OK, finally found a buyer for my 1992 low mile GTI, he's in San Diego, but now he's saying he would not be able to register the car in CA since it was not a CA car to begin with, is this true? I'm going to be pissed if this breaks the deal.
Ferg.

if the car has more than 7500 miles and has the smog equipment from your state, he should be fine, he might have to take it to a referee to get it smogged and signed off.....

It can be registered, as it is a Federal car. I agree with having to file some extra paperwork and the referee.

I bought a car out of state and brought it here, it passed smog with no problem. I had no trouble at all. The car was a 95 BMW 540I from Texas. Sounds like he is just trying to get out of the deal.

I'll add to the list. I brought in a '94 Nissan from out of state when I moved here. They looked at the car, noted it wasn't a CA car, noted it had more than 7500 miles on it, and let it in. No extra paperwork that I recall. Once it's in the state and registered here once, no worries from that point forward. No referee station visit required.

my mother-in-law just bought a new '05 Chrysler 300...bought the car in TX, had to go to a referee station and get it smogged since the car only had 20 miles on it...pretty damn goofy...car is labled as a 50 state smog legal but the DMV insisted on a smog check

sorry to bring this up again, but this is becoming annoying dealing with this buyer, this is his latest email, can anybody tell me how much truth is in it? TIA Ferg

Mike, I went to get my insurance squared away today. I was told by my insurance co. to go to a smog station and ask them if the GTI would pass smog. I told them that the car was originally from WA and now is in CO. The smog station told me that it most likely would not pass. The smog guys told me to go to a referee station (Fed. runs these) and ask them. The ref station told me that the car has a 50/50 shot of passing the way it is. The car has to pass a visual inspection and an inspection on the dyno. I was told if it did not pass, I would have to change one or all of the following 1. Complete exhaust including header. 2. The fuel tank. CA cars have different venting tanks (I have no idea what this means). 3. The gas cap. Same reason as the tank. And 4. The injectors. All of these parts together could cost over 2k. That is not a risk I can take at this point. I am sorry, but I am going to have to pass on the car. I appologise for the inconvience. I appreciate you giving me the
> chance to purchase your GTI. I hope one of your other perspective buyers has better luck than I. Once again, I am really sorry for the inconvience.

He is full of it, the car should pass unless you made modifications to it. If it is a stock car, it should pass. He is just trying to get out of the sale. Was this an Ebay car??

nope, not ebay, I have it for sale on thesamba... I have been back and forth with this guy for over a month, starting to get on my nerves, it's a one of a kind car with only 9k original miles, according to my smog sheets from CO it passed with flying colors and qualifyed for the quick test, they only had it on the rollers here for 30 seconds and it had already passed... It is 100 percent stock, I know it will pass in CA but I just can't seem to convice him.
Ferg.

The guy is full of shit. Special CA smogged cars are only for new sales. If the car is stock and was sold in the other 49 states and had more than 7500 miles on the odometer, it is acceptable for smog and registration in CA.

The guy is angling for a discount or just yanking your chain. Sell it to someone else....

Yeah, I know he's in the wrong, but I think he's just the super worried parinoid type, not the fishing for a discount trying to back out of a deal type. I still have the car available to others but the market for a 13 year old GTI with only 9k on the clock is slim. the car commands a premium price.

Ferg.

anybody know the accectable limits of the various gases for that year? I have my Colorado smog sheet for this car at home, i'm sure my test here would have also passed there, so providing him with some numbers may be my last chance.

If its priced right for the market, you should find a buyer.



Doubtful... If he can't get a straight honest answer about the car being legal (needs new tank, injectors, header, etc), then how is he going to get the correct acceptible limits from those same technicians?

The exhaust gas limits should be the same for any state (Colorado, California, etc)... The car is considered a "Federal" or "49-state" car, and has smog standards for such.... Those standards should not change from state to state.

In California, Federal cars are legal as long as they meet the FEDERAL requirements (and are not considered 'new'). They do NOT have to meet the "California" specs nor should they be required to be retrofitted with anything (as long as all federally-required smog equipment is present and functional).

I'd say it obvious that he doesn't really want the car.