Smog inspection, slightly off topic Options

[mikester]

I'm looking at purchasing a car in CA...

Smog inspections must be done prior to completion of the sale and at the sellers expense according to the title instructions.

The car is in the Bay area and I am in the LA area, I was planning on flying up to inspect the car following a prepurchase inspection by a good shop.

The guy swears the car is "one of the tightest 911sc's he's ever seen."

My question:

Is it too much to expect that the seller have this smog inspection done before I get there? He's going to ahve to do it anyway and it's good for 90 days if I don't buy the car. If it doesn't pass (which it has never failed) He'll have to get things right before he can sell it anyway.

Too much or not?

Thanks buds

The Mikester

[carreraguy]

Mikester:

I think you did right; something does not "smell" right here.

Everyone in CA knows the seller is responsible for presenting a smog cert along with the pink slip at the time of sale. Usually the seller is responsible for the cost of the smog check but this can be a negotiated point. The fact that he did not want to get (and possibly pay for) the smog check prior to your arrival (knowing its good for 90 days even if you don't buy) tells me that there may have been smog problems with the car to which he did not want to admit.

I "bought" a 914/4 with a 2.7 conversion I saw on eBay after it did not sell. It was in CT, which does not have titles on cars made before the early 80's. All was going good until I asked the seller to get a standard letter from the CT DMV saying that there was no title available; a standard, routine document that is required by the CA DMV if I wanted to register it here. Turned out this was the deal buster; the seller sold the car to someone else (without telling me to let me counter) because he didn't want to go to the "hassle" of dealing with the CT DMV. Maybe I dodged a bullet there too. Sure was a nice car though!