California: Amnesty Passes

[xlr8or]

The amnesty program wants you to take the car and get it registered properly as SPCNS (special construction). Once you have that done you can get the SB100 for the smog cert.
The first part will include/require CHP visit for VIN verification and brake/light inspection. Once that is done you can apply for SB100 on Jan. 4th.

[bandito]

So i am interested in a Backdraft Racing with a Roush Modular motor. Will I be able to register it? Will it make a difference if it's a kit or a turnkey?

Eric

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by bandito

So i am interested in a Backdraft Racing with a Roush Modular motor. Will I be able to register it? Will it make a difference if it's a kit or a turnkey?

Eric

Welcome to CC Bandito!

If you're in California, search for SB100 and/or follow the links that were posted in this thread.

The bottom line is that you can't register a new turnkey car in California.

If the supplier can provide you with separate receipts from two different companies (i.e. one for chassis and another receipt for the engine/trans/install), you can present the car as a specially constructed car in California. Depending on how fast the SB100 certifications go in January, you may have to wait until 2011.

If you buy a kit, you'll need to have an MSO and all of the receipts for the build. Once you're done, you'll need to go through the SB100 process.

If you buy a previously registered car from out of State, it's critical that the car be legally titled in the State that the car is registered in. You'll still need to secure an SB100 sequence number to register a car from out of State in California.

[Randy Rosenberg]

Here's a link to SEMA's recent announcement of Amnesty, etc...

http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=62654

[Excaliber]

Randy, I think that is an older article by SEMA. Since then some issues have come up with this section:

For vehicles with an exemption, a smog test referee compares the vehicle to production cars of the era that the specially constructed vehicle most closely resembles to determine the model year. The vehicle owner can then choose whether the inspector will certify the vehicle model year by body type or by the engine model year.

Seem's to me the there was some change to the year of engine aspect to this.

The basic problem with ANY of these laws are the various Government agencies not always agreeing or knowing what the right hand or the left hand is doing. DMV says one thing, BAR says another, the rules are open to interpretation of other rules impacting the new rules and then nobody know who rules!

[Gunner]

I don't believe the "year of engine" qualifies any more, at all. If the vehicle is not substantially built on an existing frame and resembles the original vehicle, it's specially constructed. You will have to have a first-500 SPCN sequence number to qualify for smog exemption even if you're using an original Model T engine.

I wonder if anyone taking advantage of the amnesty will be able to get a valid SB100 tag this year. If the amnesty doesn't apply until January 1, those with bogus registrations will have to both clear up the registration AND try to snag a sequence number... maybe, but I wouldn't count on it by the end of the day on January 4. More likely the cleared registration will be in position for an SB-100 number NEXT January.

[Randy Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Randy, I think that is an older article by SEMA. Since then some issues have come up with this section:

Seem's to me the there was some change to the year of engine aspect to this.

The basic problem with ANY of these laws are the various Government agencies not always agreeing or knowing what the right hand or the left hand is doing. DMV says one thing, BAR says another, the rules are open to interpretation of other rules impacting the new rules and then nobody know who rules!

For vehicles with an exemption this means SB100, and one can choose Model Year or Engine Year with SB100. Either way, the article is current from SEMA. My only comments are that it is a shame that SEMA failed to get their "standard" legislature passed in CA, as they have done in many other states, and that the only non-SB100 solution that they negotiated is GM only based. Let's hope there are enough SB100 numbers for all of the Cobra Replica owners who are running Ford motors.

[ceswert]

I think this is the category my Cobra falls into. I purchased it from a CA dealer, but the SPCN tag is from Nevada. I have had no problem registering or renewing until now? Appreciate your input.

[Gunner]

I made an appointment to go pick up my custom plates today, and almost as an afterthought took all my SB-100 and registration stuff with me. I thought I would get some errors on the temporary reg corrected in time for Monday. The first clerk I got could not issue the plates (they have to go out with a completed registration, so I'll get them Monday) and referred me to a very busy supervisor on my SB-100 questions.

She took one look at the CHP verification and said, "No way!" The inspector had written 2006 as the year, and she was insistent that this field had to be marked 0000 for a specially-constructed vehicle. I told her (verrrry politely) that the CHP officer had been certain he'd done it right and they could call him if there were any questions.

Well, she not only called him, but called him in. He showed up a half-hour later and even though he has done a dozen inspections a day for years, she re-educated him on several points and he left a few inches shorter than he arrived. He also redid the inspection... and everything else passing approval, I should be in and out on Monday after handing the packet back to the same supervisor.

I had intended to go to the Folsom office based on recommendations, but as I'm all set at the Carmichael office (my usual stop for things DMV) I will be there at the crack-of on Monday. No sense taking chances.

But take this scare as a confirmation of the 0000 model year requirement - apparently some DMVs let a stated year slide but it's wrong, wrong, wrong and will get you stopped in your tracks.

[Got the Bug]

Gunner,

Just to clarify, the DMV told you that both the "year first sold" and an "year" (two distinct fields on the final reg form) both should be 0000? If so, that's contrary to everything I've seen in the past, but nothing surprises me when it comes to how the SB100 process is administered.

As I've mentioned in the past, there's a general template for the process, but you can count on a couple of curve balls before it's over.

BTW - Half of the people in line had the "year first sold" as 2007 when I was in line for SB100. The DMV yanked the paperwork out of our hands and changed it in their system to 00/00/0000 before they made the call to Sac for the SB100 sequence numbers. Year on the final registration form (like the majority of people who have SB100) is shown as the year you paid your fees.

Update: I took a look at my temp registration document from the DMV and my final registration card. The Temp registration form has three different fields relate to Year.

Temp Registration Form

- YR MODEL = 0000
- YR 1ST SOLD = 0000
- *YR = 20xx (year fees paid)

Final Registration Form/Pink Slip

- DATE FIRST SOLD = 00/00/0000
- YR = 20xx

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

Just to clarify, the DMV told you that both the "year first sold" and an "year" (two distinct fields on the final reg form) both should be 0000? If so, that's contrary to everything I've seen in the past, but nothing surprises me when it comes to how the SB100 process is administered.

I watched while the supervisor hauled out manuals and reference sheets (apparently the big refresher seminar is tomorrow, so she hadn't looked things over for some time) and it's CRITICAL that the model year be 0000. Year first sold can apparently be any valid year - 0000, 2009 (first operation in CA) or 2006 (first date of title). This is the boss lady for the process at Carmichael, so if she says it has to be 1907 I'm good with it.

If she has it wrong she'll be first in line to fix it before calling downtown Sac. She really put in the extra effort - through her lunch break - and the CHP officer did, too. I dunno what to do for the DMV folks but the cop went over and above ("You have my number; call me if there's anything else... I can screw up for you!"). I think a donation to 11-99 is in order.