It's so beautiful 😭
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
How hard can it be? m20b20 Touring in CA
Collapse
X
-
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostHah! It's a pain in the butt to quote the way I do it, which is to manually copy and paste the QUOTE tags repeatedly and format everything. I've been posting on forums for a long time; it's an old habit now. O.G. ;D
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostUnplug the cruise control. I don't think we ever had it hooked up, and it's definitely the cause of the issue. Troubleshooting that will be a pain, but with your future plans for the car I wouldn't even worry about it. :o
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostI would be royally pissed if I hit a patch of road like that.
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostYuck! We'd have replaced that jack for you if we'd caught that.
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostIt wasn't leaking when we had the car, so it's very recent, and we've both spent more time with our heads in the footwell than we'd care to remember, so the leak has to be occurring outside of the cabin. Throw some cardboard under the entire length and width of the car and pump the brakes with the engine off, wait 15 minutes, and look for drops of brake fluid.
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostIt's a beautiful state, but that's one more reason I'd rather visit than move there. ;)Originally posted by MortyCrock View PostAnd I'm with Shock(/\)ave... I'll just visit CA. Liked it when I lived there, but glad I got to keep Oregon plates on my cars.
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostIf you're weight obsessed you should definitely seek out an all aluminum M52 and make yourself a frankenmotor:
Originally posted by Powling View PostI've seen this touring in person and absolutely loved it. If I hadn't just purchased a 318is I would have probably jumped on this one!
And I can attest to how awesome the sellers are. Great people for sure!
Originally posted by MortyCrock View PostSounds like it's swap time!Originally posted by Bmwdayz View PostA friend of mine imported a 320i touring and wasn't able to get it registered in California. They said because we never got the 2.0 engine it wouldn't be allowed. He ended up swapping the motor to a 2.5 m20 and was then able to get the car bar'd and registered in California.
Originally posted by Roadrunner View PostI can't believe I almost missed that! Have you been watching The Grand Tour by any chance? :nice:
Originally posted by bobaflesh View PostWhen I was entertaining the idea of importing a touring from Hungary, where I'm originally from I was doing extensive research on registering the car in CA and all car import brokers told me the same thing. If it was not originally sold in the USA, California more specifically, then the car will need to undergo lab testing, which only a few places are certified to do and the cost is between 5-10k$.
A loophole people were talking about was that the car gets registered out of state and stays registered for up to a year there, then CA should be able to register without the import problems.
Either way, please do document your progress and experience so others can benefit from it too!
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostI've collected a few more resources for you to check out. :)
I remembered reading about some of the insanity of classic car ownership in California, but there's so much of it on Bring A Trailer and other California based websites that I now tend to filter it out and create a mental summary of "typical big government making everything more difficult and expensive".
With that stated, I recalled a few excellent articles on how to completely bypass the issue - there are alternatives to dealing with the ridiculous and completely unreasonable requirements that California imposes:
I have a mild obsession with license plates. Which is to say that I often pay extra for those special plates that I think look cool, but no one else ever notices. I also know a lot of weird license plate-related facts. Like, for example: did you know the last number in a Massachusetts plate corresponds to the month it expires? I proudly trot out that one every time I see a Masshole on the road. Surprisingly, my passengers never seem quite as intrigued as I am.Occasionally, there are…
DeMuro's an expert on the subject, and you'll find additional articles written by him with further details. Given what you're looking at with the insane lab testing fees, and that some companies are offering complete registered businesses with mailing addresses for very reasonable money, this looks like a great option.
With respect to your fuel injectors, here is the service I had in mind:
He's based in your state, too, which is great. I'm even thinking of using his service for my cars, and I have a border crossing and very poor exchange rate to contend with.
Thanks for the link to the guy to see about the fuel injectors!
Comment
-
Originally posted by Chalk View Post
I've heard either Napa, Humboldt, or Sonoma county--depending on who I'm talking to--doesn't smog test. So that might be a good route to go if I run into more trouble than I can handle. There's a big cars and coffee on the 21st so I'm sure there will be people there who've made it through this kind of issue, and I'm hoping they'll be able to steer me in the right direction.
I really don't understand the lab testing thing. On top of it just being ridiculous in the first place, there's only one lab in the state and they're free to decide whether they even want to look at the car or not. Not to mention that the test is pass/fail. The estimates on cost vary a lot. I've heard, as was noted earlier in this thread, figures like 7 and 10 thousand thrown around a lot. The importer guy said 4.5k but it sounded like he either didn't know what he was talking about or knows way better than anybody else.
