SB100 Issues & Suggestions

[MaSnaka]

With only 500 sequence numbers availible I think one per customer is the fairest way to make sure everyone has an equal shot at getting one. Since there is really only one day a year they are even availible, you could say only one per person per day and it wouldn't cange anything if the 500 go the first day they are availible. I don't think it's about giving up your rights. The State could go with supply and demand and auction them off or make them prohibitively expensive and then the rich and famous would be happy. The best answer is to make more numbers availible...say 750-1000 per year. Just picked those at random, I don't know how many people who wanted numbers didn't get them. Does anybody know? That would be interesting.

John

[decooney]

The online procedures and documentation on the DMV website NEEDS to exactly match what the DMV offices use, follow, and abide by in hardcopy. Each office needs to be audited to ensure all former 2001-2007 junk documents and manuals get shredded; and replaced with all new/updated documentation. I can't begin to tell you how many times i've been our local offices to see them pull out the original SPCNS binder from 2001; and this leads to part of the confusion and they don't know what they don't know if nobody has come in there and audited them and cleaned it up.

Although it's improved some over the years at DMV satellite offices, every time a new manager or supervisor or window teller starts working at a DMV office, the whole confusion starts all over again, every year. Most of the time the people on this website know more about what to do with SPCNS and SB100 than 80% of the folks at DMV.

[Jamo]

meat...and anyone else

Just being a realist...I hope nobody tries to phuk with SB100 anymore. The last time it was tweeked, it made it worse.

Need to enforce what we have already...let the AG continue to go after the dealers and the pricks who tried to go around the law in the first place. Tired of the BS about being sucked in by "someone else" or they "didn't know" or they failed to do due diligence when they bought from another owner. Because of the later amendment, many SB100 numbers were used up to "fix" the previous screw-ups. I wished there had been a sunset clause on that...been enough time.

Increased education of the DMV morons...assolutely. Probably do better if it was outsourced to Calcutta to the best of their folks instead of sitting across the counter from the worst of ours.

The DMV site needs to be completely redone, as others have noted.

The whole damn thing ought to be done online. Register normally as an SPCN. Go online to get your SB100 after you start the SPCN process. If the idiots would get their heads out of their asses, it would allow them to cross check before the number is issued.

Need to take the sub-human part (local DMV folks) out of the equation.

JMHO...actually, since I have mine, let 'em scrap the whole damn thing.

[Got the Bug]

Jamo,

I wish you'd stop holding back a really let us know what's on your mind.

I'm glad that you don't let this stuff build up inside you.

BTW - They can't scrap the program until I receive my SB100 cert.

[Jamo]

OK, as soon as you get yours...then!

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

BTW - They can't scrap the program until I receive my SB100 cert.

Doug, always thinking of yourself.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Jamo

JMHO...actually, since I have mine, let 'em scrap the whole damn thing.

Jamo, If you scrap the program, then the kit car business would see a large drop in sales, since CA is a big market for them. Right around 500 per year, right? Anyway, I've been eyeing one of those Kirkham Daytona Coupes for the future.

[alpace@pacificp]

Hmmm. Here goes a calc:

170+ offices. 170 DMV clerks dedicated for an average of 2 hrs each at each location(?) = 340 man hours. 1000 people in line(?) for 500 exemptions....(1000*2 hrs) = 2,000 hours.

2000+340 = 2340 hours or 1 man year (say $50,000...minimum)...to issue 500 permits. (exlcudes additional investment in time required to 'prep' for SB 100, process, SB 100, arriving early, etc.

Ridiculous.

Charge a tax ($250 per car?).....= $125,000 in revenue for state( 500 permits...or what market will bear?) A better proposition?

al

[Randy Rosenberg]

Why not push CA to enact the same legislature that these states have?

Arkansas
Colorado
Florida
Hawaii
Illinois
Maine
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
Oregon
Rhode Island
Virginia
Washington

SEMA SAN - SEMA ACTION NETWORK

[Jamo]

Because that would be too easy.

[Bill Kesner]

Hey Meat,

Haven't seen your name around for a while, since this site opened up for business. Appreciate your assistance with SB100, unfortunately, I was one of those that did not have the SB100 option when I purchased my car, as SB100 came later. After 2-years of fighting and writing with the DMV, discussions with the AG, and the lack of SEMA to assist, I was finally allowed to register my Cobra at the DMV's determined amount of nearly $13K(includes $2K of penalties). Needless to say, I was turned off, and decided to take the car out of state.

As Jamo stated earlier, the "Online Registration" process is a good start. Eliminate the taxes owed based on the vehicle's determined value, and attach a much more fair tax to be applied for all "SPCN' vehicles. And lastly, since there are more cars then there are SPCN numbers to be registered each year, raise the amount from 500 each year to a realistic number such as 5000. This will increase their revenue, and should allow car hobbyists to register their vehicles throughout the year, eliminating the January stampede.

BTW, Hawaii registration costs are based on vehicle weight. Wow, imagine a less greedier concept?

Good luck with all your efforts!

- Bill -

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Bill Kesner

As Jamo stated earlier, the "Online Registration" process is a good start. - Bill -

Uh, give me some credit, I wrote on page 1.

[Jamo]

Yes you did...and I was agreeing with you.

My only addition is to separate out the SPCN Registration process from the SB100 smog exemption process, the latter being the one to conduct online. The Registration process would still require the need for a face-to-face due to the need to produce documents. Someday, it would be nice if CSAA could handle that part in their offices...a higher branch of the human species work there.

[Bill Kesner]

Sorry RodKnock........

Missed your comment on Page-1. Reminds me of that old Fed Ex Commercial, where their brainstorming ideas. " I just said that!. No....no...he did this", jesturing with his hand.

