Registration of a RoW/Euro car in California

Mark021 · 08:42 PM

Could anyone please help shed some light on this topic. I've seen a few of these cars recently that look really nice, however some of my reading on here mentions the possible problem of not being able to register a Euro car in California or if you do having to pay horrendous fees and annual smog certs (as opposed to the every 2 year extortion they do now).

Thank you in advance... and yes, the 79 930 did prompt this inquiry.

Mark021 · 01-25-2009, 08:07 PM

bump for feedback

geshaghi · geshaghi's Garage

No clear idea, but you may want to call the DMV or AAA and see what they say. If the car has been titled in another state already, I suspect it will be much easier to register than a car that has never been titled in the US.

Cal44 · Cal44's Garage

Mark, I live by Peter Zimmermans book. Buy it and read. He, Mr. Zimmmerman writes to stay away from the non made for U.S cars.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Get a Euro car that's already here. The silly stories about avoiding them can make them a bit cheaper and in most instances they have more horsepower.

In the 80s, a few gray market importers would sometimes jury-rig catalytic converters, and that was the cause of a lot of hand-wringing by mechanics. But the 80s are a long time ago, and the rare conversion problems are all long solved.

the · 01-30-2009, 09:30 PM

I agree with Techweenie that so many years have passed, a ROW car isn't a huge problem anymore (other than maybe for insurance or other such things).

But I think you will have a heck of a time getting it into California, if it has not been previously registered in Cal.

mrbeverlyhills · 01-31-2009, 06:49 AM

Peter Zimmerman looked after my 1984 ROW Carrera from day one and said it was the fastest version he had driven. It was a custom purple/blue a sort of metallic eggplant with a full blue leather interior. Stunning.

Pete is right in that at the time (Think Tom Cruise in Rainman) your main qualification to become a car importer was that you had enough German to get the car on a boat in Bremerhaven. The resulting imports were hit and miss, some legal some just hacked into pieces to make the Feds happy. There were even horror stories of cars being put in crushers by the Feds for non compliance.

Most of this is now behind us but a poor conversion still has problems and if you are thinking of bringing in a ROW car from another state you will have a regular hassle every 2 years with smog teats here in CA. You will have to go to a referee station and start explaining from scratch to the moron why the car is legal and what it should/shouldn't have on it to pass the exhaust sniff test. If the state has no record of the car it is a real problem so better to get a ROW already with CA plates.

The cars are fractionally lighter and the engine management systems result in more HP(231). Many Euros lack a sunroof which is an option over there and sometimes a/c. The often have cloth seats but the seats are usually the optional sport seats. The best visual clue is the rear bumperettes are smaller and less obvious, still the same as a 74 Carrera and there is a low down rear facing red fog light on the back.

I found the car a dream and miss it terribly, never saw another color like it, it was the 84 Frankfurt Auto Show car for the factory stand so it got pretty much everything including a factory steering wheel so pretty it makes you wonder who chose the cr#ppy wheel that we all see today.

Pete Zimmerman knows his stuff

Mark021 · 01-31-2009, 09:06 AM

thanks all,

it sounds like it could be more of a problem than I really want to have to deal with getting a RoW/Euro car from another state, so I'll probably take that option off the table...

I had read a little about this issue with DOT and California and the smogging issue and the only consistant answer I seem to get is there is no consistency in how CA will react to the car but even in best case scenario it could be ab big headache and more money.

I was looking at the silver 79 turbo that popped up in Michigan I believe... it just looked so clean, I know pictures lie but you start to get little hints here and there in pictures if they are high enough resolution... corners and the overall patina and molding oxidation. That thing didn't have the "exposure" wear that seems relatively common on the cars out here. I know, it's what's inside that really matters but "all things being equal" it just looked clean.

I think its the silver, it does it for me every time.

THanks again for all the imput.

77carrerabt · 02-09-2009, 11:18 PM

I have a 77 Euro Carrera and the owner I purchased the car from had the car for over 20 years hear in Cali. I still have all the original documents and the Fed sticker in the door jamb. As long as the car is already here you should not have any troubles. Oh, the cat was "J-Rigged". Gonna fix that with some SSI's.