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I Need info

Started by nivar, 28 February 2006, 03:11 PM

nivar

Hi, I have a right hand drive 450 SEL, I am the second owner, I lived in Trinidad in the Caribbean now I live in the USA. I need to know if anyone can give me some information about me bringing the car to the USA and being able to drive it legally on the road, and the procedures if possible. This car is very special and has a great value to my family. Buying another one here just wont be the same.

Thanks in advance for any information.

John Hubertz

Should be no problem - contact your BMV, and they should have instructions.  Usually a single personal vehicle, especially a "classic" will fall into a category of "pay us this little official "fee" (modern equivalent of a bribe) and we'll let you get it in."

Another alternative is to buy a similar car that is nearly junk and just buy plates for it.  Cops don't check VIN numbers on old cars.  I've done that on a couple of "lost title, dead owner" vehicles over the years - but I had to drive them till the wheels fell off.

J
John Hubertz
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Hunter S. Thompson) 

1977 450SEL (Max Headroom)
[img width=68 height=73][url="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg"]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg[/url][/img]

OzBenzHead

Quote from: John Hubertz on 28 February 2006, 05:49 PMAnother alternative is to buy a similar car that is nearly junk and just buy plates for it.  Cops don't check VIN numbers on old cars.  I've done that on a couple of "lost title, dead owner" vehicles over the years - but I had to drive them till the wheels fell off.

Yay, John!  Anarchy rulez!   8)

There was a time when I was into another make of car and had nine of them all of similar body style (though different colours and details, such as size/shape of rear window, boot, etc.); they were P4 series Rovers: 75, 90, 100, 105, and 110).

Only one of them was registered but, in order to keep them all alive, I swapped the plates around every week so that I drove a different car to work each week for seven or so weeks, then started the cycle over.

Of course, that was 30 years ago, and I'd be unlikely to try it now - especially in a small, rural city where I and my cars are too well known.  That other time was in Melbourne; back then and there the body colour was not noted on the registration papers and coppers had better things to do with their time (like chase real criminals).
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]

Peter Anderson

In the UK number plate theft is apparently the fastest growing crime. As all the enforcement on the roads becomes automated with digital number plate recognition cameras, the easy way to avoid paying for tax, insurance, tolls, congestion charges, speeding and other motoring fines is to steal (physically, as it's getting harder here to make up plates without a registration doc) the plates from someone else's car safe in the knowledge that all havoc you cause end's up on their plate!

Smacks of something the authorities haven't thought through!

OzBenzHead

Quote from: Peter Anderson on 01 March 2006, 07:26 AMSmacks of something the authorities haven't thought through!

Well, now - that'd be a first, wouldn't it!   ::)
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]