- Bill -

[RodKnock]

I was just kidding around. It doesn't take a genius to think about moving the SB100 process to the Internet. "And I'm no Jack Kennedy."

[meat]

Originally Posted by Randy Rosenberg

Why not push CA to enact the same legislature that these states have?

Because the outline of the SEMA bill doesn't work with California; it requires the creation of a separate license plate design (which California has a moratorium against), it requires the car to be registered as the year the car is supposed to replicate, and because it's just plain silly to create even more ways for the DMV to screw up your registration with the creation of two new categories of car to be registered.

California already has a SPCN category. It doesn't need Custom and Street Rod, too.

I'm sorry that you're so hostile to the idea of being able to properly register a car in California. Maybe you should take up knitting as a hobby instead.

Your pal,
Meat.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by meat

California already has a SPCN category. It doesn't need Custom and Street Rod, too. Your pal, Meat.

While I got involved in a paperwork snafu, the whole process isn't that bad. Making some or all of the previous ideas floated from everyone here, the system would be much improved and more tolerable. I think the big improvement would be adding more numbers. However, I can understand the need to cap it at a lower level, but more than 500.

[meat]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

While I got involved in a paperwork snafu, the whole process isn't that bad. Making some or all of the previous ideas floated from everyone here, the system would be much improved and more tolerable. I think the big improvement would be adding more numbers. However, I can understand the need to cap it at a lower level, but more than 500.

The reason there are only 500 numbers is because of CARB.

I agree with you that the number is low ... but if it was used by individuals - not dealers - for the initial registration of SPCN cars - not motorcycles, etc - the numbers might be adequate.

One of the arguments against SB100 - and even SB1911 - was that manufactured cars shouldn't fall under the umbrella of SB100. CARB and the DMV dudes consider Superformance, Backdraft, Kirkham and other 'semi-finished' vehicles to be manufactured vehicles. And - wouldn't you know it - it comes back to Carroll Shelby's shenanigans.

My presentation to CARB - and to the DMV - was that it is idiotic to force a builder to do everything on a vehicle. He should be able to sub out anything that he doesn't feel comfortable with doing to a specialist who will do the job right. It was a public safety issue. In the end, my argument won.

A problem that I foresee is that the same argument is going to come up again. I can make the same argument, but the dealers who build custom vehicles are once again going to put me on the defensive. Which is one of the reasons that I want to make sure that dealers are excluded from SB100.

But Meat, what about Superformance or Backdraft dealers? They pretty much sell complete cars with SB100 numbers! Yeah ... and that's a problem. In looking at SB100 data, I'm seeing dealer names over and over again. That's wrong.

So ... what to do?

Your pal,
Meat.

[dlang14]

Here are a few random thoughts in no particular order.

1) Setup a few DMV offices to be trained on the SB100 proceedure. I see no reason why every office should deal with this once a year. People already gravitate to the more knowledagable sites (for example Santa Clara here in the south bay region).

2) More numbers.
3) Better definition of what they are for, and what they are not for. Why would someone with a '72 VW based dune buggy need one? But they can use one if they want. Is it for any kit car, or just kits that resemble vehicles that would be smog exampt based on their year, 65 cobra vs. 85 Fierro turned Ferrari w/350 chevy
4) This may be unpopular, and nothing personal to those it would impact but I don't like the idea that you can get one, do nothing with your car for years, and then whenever you get around to it use your sequence number. It seems to me that one full year or heck even 2 to complete your car should be enough. After that the number goes back into the pool of available numbers. Alternatively and probably even less popular you could need to get it as far as the CHP inspection before you could apply for SB100 status. If there was not so few numbers this seems like it wouldnt be a problem, go get your number when your car is ready.

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head.

[meat]

Originally Posted by dlang14

Here are a few random thoughts in no particular order.
3) Better definition of what they are for, and what they are not for. Why would someone with a '72 VW based dune buggy need one? But they can use one if they want. Is it for any kit car, or just kits that resemble vehicles that would be smog exampt based on their year, 65 cobra vs. 85 Fierro turned Ferrari w/350 chevy

I agree. Neither of the bills was ever set up for "rebodies." The bills were to get specially constructed vehicles their first-time registration. Dune buggies and Fiero rebodies already have a VIN number, and they should meet the smog requirements for the year of the base vehicle, or the requirements for a repower (there are provisions for both in the vehicle code).

Originally Posted by dlang14

4) This may be unpopular, and nothing personal to those it would impact but I don't like the idea that you can get one, do nothing with your car for years, and then whenever you get around to it use your sequence number. It seems to me that one full year or heck even 2 to complete your car should be enough. After that the number goes back into the pool of available numbers. Alternatively and probably even less popular you could need to get it as far as the CHP inspection before you could apply for SB100 status. If there was not so few numbers this seems like it wouldnt be a problem, go get your number when your car is ready.

I absolutely agree; there should be an expiration date on the number. You shouldn't even get a number until your car is road-worthy. And, judging by my own experience, it shouldn't take you more than 45 days to get the car on the road. I've had them on the road in as little as a week (CHP is easy, it's the BAR that was the problem - getting an appointment).

Putting the number back into the pool ... well, that's an issue; there's a ton of data attached to it. Maybe have 'provisional numbers' that activate if one of the original 500 numbers fails to get registered in the timeframe. So, if the guy with 42 didn't get his car done, number 501 would become available, and so on.

And I think there should be a penalty if you don't get your car done within the timeframe: you only get one number a year, and now you have to wait until next year and go through the same process again - going through the DMV lottery, etc.. Your money - minus processing fees - is refunded.

Good recommendations, all!

Your pal,
Meat.