What's the weight like on the s50/52? It seems like it would be heavy
My friend has Rallyarmor mud flaps on his e30, and it looks like they'd probably screw right on the same way, cheap too. So I'm hoping it'll work out nice and easy.Smog inspections are required when you register or renew registration for a vehicle in California, but there are some exceptions.
Which counties require a smog inspection for the registration renewal?
Counties that Require a Smog Inspection for Vehicle Registration Renewal
Alameda Butte Colusa Contra Costa Fresno
Glenn Kern Kings Los Angeles Madera
Marin Merced Monterey Napa Nevada
Orange Sacramento San Benito San Francisco San Joaquin
San Luis Obispo San Mateo Santa Barbara Santa Clara Santa Cruz
Shasta Solano Stanislaus Sutter Tehama
Tulare Ventura Yolo Yuba
There are six counties that require smog certifications within certain Zip Codes only. These counties are:
El Dorado, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Sonoma.
My buddy bought a set of rally armor mud flaps for his E30 then sold the E30. He will sell them cheap, just lmk
Its not impossible to make the touring legal in CA, but its not going to be easy. I wish you luckSimon
Current Cars:
-1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle
Make R3V Great Again -2020
Comment
-
Very interested in how this turns out for you, I've always considered importing a e30 touring but recently settled with a e46 touring instead. I did a ton of research on importing one, but just never went threw with it. Shit I have family in Germany AND my Dad works for the airlines so I could potentially fly over to Europe for free!
One of my family member's has a property up north in Lake County and like you said, they don't require smog, you just pay the registration fee each year much like other states HOWEVER it is required to have one smog before having the car registered/ title transfer to that county. Thats right, you need to smog the car 1 time and it will be exempt from smogs forever, as long as it stays in your name. We have a few cars registered up there, one being my Grandpas 88' 735i. He hasn't smogged it in nearly 20 years. I do however see in the near future CA requiring smog in all countys due to people taking advantage of the system, and more importantly the god awful growing population. You could say we're taking advantage, but for what its worth he's MAYBE put on 2,000 miles on his 7 in the past 10 years alone.
Good luck figuring this out, and please we all beg you not to be secretive on how you get it registered here.. To many people purposely don't post info on the subject on importing cars/ registering them because they want to make a quick buck and do it for you.Last edited by KIRIEIW; 01-08-2017, 12:09 PM.
1992 M tech 2 Convertible - S50 Swap
1992 e34 Touring- S50 Swap
1992 325i-S50 Swap (SOLD)
1995 e36 M3 Mugello Red - S50 (SOLD)
1991 325i Convertible Laguna Green (SOLD)
1987 325i (SOLD);1992 M tech 2 Convertible (SOLD)
1988 325i Convertible Alpine White (SOLD)
1991 Brilliantrot Convertible 80k Miles (SOLD)
1992 325i Convertible Schwarz (SOLD)
1992 318i Convertible Project-Finished (SOLD)
Comment
-
Originally posted by Bmwdayz View PostA friend of mine imported a 320i touring and wasn't able to get it registered in California. They said because we never got the 2.0 engine it wouldn't be allowed. He ended up swapping the motor to a 2.5 m20 and was then able to get the car bar'd and registered in California.
I heard the same but that doesn't make sense. I have an 85 323i with M20B23 that was BAR'd in the 80's and we never got the 2.3. A closed loop piggyback computer was installed for emissions. Besides, they are all M20 engines. Perhaps they changed the rules somewhere along the line."I'd probably take the E30 M3 in this case just because I love that little car, and how tanky that inline 6 is." - thecj
85 323i M TECH 1 S52 - ALPINEWEISS/SCHWARZE
88 M3 - LACHSSILBER/SCHWARZE
89 M3 - ALPINEWEISS II/M TECH CLOTH-ALCANTARA
91 M TECHNIC CABRIO TURBO - MACAOBLAU/M TECH CLOTH-LEATHER
Comment
-
Originally posted by reelizmpro View PostI heard the same but that doesn't make sense. I have an 85 323i with M20B23 that was BAR'd in the 80's and we never got the 2.3. A closed loop piggyback computer was installed for emissions. Besides, they are all M20 engines. Perhaps they changed the rules somewhere along the line.
