Never seen the "man" but he strikes me as the type that got picked on and left out by all the hot rodders and jocks in high school....am i close?

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by joey_hv

with all the problems Cali has this Morgester DA fella feels it is important to take the time and come online to a cobra forum and harass people? and from what I read it is not the first time he has done this.
Never seen the "man" but he strikes me as the type that got picked on and left out by all the hot rodders and jocks in high school....am i close?

You are out of line with this post.

Having someone in a position of authority within the state government provide periodic news and insight on this important topic is a major benefit to our CA members.

Plus, you are not in that state...as are others on this thread who feel the need to chime in with disdain.

On this thread, just back off and let the CA members ask and obtain information

thanks
ron
ClubCobra Moderator

[RodKnock]

I just went to the DMV last week to start the registration process. The cleark asked me the year of the car. I said "2007." Every State in the Union has pluses and minuses and, speaking for myself, the pluses are ahead by a huge margin. One plus was today is was near 80 degrees in the SF Bay Area and it was gorgeous.

Thank Mr. Morgester for ALL your postings.

[JohnWorthing848]

are you kidding me?Who the F*&K is the state of California to tell another state that "they" are doing it "wrong".If my Cobra is registered in Az or any other state as a 1965,then it's a NINETEEN SIXTY FIVE FRIGGIN COBRA!!!
__________________

It is what it is! A plastic 'friggin" replica of a great car, just like mine, SPF 848!
And thats the truth! And no I am not kidding, this is a serious subject.
Ask anyone with an illegally registered ca in CA.

[Rich A]

if I bought your 1965 Cobra for $250,000 - that's a good deal for a vintage, original Cobra is such fine shape, and CA issued me the title of my newly acquired 1965 Cobra. Yeehaw, I just bot a $1/2M car for $250K!!! I even have an official state document that says it's a 1965 Cobra - if CA recognizes it as an 1965 Cobra, then it must be...right? Then I learn that it is not an original 1965 Cobra, but in fact a "replica" built in 2004 (for example). I got ripped off!

As someone said before.....
"A fool and his money are soon departed".
"If it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't".
IF your stupid and didn't do your homework and bought a car on someones word, I have a nice bridge in San Fransisco I can sell you.

[xlr8or]

Buff you can't register a car based on the year of the block. The car should be titled based on the year it was manufactured. You can however have the determination of smog requirements based on the year of the block in some cases.

Rodney,
Morgester can't make changes to the laws for the number of SB100 exemptions. A member of the state legislature must initiate that and get the law passed.

[Randy Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by xlr8or

Rodney,
Morgester can't make changes to the laws for the number of SB100 exemptions. A member of the state legislature must initiate that and get the law passed.

True. The AG's office can't make or change laws, only enforce them. Our only advocate in Sacramento is SEMA. Can someone tell me what they are doing to solve this problem?

[Woodz428]

Originally Posted by Randy Rosenberg

True. The AG's office can't make or change laws, only enforce them. Our only advocate in Sacramento is SEMA. Can someone tell me what they are doing to solve this problem?

Randy, it is SEMA and NSRA that supported and penned the Illinois ( as well as some other states) titling law that California doesn't accept. I would think that until they accept that process in place in other states it is unlikely to get changed any time soon.

[Randy Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by Woodz428

Randy, it is SEMA and NSRA that supported and penned the Illinois ( as well as some other states) titling law that California doesn't accept. I would think that until they accept that process in place in other states it is unlikely to get changed any time soon.

I know this, that is why I keep asking, "What is SEMA doing in Sacramento to solve titling problem in CA thru legislation?" Sacramento is not going to a thing to allow more smog exempt vehicles into the state, as I have stated earlier. I think we all can agree that the only way this multi-faceted problem is going to get solved is thru legislation...right? Our only advocate in Sacramento is SEMA, so what have they been doing in the past 5+ years, since the DMV has been "yanking" titles, to create a real solution for everyone, including those who purchase out of state cars (or move to CA with current 1965 Superformance, 1965 Cobra, etc...)?

Honestly, I think we've beaten this dead horse to death a few too many times. It's time to focus all of this energy on a solution. Who can fix this problem in Sacramento? Who can influence our legislatures? Who can represent all of the hot rod industry, 'cause this is not just a Cobra Replica problem?

Hello SEMA - Where are you?

[RodKnock]

I was aware the AG's office does not float and pass bills, and it was wishful thinking, but I thought maybe Mr. Morgester might know of anything circulating around the halls that might increase the limit.

[Woodz428]

My earlier post was alluding to the constitutional clause that Bill posted. While many of the posts mention 1965 Ford or 1965 Cobra on the title, I specificly mentioned a 1965 Superformance Cobra Coupe label. It is known that Superformance was not in business in 1965, and as long as California transferred it in as it is listed on the original title, no one could misconstrue it as a Shelby/AC/Ford. So a point of resale should not be an issue. However, the Constitution takes presidence over any state law ( see:Civil War for further reading), and California is thumbing their nose at it. I am not referring to those that are illegitimately titled and registered. But the premise that other states titling process is so fraught with fraud that unless they adopt California's policies, any title coming from them will be scrutinized and put through special hoops. I am old enough to recall when cars in Ca. came without heaters as standard equipment. I don't recall that the other states adopting the policy of making heaters optional. I believe that it was required that cars in Ca. had to have heaters. Just as they were made to follow along with the rest of the country then, they should be compelled to under the Constitution now, or all states will begin to operate as independant countries and we will be making treaties within the U.S.

[JohnWorthing848]

JW-you still don't get it.

I get it! You registered your car through TU "illegally" when youn lived in CA. When you moved to AZ the CA DMV sent you a love letter asking for your illegal tiltle to be returned to them.

That very act by CA DMV removed their potential liability from you selling your car to some poor fool as a 1965 Ford Cobra.

Get it!

BTW: I am surprised they did not include a bill of unpaid sales tax along with the love letter.

[jdog]

Originally Posted by JohnWorthing848

BTW: I am surprised they did not include a bill of unpaid sales tax along with the love letter.

Those he can pay off while pressing license plates in prison, at $.30 per hour!

jdog
P.S. He'll also get his sentence reduced by a day, for each day he works!

[Randy Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

I was aware the AG's office does not float and pass bills, and it was wishful thinking, but I thought maybe Mr. Morgester might know of anything circulating around the halls that might increase the limit.

Mr. Mogerster has posted here in the past when new bills are drafted/presented. I don't believe that he has influence that we would like him to have or wished that he had. I get the sense that he is feeding us this information, so that we can, as a group, can pressure our representatives to act (in our favor).

Cal: AB 619 Vehicle Registration Amnesty

Honestly, I appreciate him posting on our forum, answering questions, and putting up with the "CA Bashing". He's got a job to do (like many of us) which is to meet the goals and objectives set by his management.

And he's the only government employee I've ever seen post on Club Cobra, and given the highly sensitive nature of this topic of CA Titling, I appreciate his presence here even more.

[xlr8or]

Amazing how much of the CA bashing comes from people that don't even live in the state.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

If anyone remembers, recently a similar problem regarding emissions testing for composite cars (Cobras and street rod replicas) in CT. was addressed in this forum, brought to the attention of a prominant CT. representative, and with her help and communication of interested parties through Club Cobra forums, legislation was adopted to waive emissions requirements for any Kit car registered in the state of CT as of 7/1/07. IT CAN BE DONE! It just takes lots of hard work and COMMUNICATION within the hobby.
These threads are still somewhat active and can be read by all for reference.