It is amazing the stuff honest people have to put up with in order to deal
with the government these days, in their eyes we're all about to become
criminals. In California, trying to title my '72 Spit was a real pain !!
Bought the car from a guy in Arizona, doesn't run, trailered it to CA. He's
got a valid AZ title which he turns over as part of the sale. Being the
naive person (read stupid!) I am, I just hustle on down to the DMV, and ask
to title the car in CA, no registration (plates) 'cause it's not running and
it's gonna be awhile before it is. Omygod, you'd think I was trying to steal
the crown jewels !! First, the DMV wants to see the car, "Sorry, it's not
here, it doesn't run". Well just too damn bad, we, the all powerful DMV,
can't help you until the car is 'verified'. And to get it verified, you
gotta have a DMV person see it. Or, after a little discussion, a cop can
verify it. So I call the local police and after pleading and begging, they
agree to send someone out. They did, a sargeant !! And he looked at all the
id plates, wrote a bunch of stuff down on the 'verification form' (yes, they
have a form !!), signed it, gave it to me and left. Back to the DMV. Hand
over $90 and the forms, they're happy, I leave. The short version... another
FIVE trips back to the DMV (more info needed!!) and just today I receive a
"Non-operational receipt", still no title, but, hey, what's the rush !! It's
possible that I might complete the restoration prior to receiving a title..
I asked the cop why such a convoluted process, he just shakes his head, "no
idea..." Have you ever recovered a stolen car this way ?? "No, a bad guy
would just steal the plates from another car". Ya mean a bad guy isn't gonna
try and register his stolen car ??!! Why, I was just shocked !! The nerve
of those bad guys !!
Ain't it great !! Ken C
>
> You should have seen me trying to register my Spit. The VIN number tag was
> broken off from the windshield frame, and I had to got to the central DMV
> office to get a new one issued.
> I think the PO had the windshield replaced, breaking the VIN tab off in
the
> process, (as evident by the twisted remains of the windshield trim
strips.)
> My local mechanic suggested that he could "make" a new one, this didn't
sit
> quite right with me.
> I could just see the DMV officer commenting on the shiny look of the VIN
> tag.
> At least the let me keep the same VIN number that was on the commission
> plate in the aforementioned door jam.
> I agree with not playing around with VIN numbers on cars!
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