True... but that's CA in the 80s, vs CA now. EPA and Customs laws are way more stringent now with importing vehicles.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Comment
-
Originally posted by MortyCrock View PostOh man, and it's a slick top??? Dang... Uber lucky.
Originally posted by 2mAn View Posthttps://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/vr/smogfaq
In a very quiet way they are saying that within these 6 counties there are areas that do NOT require smog
My buddy bought a set of rally armor mud flaps for his E30 then sold the E30. He will sell them cheap, just lmk
Its not impossible to make the touring legal in CA, but its not going to be easy. I wish you luck
Thanks for that link, I might need to go that route depending on how my appointment with the refs on the 11th goes. I'm looking at getting a parts car with a 2.5 if they say that will let me avoid lab testing. That would also avoid sourcing other replacement parts individually as well, and how cool would it be to turn the parts car into a drift missile and tow it behind the touring to track days? *dreams*
Originally posted by KIRIEIW View PostVery interested in how this turns out for you, I've always considered importing a e30 touring but recently settled with a e46 touring instead. I did a ton of research on importing one, but just never went threw with it. Shit I have family in Germany AND my Dad works for the airlines so I could potentially fly over to Europe for free!
One of my family member's has a property up north in Lake County and like you said, they don't require smog, you just pay the registration fee each year much like other states HOWEVER it is required to have one smog before having the car registered/ title transfer to that county. Thats right, you need to smog the car 1 time and it will be exempt from smogs forever, as long as it stays in your name. We have a few cars registered up there, one being my Grandpas 88' 735i. He hasn't smogged it in nearly 20 years. I do however see in the near future CA requiring smog in all countys due to people taking advantage of the system, and more importantly the god awful growing population. You could say we're taking advantage, but for what its worth he's MAYBE put on 2,000 miles on his 7 in the past 10 years alone.
Good luck figuring this out, and please we all beg you not to be secretive on how you get it registered here.. To many people purposely don't post info on the subject on importing cars/ registering them because they want to make a quick buck and do it for you.
I have similar sentiments on the population growth :( I just think they should focus on new car regulations instead of hassling people about their old cars. Old cars naturally die out, and if they keep making emissions more stringent, we'll end up upgrading to something more efficient when the old ones go. I mean out of the total population how many actually have the goal of driving an old car anyway?! Just leave us alone! Sigh
Aside from that I'm just like, if the car has the proper equipment (which BAR will check and tell you) and if it passes smog mandates for the year it was made (which they should be able to check at any smog station) then where does all this extra nonsense even fit? It's ludicrous.
Originally posted by reelizmpro View PostI heard the same but that doesn't make sense. I have an 85 323i with M20B23 that was BAR'd in the 80's and we never got the 2.3. A closed loop piggyback computer was installed for emissions. Besides, they are all M20 engines. Perhaps they changed the rules somewhere along the line.Originally posted by MortyCrock View PostTrue... but that's CA in the 80s, vs CA now. EPA and Customs laws are way more stringent now with importing vehicles.
Comment
-
It's all gone terribly wrong
***UPDATE***
So I got in the car to drive to my friends house tonight, and the clutch pedal dropped to the floor. The brake fluid isn't low, and it hasn't come out in the footwell, so I'm thinking my leak was the slave cylinder which has now seemingly gone--though I couldn't get under the car to confirm. I'm gonna have to figure it out and get it going tomorrow so I can get it to it's appointment on the 11th to find out what BAR has to say about registering it as I can't delay since my permit runs out on the 30th.
Time to learn how to hack things together on short notice, probably in the rain, because there's no way I can get it there unless I get it going. Now I'm wondering if I should have taken the app a week later but practically next door instead of an hour's drive x.x
Comment
-
Originally posted by Chalk View Post***UPDATE***
So I got in the car to drive to my friends house tonight, and the clutch pedal dropped to the floor. The brake fluid isn't low, and it hasn't come out in the footwell, so I'm thinking my leak was the slave cylinder which has now seemingly gone--though I couldn't get under the car to confirm. I'm gonna have to figure it out and get it going tomorrow so I can get it to it's appointment on the 11th to find out what BAR has to say about registering it as I can't delay since my permit runs out on the 30th.
