Aussie pelican, coming to the states, need advice...

samoc · 04-27-2007, 08:36 PM

Hi all,

I'm making a trip from Melbourne Australia to California, arriving in LA on May 5. My usual ride is an '83 911SC Cab. I'm looking for advice on buying a cheap car while I'm in CA with the intention of selling it a month later when I leave. Hopefully I can find something cheap enough that if I end up virtually giving it away at the end its no big loss. My other ride is (will be when I put it back together) a '69 VW Beetle. I'm tempted to try to pick up something similar for my trip since I'm already familiar with the car and the things that can go wrong with it.

Where to look?
What to expect to pay?
What is involved in the way of paper-work to transfer ownership?
Any advice appreciated...

Cheers,

Sam

Joeaksa · 04-27-2007, 09:17 PM

Friend of mine from Germany does this every year. Flies into Vegas, buys a $1500 car or truck, drives it for a month or two then flies home. If he can sell it fine, otherwise he finds someone he likes and gives it to them. Its far cheaper (normally) than renting a car.

If you want a VW, try PM'ing "widebody911" as he is the VW guru here.

John Rogers · 04-27-2007, 09:37 PM

A couple of years ago there was a fellow from downunder that bought several 944s and took them all home with him. Several were that weird "Desert Rose" (pink) color that was popular then. He said you can get two into a container for shipping and after all was figured it was way cheaper to get them here and take them home. The guys at Black Forest in San Diego helped him out getting the cars.

HardDrive · 04-28-2007, 11:14 AM

Hmmmmmm......I'm not sure buying a car is really the best option. Sure, you could find a very cheap car, but do you really want to drive a POS around in LA for a month?

Paperwork will require getting the car licensed, probably an emissions test, and insurance. The insurance part should be easy enough. We need some CA residents to chime in here. You could of course just say to hell with it, get insurance, and don't even bother getting properly registered. It will add to the adventure. You might get a chance to have a nice long talk with the California State Patrol. Just remember: Americans are instantly blinded by Aussie/British accents. They might even mistake you for James Bond. USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

scottmandue · 04-28-2007, 02:28 PM

Yes you will need insurance and smog certificate (unless you get a pre 1974 car, those are exempt) can't register the car without those. To do that you will need to visit out lovely department of motor vehicles

unless you are a big fan of waiting in long lines call ahead and make an appointment, also go in the middle of the week to avoid the crowd.

I presume an Aussie drivers license is good here but have no personal experience.

Check autotrader.com, ebay, or recycler.com for a car.

Joeaksa · 04-28-2007, 02:35 PM

Ahmmm, buy a car in a reasonable state (like Nevada or Arizona) that does not make you go through all this smog crap. Come to a smaller town away from the big places and no smog is required. You are in and out in minutes...

scottmandue · 04-28-2007, 02:56 PM

You could fly into Las Vegas Nevada, big city with lots of cars for sale, buy a car and drive into LA... about three hundred miles through the desert.

expat · 04-28-2007, 11:04 PM

Not sure I can be much help as I have not been in the Porsche scene since arriving in LA, but if I can help in some way let me know.

Your Oz licence is good for two months as I recall.

Weather is starting to get hot around here. Was 92 in the Valley today where I am. Don't know whether that's a consideration for you, but personally, being stuck on the 101 or 405 in those temps with an old, manual Porsche would not be fun. On the other hand doing some canyon blasting and maybe a drive out to the deserts could be fun. Lots of straights and sweepers in Death Valley!

PS - I'm from Adelaide. Bring me some darn Vegemite will ya. Darn US Dept of Health think its got stuff in it that will kill ya so its off the shelves. Geez...been eating that stuff 40 years!

Cheers
Mark

Nostril Cheese · 04-28-2007, 11:50 PM

I did a 911 with no AC in the valley for a while. NOT fun. By the time I got home from work, my shirts were usually drenched in sweat. The heat in Los Angeles is magnified by the layer of smog and the general mood of the people there.

Finding an old bug without major mech. needs for under $2K will be a challenge as most of them are being bought up by collectors and so forth. However, if you get lucky and find one, there's no better place in the world for air cooled VW support.

Honestly, try to find a early 90's Honda or Toyota. They will be everywhere. I scored a 91' Accord LXi with a bad water pump for $800. Used it as a beater for years. Sold it for $1500 with close to 300K on it.

For all the trouble you will go through to register, smog. and insure the car, you're really better off renting. Even with an appointment at the DMV, you're looking at least an hour's wait.

My current s/o is an Irish ex-pat. and she is amazed at the trouble she went through buying a car when she got here (via Los Angeles) Check the legality of your license in the USA. That was a problem for her.

Great Aussie/British ex-pat community in Santa Monica, btw. Check out the Kings Head for great shepard's pie and adjoning market for food (they have vegemite) hope this helps