1980-1985 Porsche 930 Registration CA

[Pau]

Hi,

Apologies in advance if this has been asked before.

I am looking into buying a 930. I heard/read that registering a MY 80 to 85 is impossible. Is that still the case?
I actually saw a 1985 930 at a dealership here in LA and he told me if I wanted it street legal then it's impossible to get a plate for it.

I found one that is an import but has a official TAG on the door. Is this the same?
https://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/cto/d/newfane-porsche/6933333320.html

Does anyone know if I can take this car to the CA DMV and register it?? Obviously there's the SMOG test.
Anyone ever succeeded in this?

Thanks!
Paul

[93097004xx]

It’s entirely possible to get a RoW 930 to pass california emissions. $7000 to $12,000 depending on the state of condition and if the air system is still present.

The california BAR system is quite interesting as I believe each county sets its own standards for emissions when it comes to vintage automobiles.

My favorite movie is rain man since I saw it as a 10 year old boy..

The scene where charlie babbitt looses his business over 4 lamborghini countachs is unfortunately still true today 30 years later..

Tree huggers.. I also understand that Italy is currently adopting crazy legislation to ban all classic automobiles from entering urban areas..

[gumba]

California smog needs to pass a visual as well as smog. If the motor has been modified/altered then you would need to replace those parts with the correct smog parts, which is where it would get expensive.
If you want a 930, look for a bone stock (or nearly) one which already passes smog. If your looking at a modified 930, then talk to a P mechanic who should be able to give you some idea of the cost.
Our 930 with a 3.5 twin plug, SSI headers and a big i/c, and will all the smog stuff in place & working use to pass smog.

[JMS935]

I feel for you guys in Cali, I haven't had to worry about emissions testing for years. I've got both US spec and Euro spec 930s. Can't you just register it in another state? When I first started collecting 930s I lived in Illinois, which had emissions testing back then, and I was having a difficult time passing. So I just registered the cars in Florida after that - no emissions testing. I have since (many years later) moved to Florida, so the cars are now physically located and registered in the same state, but for a while they were located in Illinois and registered in Florida to avoid this emissions nonsense.

[gumba]

Ca. Cracked down on that a long time ago.

[JMS935]

Originally Posted by gumba

Ca. Cracked down on that a long time ago.

How? It can’t be illegal to drive a car in Cali with an out of state plate on it. I don’t get, please explain how they keep people from doing this. Illinois couldn’t do it with me.

[dannobee]

You have 20 days to register the car in CA. And if you get pulled over and the cop sees your CA driver license, he will likely cite you for it. They've been cracking down on that since the finance dept estimated the lost revenue was in the tens of millions of dollars each year.

That said, why not just buy a 78-79 or 86 and later 930?

[JMS935]

Originally Posted by dannobee

You have 20 days to register the car in CA. And if you get pulled over and the cop sees your CA driver license, he will likely cite you for it. They've been cracking down on that since the finance dept estimated the lost revenue was in the tens of millions of dollars each year.

That said, why not just buy a 78-79 or 86 and later 930?

So just get a 2nd drivers license, that’s what I did. I had a Florida DL and Illinois DL at the same time. It even gives you twice the outs with the law, as states rarely compare notes. I learned this trick from my dad, who did it because of his lead foot with getting lots of speeding tickets. Then the problem is solved, you can buy the car you want and not have to spend thousands of dollars neutering it for California’s ridiculous emissions laws.

Get that euro spec 930. Register it out of state and get a DL in that state as well.

[RarlyL8]

So just get a 2nd drivers license

That is illegal.
My assumption for a gray market 930 is it must be federalized for CA and have all the paperwork in order to prove it. If so the visual would involve whatever was required for federalization when the car was imported. This information may be hard to get now, 35 years later.

[JMS935]

Originally Posted by RarlyL8

That is illegal.
My assumption for a gray market 930 is it must be federalized for CA and have all the paperwork in order to prove it. If so the visual would involve whatever was required for federalization when the car was imported. This information may be hard to get now, 35 years later.

