Importing Cars to California

[nickflic3]

My uncle builds DSM's boosted to hell (looks tacky but whoops corvettes all day)



I have the oportunity to get a stock tsi free. I'm wondering what the import laws are for California would be like or what would need to be done to it to make it legal. Could I just import it and use it as a track car and not have to register it? Any advice on shipping? If I can't get this I will go back to looking for a Miata... Thanks in advance.

*BTW its a Texas car

[newman]

dam that woops vettes all day?!@?!?!?!?

[Farbin Kaiber]

It will need to pass a visual and emissions inspection. The turbo will not allow it, as they are pretty smart in CA. I suggest keeping it registered in TX at your Uncles shop, and paying registration there. Also, if an officer pulls you over, inform him that the car is in CA for less than 10 days on vacation. Otherwise, thew will ticket you and require you to register in CA DMV.

[619E30]

I live in California and a highway patrol inspector pulled me over, had me open my hood and wrote me up for having a cold air intake and adjustable fuel regulator. Good thing he didn't find out I was running a test pipe

[nickflic3]

dam that woops vettes all day?!@?!?!?!?

Yup lol 30psi +awd traction ftw! :)

It will need to pass a visual and emissions inspection. The turbo will not allow it, as they are pretty smart in CA. I suggest keeping it registered in TX at your Uncles shop, and paying registration there. Also, if an officer pulls you over, inform him that the car is in CA for less than 10 days on vacation. Otherwise, thew will ticket you and require you to register in CA DMV.

I was kinda thinking of doing something along those lines but being the uncle he is, he doesnt want me to get in trouble... I'll try and convince him though.

Any advice on shipping? Getting it here is another issue...

[Farbin Kaiber]

You could register it in AZ also, or you could give it to me. I don't have to smog anything in Farmsville where I live now. Geeze I hated the smog Nazi's in SoCal.


Shipping from Tx should be 500-1100 or so.

[Tonys18t]

It will need to pass a visual and emissions inspection. The turbo will not allow it, as they are pretty smart in CA. I suggest keeping it registered in TX at your Uncles shop, and paying registration there. Also, if an officer pulls you over, inform him that the car is in CA for less than 10 days on vacation. Otherwise, thew will ticket you and require you to register in CA DMV.

sadly this is true, the CA guys are getting smarter all the time, they totally know their cars, motors and swaps now.

from memory, you can drive the car for a year in the State without having to register it. but if they ticket you, you're on the calender.

If you only want to use it for off road track use, then you'll have a much easier ride.

The only advise i would give you on car transport companies is, make sure you have the transported door to door, not to a depot. the depot clowns will wreck your car for sure.

[nickflic3]

You could register it in AZ also, or you could give it to me. I don't have to smog anything in Farmsville where I live now. Geeze I hated the smog Nazi's in SoCal.


Shipping from Tx should be 500-1100 or so.

lol Nah, i'll hang on to it ;) And thanks for the help. Some day i'll escape from these nazis as well

[nickflic3]

sadly this is true, the CA guys are getting smarter all the time, they totally know their cars, motors and swaps now.

from memory, you can drive the car for a year in the State without having to register it. but if they ticket you, you're on the calender.

If you only want to use it for off road track use, then you'll have a much easier ride.

The only advise i would give you on car transport companies is, make sure you have the transported door to door, not to a depot. the depot clowns will wreck your car for sure.

Yeah I figured track use would be easier. And thanks about the shipping advice.

About flying under the radar, my uncle said its a bad idea cuz when he came here he got a bunch of tickets because this cop saw him all the time. Now he has a warrent here :???: Anything else I could do?

[Farbin Kaiber]

This car will be "For Off-Road Use Only" in the state of CA. The only thing you can do is track it.

Unless your uncle swaps everything back to stock so you can smog/inspect it then swap it all back. Then you will have to do this every two years.

[Tonys18t]

Fcukin Arnold, lol, i remember talking to that clown at a car show years ago when he was showing off his modded Hummer, he said if he ever became the Governor he would be a friend to the modded car crowd.
Instead they stopped the smog roll back and got tougher on older cars. with friends like him...

[nickflic3]

This car will be "For Off-Road Use Only" in the state of CA. The only thing you can do is track it.

Unless your uncle swaps everything back to stock so you can smog/inspect it then swap it all back. Then you will have to do this every two years.

Well the one I posted is his "race car". I'd be getting a spare, stock one from his backyard. Still has a turbo though. I think I'll just track it then.

Fcukin Arnold, lol, i remember talking to that clown at a car show years ago when he was showing off his modded Hummer, he said if he ever became the Governor he would be a friend to the modded car crowd.
Instead they stopped the smog roll back and got tougher on older cars. with friends like him...

Yup... California is confused. I love the land but hate the laws :hitler:

[Farbin Kaiber]

Well the one I posted is his "race car". I'd be getting a spare, stock one from his backyard. Still has a turbo though. I think I'll just track it then.

Oh, if you are getting a stock car, just take it to DMV, get a visual inspection, then smog it.

You really confuse people when you post pics of 600+ hp 4g63's, then tell everyone you are getting one from your uncle.

Then you tell us it's stock. They sell stock DSM's in CA. It's easy to register a stock out of state car. You put up pics of insane cars.

What a waste of my time. You are a dolt.

[nickflic3]

Oh, if you are getting a stock car, just take it to DMV, get a visual inspection, then smog it.

You really confuse people when you post pics of 600+ hp 4g63's, then tell everyone you are getting one from your uncle.

Then you tell us it's stock. They sell stock DSM's in CA. It's easy to register a stock out of state car. You put up pics of insane cars.

What a waste of my time. You are a dolt.

...I have the oportunity to get a stock tsi free. I'm wondering what the import laws are for California would be like...

Second time I said it but yeah, guess I should have put stock pix up. Thanks anyway...

So a stock Tx spec Eagle Talon tsi would pass inspection? Cuz he says they won't pass smog...

[Farbin Kaiber]

If you fix whatever is wrong with it, anything can pass smog. I couldn't begin to assume how much shit may need to be done to get it to pass if this thing was owned by someone who "builds" cars.