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Registering a 1973 tii in California


Djthom

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Hi All

 

In the process of selling my car, some prospective buyers have asked me about registering a 1973 tii in California.  Is it exempt from smog?  Besides the ownership/title staying it is a 73 and then email from BMW stating its build date, is there any other formal documentation required to get exempt?

 

Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to be registering all my cars in the sunshine 

 

Thanks. 

Darren

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The lowly '76 is the only year that needs to pass smog in California.

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     DISCLAIMER -- I now disagree with much of the timing advice I have given in the past.  I misinterpreted the distributor curves in the Blue Book as timing maps for our engines.  I've also switched from using ported-vacuum to manifold, with better results.  I apologize for spreading misinformation. 

(3-28-2024)  

 

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52 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

The highly-regarded and desirable '76 is the only year that needs to pass smog in California.

 

Found a typo. Fixed it for ya, Tom. No problem! ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited by Conserv
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1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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56 minutes ago, Djthom said:

Hi All

 

In the process of selling my car, some prospective buyers have asked me about registering a 1973 tii in California.  Is it exempt from smog?  Besides the ownership/title staying it is a 73 and then email from BMW stating its build date, is there any other formal documentation required to get exempt?...

 

 

As long as the current title lists the car’s model year, I would not introduce any documents from BMW unless they were specifically requested by the DMV....

 

Assuming there is a bill of sale in addition to the title, to document the sale price and date (the price is un-important in some states, which assign taxable values based on charts rather than actual selling price), I would expect the bill of sale would only provide information consistent with the title, e.g., BMW, VIN 276xxxx, etc.

 

Bureaucracies don’t handle “additional or conflicting data” well....

 

Good luck with your sale!

 

Steve

 

Edited by Conserv
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1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Like Conserv says, The less Info you give DMV in CA the better, I'm in there all the time, I just hand them the title and say I want to transfer in my name then let them tell me what they need, It's also a crap shoot it's like every worker you see there you get a different answer, Some are more lenient than others

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I've found that the best way to register a car from out of state into California is to use AAA.  Of course you have to be a AAA member to take advantage of their service, but that's a small price to pay for the ease of transfer in my experience.  When I last used this in 2016, I registered my 71 2002 with nothing more than the signed out of state title.  The only thing checked was the vehicle VIN number compared to the title. Whole process took no more than 5 minutes. 

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the person in California doesn't know if the car is legal here?

 

Yes 75 and older vehicles are smog exempt. 

 

As stated above - AAA is great,

 

to regiser my 38 chevy with no title I hired a lady that just does registrations, that one cost closer to $400 tho, but that thing didn't even have a VIN # .

 

 

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Check the door to make sure the VIN label is there as well. In CA, a VIN inspection is needed and it must be located in 2 places (engine bay + door sticker). 

Car should be smog exempt given year. 

'98 M3

'74 2002 Touring

'01 750Il

'96 B3 3.2 Touring

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On 7/23/2019 at 10:11 AM, roberttran said:

Check the door to make sure the VIN label is there as well. In CA, a VIN inspection is needed and it must be located in 2 places (engine bay + door sticker)....

 

 

Wow: half the door VIN stickers are gone or obliterated by now! And the VIN’s on most of the surviving stickers are no longer legible. My ‘73’s was painted over, as below. I’m waiting for someone else to say, “I had exactly the same issue, used a cotton swab and bottle of tequila to remove the paint. VIN sticker looks like new! But I still have a hangover!” ?

 

Maybe the steering column’s riveted-on VIN plate could substitute for Californians missing the door sticker....

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

BC0D8A54-2836-4F76-A0B5-7F1DAC2D88E0.jpeg

Edited by Conserv
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1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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The column's vin plate in addition to the plate in under the hood has always been fine for me in the past at the DMV.  AAA would be a sure bet, but probably unnecessary unless you need other services ( you do have your Real ID compliant DL, right?) 

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I had the same issue with a partially missing door sticker. I went to DMV to register my 73 after a 26 year storage. During the VIN verification the guy spent a lot of time trying to see the missing VIN. Fortunately he was a nice guy, knew 2002s because his dad had one, and then convinced the lady inside to let me keep my blue CA plates when she tried to give me new white plates.

Robert

979242F3-6DCD-4AC9-8696-0E8B5C506D0C.thumb.jpeg.2cc0cbda2be4d8b7a292a8b9c4f55dd5.jpeg

 

 

 

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44 minutes ago, HBChris said:

You don’t need a door sticker in CA and not all cars had them.

My understanding is as of late 2018, it's suggested because that sticker is the one that verifies the car is US spec. Check out the newest version of the VIN verification form from CA DMV 

 

You can still get it registered without it but requires CHP VIN verification via 2 places (engine bay and steering column). 

 

Having the door sticker is not required but makes it easier. 

Edited by roberttran

'98 M3

'74 2002 Touring

'01 750Il

'96 B3 3.2 Touring

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