Westfalia LT28 in Portland OR

[PDXWesty]

I wish I could afford it

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/car/343785084.html

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[syncrodoka]

I would love to try to buy it, but I don't think california would let me have it. The fact that it is diesel and not 25 years old would throw up some red flags at the local DMV. I still don't know how he got it though customs. If I lived in a more relaxed state like oregon I would be driving it cross country by now.

[PDXWesty]

California and Oregon have similar emission standards. If it passed here it should there as well. Right?

[syncrodoka]

I am not too sure- I had a few problems importing my canadian truck into the golden state (canadian spec. are supposed to be easy that is a big reason why I didn't buy a euro version). I am more than a little scared about trying to bring in a eurospec vehicle that never had a North American version sold here- many more flaming hoops to jump through. The headlights look like the desireable euro H4 version, height adj. headlights(big no-no) and I think that the speedo still reads KPH (I don't know where he would get a MPH version for that vehicle) at minimum these would have to be changed to be legal in the states. If this website is correct about importing from europe I would be very worried about buying the car and having the DMV happy with me- those people aren't happy to begin with http://www.autostadtwest.com/
There are better pictures of this car in the classifieds on this website http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=453886
I seem to remember that the diesels cannot pass the NOx requirements for California but this vehicle is probably considered a commercial vehicle by weight and may pass by those standards. If you know anything that would make buying that vehicle easier to plate in my state I may be taking a drive to the north to check it out. Eric is a really nice guy btw.

[Dogpilot]

Now perhaps I'm wrong, but it appears to have a California Plate on the front? So wouldn't that mean it is registered already in California and passed the emmissions?
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G

[syncrodoka]

That's a California plate alright. Problem is that it is a plate for a passenger vehicle not a commercial vehicle. My "light truck" syncro doka is considered commercial and it weighs 1/2 to 1/3 of that vehicle i would guess. Commercial plates have a letter in the second place and all of the rest are numbers- reading L to R (ex. 1x11111) Passenger car plates have letters in the 2-4 place reading L to R (ex. 1XXX111)
One of the hoops that you have to jump through during importing is a visual inspection of the vehicle. There is no way that DMV would give a vehicle of that size or weight passenger vehicle plates.

[Dogpilot]

I am in no way interested in the vehicle, just courious. Since it is an RV it goes a different route. Additionally, if it is a diesel, it is exempt. Here is the quote from the CA DMV page.

Renewing Your Registration
Your motorhome will need to have the registration renewed each year, just like any other motor vehicle. Your renewal, in most cases, may be handled by mail, but in a few cases, such as if you need to make a change, it will need to be handled in person at your local DMV office. Some renewals can even be completed online. Detailed instructions for all three renewal methods can be found in our Car Registration section.
No matter how you renew, you will be required to provide proof of insurance, and your vehicle might be required to pass a smog test.
Smog Testing

Depending on the age of your RV or motorhome and the county you live in, you might be required to submit a new smog certificate to the DMV every two years when you renew your registration. Motorhomes and RVs between six and 30 years old require smog certification. Diesel-powered RVs are exempt from this requirement.
You can check the California DMV smog certification page to find out more about the smog requirements for your vehicle. It might be smart to call your chosen inspection station ahead of time to make sure its testing bays can accommodate your larger vehicle.
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G

[syncrodoka]

I just talked to Sac. DMV Vehicle Compliance "the big dogs". The lady told me that the fact that it is a diesel alone would not be a problem to title the vehicle. She did however tell me that "if it does not have a emissions label stating that it complied at time of manufacture with all applicable U.S. and federal emission standards that the vehicle would be refused". I asked if it mattered that it was already titled in oregon-she laughed at me and said no. I didn't even get around to the fact that it is less than 25 years old- a golden number for importing to CA. I guess that this 3 ton beast will not be going to California.

[Dogpilot]

My point is that the improtation to CA was done as an RV, therfore it is already a passenger vehicle, not a commericial vehicle. Since it is a diesel, it is exempt form any further testing. Since it is already titled and plated in CA you just have to do the title transfer, no importation, somebody already slid it in to the system. The guy just lives in Oregon, now.

I managed to do that with one of my diesel Land Rovers. It came into the country with AFI plates, Armed Forces Italy (NATO), and I just did a regular registration, no smog and it was classed as a passenger vehicle.
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G

[syncrodoka]

dogpilot- you are right about that an RV would get passenger plates, I just rode by a storage lot and all of the RV's had those plates. I though that they would get commercial plates due to weight just like trucks- not so! I overheard Eric and another person talking about this car at SDM this year and it sounded like it has not been in the country long. The two of them had traveled around europe in the car and had some funny stories. They must have figured a way around the emissions label and some other things. On a side note- I did see a really nice early vanagon westy in the storage lot.

[Dogpilot]

There are loads of ways to slide things in the system. A lot depends on your port of entry. If you come into Long Beach, it is a bigger hassel, but if you bring stuff in through Port Hueneme, it way more easygoing and less rule bound. If you do your DMV inspection at a small station, in lets say Bishop, California. They are a lot less stringent than in Santa Ana.
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G