Sparky

It sounds like the dealer is going to pay the California tax for you, and should be sending the "use tax" payment with the paperwork.

I take it you bought the car this year... I hope you get 0.25% of your tax back. The tax rate in SF is only 8.0% as of Jan 1.

Not a lot when you buy groceries, but for $32K that comes to ~$80 which almost pays for new speakers in the S2000.

As for the idea of buying the car from yourself... bad idea... any sale of a car, new or used, requires "use tax" (i.e. sales tax) and the sale to yourself would require that payment as well.

redleader

by the way, the DMV is impossible to get a hold of. as of yet, my car is still not registered (anywhere). Anyone know what the penalties are for an unregistered vehicle (if you get pulled over?).

Also, I know the S2k is smog legal in all 50 states, but asides from getting an actual smog check, how else do you "prove" that the car is 50 state legal (any decals, labels, etc., anywhere on the car that state this? paperwork from dealer, etc.??

loki

Not sure what you mean by the DMV is impossible to get ahold of... I'm assuming you have a local office near you or you can call the main line to the Sacremento office.

As for temp registration, the dealer should have given that to you before you drove away. So show that paperwork along with your insurance... which I assume you already have.

There is a sticker on the underside of the hood/bonnet that will state it's 50-state compliancy.

redleader

For some reason, the DMV's in the SF Bay cannot be contacted directly (at least in the East Bay), instead, all calls are handled by the telephone office in Oakland. From there they will handle your business or take messages and then you have to wait for them to get back to you. Total pain in the ass. I am starting to wonder if the troubles with the DMV is worth the money I saved buying out of state.

redleader

Finally got it registered today. What a hassel. Apparently, DMV requires smog check even though the car is 50 state legal. Which is a pain in the ass. In either case, as a warning to those who plan on getting ther S2K's out of state, keep in mind what a pain dealing with the DMV is.

loki

Yep, you'll see in my first response earlier up that you would have to. When dealing with the DMV, always come prepared for any and all possibilities.

redleader

Hey, I just remembered something I wanted to ask. Before I took my car to the DMV to get registered, I took it to a mechanic for a smog check, since I figured the DMV would make me get one anyway. He said he couldn't do it since I had not gone to the DMV yet. Without any kind of temporary registration or any kind of record in the DMV database, he couldn't even get the computer started or anything. Later that week, when I finally went to the DMV and was given the temp. registration and told to get a smog check, I was obviously successful in getting one. My question is, why can't the mechanic just "do" the smog check and print out a report for you? I mean, why are they required to have all this documentation just to run the technical end of the check and print a report? This would save people the trouble of having to go to the DMV, then to a smog check station, then back again to the DMV....you get the picture.

loki

My local smog guy had no problem doing it before I registered the car. All he needed to do is imput the VIN by hand and not barcode read it with the smog machine.

Sounds like someone was lazy.

redleader

hey loki, that's a cool avitar at the end of your replies. Where's it from? A video game or something?

pip33

Hey Loki...I see you're an AYU fan too ehh...