Buying an out of state vehicle???

[Schmo]

I'm looking to buy a van to carry my dirtbike and found a 2003 E350 w/ 127K miles on it. The owner has been here from Minnesota for a couple of months and the van has Minnesota plates with a tag until Nov. So what is the process for me to buy the van and have it registered here in CA?

[th3_d0c]

Looks like you just need to make sure it is CA smog legal:
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr29.htm

I swear there was a mileage law, like it had to have more then 10k miles or something.

[OU812]

You will also need to get the vehicle weighed in order to registerd. You won't have any trouble as long as you bring a current smog and the weight certificate.

[jimmyrig]

Do you have AAA ? I just did an out of state reg and it was simple.

1. Take to DMV so they can do a VIN #
2. Run to get a Smog ( unlikely this one will have a current one as its out of State.


Do they Salt the roads out there? Something to think about when buying from that part of the country..I have seen a few autos from across the country that were New and took good pics. As soon as you crawled under them it was a RUSTY mess.

[th3_d0c]

Yep, I am originally from NH. You basically don't expect a car to last more then 5 years you can get 10 if you are lucky. LOTS of rust out there..

[platnumb4x]

As far as I remember any vehicle older than 05 may not be smog certified or smog legal ( I dont know the technical term) meaning the requirements Ca has may be different than that of another state and the vehicle you purchase may not have the required equipment to be smog legal in Ca....something to look into. Theres a lot of information on the DMV website that can be researched. I looked at that when I bought my last used vehicle (the TJ).

[Matt2001TJ]

Do you have AAA ? I just did an out of state reg and it was simple.

1. Take to DMV so they can do a VIN #
2. Run to get a Smog ( unlikely this one will have a current one as its out of State.


Do they Salt the roads out there? Something to think about when buying from that part of the country..I have seen a few autos from across the country that were New and took good pics. As soon as you crawled under them it was a RUSTY mess.

AAA will do your vin inspection for you but you must take the vehicle to them. Been there and done that.

[Roger]

Schmo,

You may want to consider passing on this for all reasons listed above: smog, rust, and DMV hassle. This could be a DMV nightmere...

[HerkyBoy]

If the vehicle is in good shape, you shouldn't have any trouble passing CA smog.

If you can, check the emissions sticker under the hood, that should tell you if it is 50 state legal.

I am active duty military and I had no problems smogging or registering a 2001 Acura TL with over 100,000 miles on it here in CA. It was previously registered in NM.

[Schmo]

Thanks guys . . . got the van yesterday . . . the owner took it to the DMV for the vin, got it smogged, and then I met him at the DMV and we did all the transfer stuff so it really wasn't too bad. The only thing I need to do is get the van weighed and return to the DMV so they can determine the correct amount for the registration fees (I guess because it's a commercial van that's needed), but the DMV assured me that everything else is in place for a smooth transfer and all I need to do is bring the weight cert in and it'll be all done. Van drives great . . . better than the Jeep . . . way more power, and a smoother ride!!! It's got some dings and a bit of survace rust on the body in a couple spots that I'll probably treat with that rust stopper stuff and rattle can with some white to match the van and I'll need to replace the door locks. I only paid $3200 for a 2003 Ford E350 with a 5.4 V8 with 127K, so I think I did pretty good. I wanted more of a beater that I don't have to worry about or feel bad if something happens to it. It'll be parked on the street and I live by a high school so it'll probably be all tagged up here pretty soon!

I'm thinking if I need to check out for a while, I can throw the dirtbike in the back, hook the Jeep up behind the van, and have one heck of an adventure and even have a secure place to lock up all my stuff and to sleep at night!!!

[red baron 13]

Score!

I'll say that you scored! I would pay a kid from the HS to paint a crazy mural on the side! Do it right before they just booger it up

[Schmo]

Got two of the three door locks that weren't working freed up and working . . . they were just stuck, but once I moved them from behind by hand they freed up. Will need to mess with the driver door to access the back of the lock and see if I can do the same thing and get it to work.

[chris142]

Since the car is from another state it's not required to have Ca Emissions on it. It still must have all it's federal Emission stuff on it.

When they smog it the smog guy is asked if it's a Ca or Federal car. As long as it passes Fed Emissions your good.

[OU812]

Now you just need an air mattress or a hammock.

[Schmo]

Now you just need an air mattress or a hammock.

I was planning on an air mattress or a cot . . . hadn't considered a hammock but that would be sweet . . . I've never slept in one let alone with a sleeping bag, not sure how that would be.

Got all the locks working . . . just took a little patience and WD. Scored some stuff from Harbor Frieght . . . I love that place!