DMV and Studebaker

[Bullet]

This is about my Studebaker and the DMV here in California. It starts in 1976. I bought my 50 Champion Starlight for $400. Drove it home, registered and licensed it in CA. Flash forward to 1980. Moved to Oregon and took the 50 with me. I licensed and registered the car in OR. Used the VIN number on the CA registeration, got new plates and worked on the car and drove it. Flash forward again to today. I moved back to California brought the 50 with us. Went into the DMV to register and license the car. I wanted to put the old 1976 plates on the car, the ones that were on it when I bought it (black with yellow letters). I still had the plates and the old registration. Took them, the application and the car in with me. When the DMV person checked the VIN, I was told that the numbers on all the paperwork did not match with the car. The tag on the drivers door pilar post was different than the old CA register and the OR title. So we looked for the number all over and found it. Turns out it was the raised Studebaker part number on the intake manifold. I had a little more paperwork to fill out and $92 later, walked out with my old plates being able to be put back on the 50. Whew. Just glad it all worked out.

Otherwise I would have had to put new plates on it or buy the expensive year of manfacture CA plates, neither of which I wanted to do. Sometimes the DMV can be helpful.

[sals54]

Mark, That sounds like much of my experience with DMV lately. Much more helpful and getting paper back in a timely manner. Its like the world really is coming to an end.

sals54

[jclary]

Great news! When I first saw this topic I thought it was going to be another rant against a DMV. It took me a while...but I finally realized that it is best to schedule your medical visits early in the day. I want those people to be fresh and well rested. However, I go to the government agencies close to quitting time. They will find a way to get you out the door as soon as possible, they want to go home without working overtime. I have seen our local DMV get more people out the door in the last 45 minutes of the day than they served from 11:AM until 4:PM.

John Clary
Greer, SC

Life... is what happens as you are making plans.
SDC member since 1975

[barnlark]

Did I read this right, you've had the wrong number on your title since 1976 and no one ever noticed? Wow. Glad you got it worked out. Oregon must not have a very good out of state inspection process either. [:0]

[Aussie Hawk]

I had a similar experience when I put my son's '66 Valiant ute back on the road. When filling out the re-registration application the engine number didn't match the one on the old registration papers. I looked every where for that mysterious number, no one could find it. But the Dept of Transport girl was fine when I showed her the engine number on the block, a bit hard to see on slant 6's, but it was there.

A month of so later I had to get the head worked on and as I removed the intake and exhaust manifold there was the previous 'engine number' raised on the side of the block under the manifolds - the block casting number! How they mistook that for the engine number has got me stumpted, it's harder to find that the real engine number.

Matt
Brisbane
Australia

[Bullet]

I was totally suprised how helpful they were. It is changing my opinion of the CA DMV. Wow. Dave, that's correct, I had the wrong VIN on both my CA title and the OR title since 1976. That's 33 years and two states. I was afraid I was going to get all kinds of greif, but they were very helpful. There was a Christmas early this year.

[Sdude]

When I took the paperwork in to register my car, the clerk at the DMV asked me how to spell Studebaker. Kinda made me feel old.....

Jon Stalnaker
Editor, Hawk Talks
Karel Staple Chapter SDC

[Bob Bryant]

I visited the the Florida DMV prior to going to WV for the likely purchase of my Avanti. They gave me a form that could be completed by law enforcement in WV upon inspection of the vehicle. A pretty little policelady arrived at the seller's phone request. I showed her where the VIN was and she said she had never seen one located there before. She called hdqtrs. and apparently got assurance it was OK and then finished the inspection and completed the form. I asked the seller if he knew her and he said, "Yes," and that she had given him a speeding ticket. He said that she was very attractive in uniform and that she should be seen in civilian clothes. I decided saying out of uniform wouldn't sound quite right!!

Upon return home I insured the car, presented the form, and applied for a title. In four weeks the Avanti arrived. Not everything I do goes as smoothly!

"It's like deja vu all over again."--Yogi Berra

[COMMANDERPINK1]

quote:Originally posted by sals54

Mark, That sounds like much of my experience with DMV lately. Much more helpful and getting paper back in a timely manner. Its like the world really is coming to an end.

sals54

SAL glad to hear you are having better luck with the DMV thesae days.

Tom

[50Champ]

In Kentucky you can put a year of manufacture plate on any car 25+ years old as long as you carry the antique plate in the vehicle with you. You don't need to register it with the DMV. Also, all old cars here are valued at $100 even if it's a mint 59 Caddy convertible or a 70 Hemi Cuda so the tax is only $6. Antique plates here never expire-there are no month or year stickers on them. Plus, there are no smog tests or inspections of any kind here for any cars-antique or late model. We don't have front plates here either-only one in the rear-so there are no cameras at intersections and no photo tickets. After living in California from 1977-98 it sure was a nice change when I moved here in 1998....



1950 Champion 2 Dr. Sedan

[Deaf Mute]

A few years back Iowa decided to re-do their registration system. Those of us that had Studebakers found that when we picked up the new registration with our plates... we now owned Stewarts. We had a rough time convincing Iowa that their old STU abbreviation actually meant Studebaker. It took until sometime in March before they corrected it.

duane miller

[Aussie Hawk]

I envy you guys with the low costs of car rego and insurance over there. My GT Hawk costs just under A$1,000 per annum to register and insurance about $400 per annum. Stamp Duty (Tax) on all vehicle registration is $2.00 per each $100 value of the car - each time the rego is transfered to another owner. In my state each timea vehicle is sold it must have a road worthy check done - cost $60.00. In the next state a road worthy is required each year.

Matt
Brisbane
Australia

[studeclunker]

Wow Matt![:0] And here I was carping at the eighty-five dollar fee for my Champ! YIKES! Out of curiosity, do you have taxes on Petrol? Here in California we pay around a buck seventy-five a gallon for fuel taxes (I think). By the end of the year that comes out to several thousand dollars, I should think.

Oh, I almost forgot the Smog Testing on newer cars. That can really set one back.[}] Anything newer than 1975 or so... Thankfully out here in the boonies, they only require that inspection when transferring the car.


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[COMMANDERPINK1]

quote:Originally posted by Deaf Mute

A few years back Iowa decided to re-do their registration system. Those of us that had Studebakers found that when we picked up the new registration with our plates... we now owned Stewarts. We had a rough time convincing Iowa that their old STU abbreviation actually meant Studebaker. It took until sometime in March before they corrected it.

duane miller

Yes Duanne I ran into this a couple of years in a row but wasnt it STUART they we mistaking it as and not Stewarts.

Tom

[stude62]

quote:Originally posted by COMMANDERPINK1

quote:Originally posted by Deaf Mute

A few years back Iowa decided to re-do their registration system. Those of us that had Studebakers found that when we picked up the new registration with our plates... we now owned Stewarts. We had a rough time convincing Iowa that their old STU abbreviation actually meant Studebaker. It took until sometime in March before they corrected it.

duane miller

Yes Duanne I ran into this a couple of years in a row but wasnt it STUART they we mistaking it as and not Stewarts.

Tom

I get that all of the time. My mother must have still on the twilight sleep medication when she named me Stuart and not Stewart...

Stu K


'63 Lark Regal, "Miss Rose"