Time to learn how to hack things together on short notice, probably in the rain, because there's no way I can get it there unless I get it going. Now I'm wondering if I should have taken the app a week later but practically next door instead of an hour's drive x.x
At least you'll know your brakes very likely weren't the cause of that leak. I wonder if the heat of the new environment accelerated the disintegration of the seal?
If you need a hand finding resources to help you tackle the job let me know and I'll help out. :-?
Comment
-
If you ever need some help from a shop, I would be more than happy to help you out here at German Autosport in Berkeley on San Pablo Ave. Bring it by anytime, we're all enthusiasts and would love to check it out!sigpic
1987 - 325i Convertible Delphin Auto [SOLD], 325i Convertible Delphin Manual [SOLD]
1989 - 325i Convertible Bronzit m30b35 swapped [SCRAPPED], 325i Sedan Alpine Auto[DD]
1991 - 325i Coupe Laguna Manual [Project], 535i Sedan Alpine [SCRAPPED]
Comment
-
Originally posted by Shock(/\)ave View PostThe timing of that really sucks.
At least you'll know your brakes very likely weren't the cause of that leak. I wonder if the heat of the new environment accelerated the disintegration of the seal?
If you need a hand finding resources to help you tackle the job let me know and I'll help out. :-?
On the way to the shop, because I basically failed miserably in the rain trying to replace the slave and master cylinder, one of the brake lines blew completely out. Turns out they're all completely shot. I mean really really really rusted to kingdom come. I was planning on going out of state to pick up a parts car, partly for the engine swap registration idea, and now I'm really now sure if that's the move to make. In part because I needed BAR to confirm that the engine swap would even work for getting it registered.
The slave has now at least been replaced, the pedal isn't coming up when pushed down fully, but I think I may have attached the master to the pedal on the wrong side or something because it feels like that's because it's binding. I think I'll be able to replace the master myself, I just need ramps or a jack that can actually get under this car--"low profile racing jack" I should have known that was a lie for $120, sigh--so I have more room to work in when trying to unstick rusty bolts. The straddling the curb method just was not cutting it. Paying the shop--I hadn't seen your post yet McGyver--to do the slave I guess was a waste of money since I only did that instead of figuring it out myself because I needed to make that BAR appointment I'm missing tomorrow, oh well.
Needless to say missing BAR appointment tomorrow is going to drastically slow the registration process, because I'm going to end up in DMV day pass territory when I need to take it to appointments, and the semester is starting soon. I'm also worried about the car sitting that much while I try and get it together.
Feeling pretty in over my head now, and I'm worried about what else is going to crop up :(
Now I'm looking at having to sink $500 into softlines because I just don't have the facilities to drop the rear subframe, and I'm pretty sure that's beyond my level atm since I was defeated by the coupling between the hard and soft line from the clutch master to the slave today, albeit in heavy rain and in the gutter because I had it straddling the curb so I could get under it.
Originally posted by jpod999 View PostI'll be extremely interested to see how you fare on getting it registered, cool car to have in the Bay Area! Based on your pictures, I'm assuming you are in Alameda?
Originally posted by McGyver View PostIf you ever need some help from a shop, I would be more than happy to help you out here at German Autosport in Berkeley on San Pablo Ave. Bring it by anytime, we're all enthusiasts and would love to check it out!Last edited by Chalk; 01-11-2017, 01:11 AM.
Comment
-
Originally posted by Chalk View PostOn the way to the shop, because I basically failed miserably in the rain trying to replace the slave and master cylinder, one of the brake lines blew completely out. Turns out they're all completely shot. I mean really really really rusted to kingdom come.
I'm sure you must be upset by it, as am I - we had the car in a really good shop not long ago, and you'd think they would mention that to us!
Originally posted by Chalk View PostI was planning on going out of state to pick up a parts car, partly for the engine swap registration idea, and now I'm really now sure if that's the move to make. In part because I needed BAR to confirm that the engine swap would even work for getting it registered.
Originally posted by Chalk View PostFeeling pretty in over my head now, and I'm worried about what else is going to crop up :(
I had similar thoughts after the heater starting spilling coolant right before the really cold weather set in.
Originally posted by Chalk View PostI was defeated by the coupling between the hard and soft line from the clutch master to the slave today, albeit in heavy rain and in the gutter because I had it straddling the curb so I could get under it.
Sounds like you're really being tested at the moment; stick with it and I'm sure you'll be rewarded with a great long term mechanical companion. :)
Comment
Comment