It’s not illegal in Florida. I wasn't breaking any laws, Florida allows it.

https://www.carinsurance.com/two-drivers-licenses.aspx

[RarlyL8]

Florida has a large population of snow birds and used to allow it, CA does not. Best to error on the side of caution than get caught in a $hit storm with the government.

[JMS935]

I’m merely pointing out that there are loopholes that will allow this legally. Sh|t storm is averted, and without spending a ton of money castrating a turbo.

[dannobee]

You still haven't addressed how you're going to circumvent the same cop seeing the same car with the same out of state plates. Like I said, 20 days. That's all the time you get. It's not like our cars fly under the radar screen like a white Toyota Camry or something.

[JMS935]

Originally Posted by dannobee

You still haven't addressed how you're going to circumvent the same cop seeing the same car with the same out of state plates. Like I said, 20 days. That's all the time you get. It's not like our cars fly under the radar screen like a white Toyota Camry or something.

You’re way overthinking it. It’s legal, the cop can’t do anything to you if you’re within the bounds of the law. It’s not illegal to drive across state lines is it? Maybe I missing something and I needed to stop and change plates at the border of each state to comply before I cross it. Can you only legally drive a car in California with California license plates on it? No, that’s nonsense, every state is legal in every other state.

I took advantage of this dual state DL loophole for the better part of a decade without any issues whatsoever. None. If the OP would prefer spending a lot of money to castrate his turbo to comply with Cali’s onerous emissions laws, so be it, I’m just showing him there are legal ways around it. It’s his prerogative how to proceed.

[dannobee]

So what you're saying is that you want the OP to buzz around town in a grey market 930 as his daily driver (or even on weekends), with an out of state plate and driver license?

Yeah, what could POSSIBLY go wrong with that.

Just forget the whole grey market car thing and buy a 78-79 or 86-89 US spec 930 and be done with it.

[plexiform]

Get a pre-smog 911 and make it look like a 930 and put whatever engine you want in it. Not necessarily cheaper but will be more fun in the end.

[TZ 197]

Without importation documents, EPA and DOT compliance papers showing car was imported to CA and every factory piece of CA req. smog equipment it's basically impossible to obtain a BAR cert and sticker. The referee smog station is like a naked prison cavity search.

Without the sticker and its barcode you cannot get a smog certificate or registration. All newly registered in CA vehicles 1976 on need to be smog tested initially, even if you live in a no smog check county. Farmers in CA won't even insure my euro Carrera and it was directly imported on year of mfg.

On the other hand you can commit multiple felonies in a Tesla here and receive a peace prize for conservation. At least the weather is still nice.

[dannobee]

Originally Posted by plexiform

Get a pre-smog 911 and make it look like a 930 and put whatever engine you want in it. Not necessarily cheaper but will be more fun in the end.

This is EXACTLY how to do it in CA.

[JMS935]

Originally Posted by dannobee

So what you're saying is that you want the OP to buzz around town in a grey market 930 as his daily driver (or even on weekends), with an out of state plate and driver license?

Yeah, what could POSSIBLY go wrong with that.

I don’t know why you think driving with an out of state plate is illegal when it is legally registered in that state and with a valid driver’s license from that state. I had zero issues doing it in Illinois with my 930s for almost a decade. Unless California is a nazi state, it can be done, the police can’t stop one from having dual residency in a state that also allows for dual driver’s licenses.

Steve Jobs permanently lived in Cali without ANY LICENSE PLATES AT ALL!

They are both legal loopholes, my suggestion is just much easier to pull off.

[plexiform]

Originally Posted by JMS935

I don’t know why you think driving with an out of state plate is illegal when it is legally registered in that state and with a valid driver’s license from that state. I had zero issues doing it in Illinois with my 930s for almost a decade. Unless California is a nazi state, it can be done, the police can’t stop one from having dual residency in a state that also allows for dual driver’s licenses.

Steve Jobs permanently lived in Cali without ANY LICENSE PLATES AT ALL!

They are both legal loopholes, my suggestion is just much easier to pull off.

Steve Jobs didn't have license plates because there is a grace period when you buy a new car. My understanding was that he always had a new car (every six months) and never kept it long enough to be forced to have a license plate.

He also used to park in the handicapped spots because well he was a well known A-hole. So I wouldn't really use him as the standard to follow.