NOR-CAL General Chat.

[2mAn]

I guarantee you that car is NOT CA legal. Issues of getting a non-north america car to pass federal DOT stuff aside, we never had the m20b20, so unless it has a BAR sticker, it just "snuck" through a smog station.

Careful with that guarantee if you dont know the specifics, the seller is a known fab guy "kooglewerks" and it has cali registration and smog. Some people dont cut corners and have paid through the nose to get these cars legal. Keep in mind this is a RHD M20B20 so it probably wasnt too expensive to purchase, but then doing it properly added thousands to the price, and here we are. $12k asking on a touring with the babiest baby 6 motor

[McGyver]

Careful with that guarantee if you dont know the specifics, the seller is a known fab guy "kooglewerks" and it has cali registration and smog. Some people dont cut corners and have paid through the nose to get these cars legal. Keep in mind this is a RHD M20B20 so it probably wasnt too expensive to purchase, but then doing it properly added thousands to the price, and here we are. $12k asking on a touring with the babiest baby 6 motor

Ok, that's a good point. I don't know what he's done and I shouldn't rush to judge. So it's possible the car is fully legal, but I am highly skeptical of that. I just don't see how he could get it legal with an engine that never had any CA smog standards. I mean, if it had an m20b25 it wouldn't be inconceivable to get it legal, but I don't see how an m20b20 could be fully legal.

For example, I have a friend with an e12 that got BAR'd to allow the car to have an m30b34 in it. Somehow they didn't notice that his b34 is the euro only high compression engine. So yeah, it's BAR'd to have a b34, but I don't they would allow it if they knew it was the euro engine.

[decay]

My 323i is also Cali legal, and we never got that engine here either.

[McGyver]

My 323i is also Cali legal, and we never got that engine here either.

Ok, I stand corrected and take it back. I've never heard of someone getting a non-NA engine legal in CA, but apparently it can happen. Good to know.

What did it take to get it legal here?

[decay]

Ok, I stand corrected and take it back. I've never heard of someone getting a non-NA engine legal in CA, but apparently it can happen. Good to know.

What did it take to get it legal here?

You'd have to ask the guy two owners ago. I just bought it last month- all I know it's got a BAR sticker :)

[mtech325]

It's not impossible to get a non-US motor to become CA legal. It does take more time and money though as you have to go to the "State Lab" where they perform whatever black magic or witchcraft to make these motors comply by California standards. I feel this is more prevalent with the JDM cars once they hit 25 years old. Here's a good example of an RB26 with a BAR sticker:

https://www.importavehicle.com/california-buyer

As for the old BMWs, like the 323i or euro 635s that seem to pop up for sale, from my observations these cars have riveted on plaques that are stamped from the 80's or 90's when a lot of these were brought in as grey market imports. Whether or not these motors are drastically modified for California emissions is beyond me, but they got into the state somehow and registered for that matter. As for the 2 liter m20 car, if it's genuinely California legal, kudos to them for doing it right, especially in this day and age. I'll be curious if the e36 wagons will cause a craze once they become eligible for import.

[chriso]

@decay, is your Baur blue? I think I saw you in the Ikea garage about 2 weeks ago? Was driving an old Bronco II.

[decay]

@decay, is your Baur blue? I think I saw you in the Ikea garage about 2 weeks ago? Was driving an old Bronco II.

Yup, that would have been me and the gf bein' all domestic and shit. :)

[chriso]

Yup, that would have been me and the gf bein' all domestic and shit. :)

Was 1/2 stalking it out trying to "accidentally" start a conversation while walking into the store, but I think you were leaving instead of parking!

[decay]

Was 1/2 stalking it out trying to "accidentally" start a conversation while walking into the store, but I think you were leaving instead of parking!

i moved to SF at the beginning of the month (hence the ikea run) but i could probably be convinced to show up at a meet in the east bay if we have one.

[f4tj0n]

i moved to SF at the beginning of the month (hence the ikea run) but i could probably be convinced to show up at a meet in the east bay if we have one.

Weren't you in San Lorenzo before? I thought I might have asked at one point.

[decay]

yes, then oakland for a year, then SF once I got sick of the Bart commute. my last two jobs have been in the FiDi so driving is really not an option.

[chriso]

Yeah, the commute sucks. I live in Albany and commute to South Park. Definitely looking into moving to SF in October.

Trying to get the 318is more reliable before selling my 135i, and I want to sell the 135i before moving to SF.

[dadsbmw]

Just saw on craiglist today that Toodaloo sold his car...

[Sundeep]

There's a 324d at pick n pull north SJ if anybody's interested. The euro bits are gone but the engine seems mostly complete minus the valve cover. It's an automatic and it's been federalized