Don that really really looks great! I would never have picked that color in a million years but it just seems to fit the car.
“…..I have often wondered how difficult it was to purchase cars from across states…..”
Mark, that’s a question that really takes about 50 volumes to answer and continually changes. Each state makes its own rules and none of them are exactly the same. Depending on where a person lives there can be up to 3 major hoops a person may have to jump thru to be able to register/get plates for the vehicle and be able to drive it.
Title Transfer: All states have their own unique title. Even if you currently own the car, if you move to a different state, when you establish a new residence there you are required to transfer title to that state and meet their requirements just as if you had bought a car from out of state. There are some states however that after a car reaches a certain age only required you to have a bill of sale or registration certificate to transfer ownership. When transferring a title on a vehicle coming out of state, most states require a VIN inspection. Depending on how the state law is written this is where problems can arise if there has been a frame change and the paperwork doesn’t match.
Safety Inspection: Some states require a minimal one time only safety inspection when transferring when a car in from out of state (lights, tires, glass, brakes etc). Other states still require an annual (or other time frame) safety inspection. Again depending on the state and the inspector modified cars can run into issues in this area as some states require fenders and other don’t, some states still enforce bumper height laws and on and on. Some states don’t require the inspection at all.
Emissions inspections: Finally there is the dreaded emission inspection. This requirement not only varies from state to state but can also vary within the state itself. In Arizona for instance, in you live in the Phoenix or Tucson areas annual/Bi-annual emissions testing is required, but if you live outside those areas it is not. Many states drop the emission testing requirement based on the age of the vehicle, which is where how a vehicle is titled can become a major issue i.e. is it a 1933 Ford (exempt) or a 2014 Ford (requires emission testing).
A lesson I learned long ago is if you have a question actually go down to DMV and ask the inspector before you buy the car (and be prepared for an answer you don’t want to hear). That being said I have personally found it not really too bad where I’m at…..no safety or emission testing and title transfers reasonably easy to do…..as long as you know what’s expected.
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