Look what i found

2005 Renault Clio for $1500!!!

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1884987793.html

I need to move to Atlanta.

Have you bought it yet?

It could be the coolest 'roll-under restoration' of a GTi or something.

(not that I'd encourage such things)

My one concern is getting it registered here. I called the DMV and the lady said to bring all the paperwork with me BEFORE i buy it so she could look at it. She said more than likely, i COULD get it registered here! Whhhaaa? So if thats so, i am going to look at it and grab all the paperwork and go and see if its possible...

Well, if somehow Georgia finds it ok that a VIN not actually allowed in the states gets by, I'd be stunned. As I would be equally shocked if you could find an insurance company who would insure that, too.

All paperwork HAS to be in place before you try on that beast. Or it may be a major nightmare.

alfadriver wrote: Well, if somehow Georgia finds it ok that a VIN not actually allowed in the states gets by, I'd be stunned.

I know I could do it in TN. No inspections for safety or emissions. Not even a police check on the VIN for out-of-state moves. And I'm pretty sure Georgia has lenient title laws too so just a bill of sale may do the trick.

It's not about state's inspection or safety laws, or even out of state theft, but the car was never legally imported into the US, so technically, the state isn't allowed to register it. And by the VIN number, they would know it.

Well, assuming that the car isn't legally here....

And I would not want to be there when the US Customs guy comes along and says "time for a) export or b) crushing- you choose".

Again, I'm not saying it's impossible, but you'd better make sure ALL of your ducks are in a row before pulling the trigger- insurance included.

Yesterday evening I was behind a mid-90's Toyota Vienta (Camry clone) with a Georgia plate in Marietta. I have no idea how the car got into the country or how the owner was able to get it registered.

nderwater wrote: Yesterday evening I was behind a mid-90's Toyota Vienta (Camry clone) with a Georgia plate in Marietta. I have no idea how the car got into the country or how the owner was able to get it registered.

Step A - buy cheesy import JdM y0! decal
Step 2 - use screwdriver to pry up original appliance decal
Step D - adhere cheesy JdM y0! decals in such manner as to hide 80% of old decal adhesive and also cover as many screwdriver scratches as possible.
Step 3 - Rock your new ricearoni all over and hard park at White Castle with your buddies fartbombed dorifto S13 and loud as hell automatic Civic

Be careful with the paperwork. I have a Canadian spec vehicle that I can keep forever, but the EPA expressly forbids transferring the title to another owner. I can scrap it ,or export it, but not sell it.

^- I had a candian spec Integra that I bought from someone in Florida and just sold to someone. No hitches or anything, carfax even acknowledges the new titles. Just sharing in case you decide your canadian spec car needs to be replaced

Well, it is listed as for parts or export.
But I did notice it had plates on it.

Those look like Mexican plates. I assume someone drove it up and then was treated to the "French car special"... Probably ended up flying home.

As Alfadriver mentioned, it's not the state that you have to worry about. Alot of registered Skylines have been confiscated by the Feds. Even if you managed to get this titled, it would still be illegal by Federal standards.

http://wot.motortrend.com/6590691/we-hear/feds-begin-to-seize-illegal-nissan-skyline-gt-rs-in-california/index.html

Bob

DO IT!

You could make a Clio Cup in the US. Even if the Feds decide to harass you, that would make an awesome track only car.

Couldn't you just say its a kit car? I mean it seems rather easy to register them.

haha the feds must have fixed our economy, locked up all the terrorists, caught all the rapists and murderers, and gotten the crooks out of office since they have time to worry about imported cars....haha...haha...ha

ha

The fact that it says right in the ad "for parts or export" is probably a good sign it can't be registered.

But I do say, for that price, make it a track car.

alfadriver wrote: Well, if somehow Georgia finds it ok that a VIN not actually allowed in the states gets by, I'd be stunned. As I would be equally shocked if you could find an insurance company who would insure that, too. All paperwork HAS to be in place before you try on that beast. Or it may be a major nightmare.

We registered our 86 XR4 with an 85 XR4 title not knowing it (only the last 4 digits of the VIN differed) until 2 years later when the emissions people finally went computerized (this is in Fulton County, AKA City of Atlanta) and said they didn't match, I got a title search done on the car from the North Carolina DMV (last place of register) and took it in without a title, filled out some silly form, a Police Officer looked at it, signed it, and they issued registration, in a state where a 1986 and newer HAS to have a title to be registered. The DMV lady basically said it was at the discretion of the DMV counter worker to issue registration based on paperwork.

If you can do it anywhere in the US, here in GA would be it, GO FOR IT! Now if you really wanted to make this happen, register it outside the covered counties and then all you have to do is submit generic title bond or whatnot and voila, registration...

Went and looked at it yesterday. The timing belt slipped off. From what i have read, it is an Interference motor . Other than that, its a real clean little car. Its even smaller than Froggy's (fit_is_slo) Honda Fit! I figure, the amount it will take to get that thing right and drivable will be waaaay too much.

Plus, i have a Eurovan to worry about...

Finksta_G, mine can't be resold because the Canadian spec for 1996 wasn't the same as the US spec. Mine has OBD1 and US vehicles had OBD2. Why GM built both specs at once is beyond me. Many vehicles were sold with OBD2 before the deadline took effect in Canada 2 years after the US adopted the spec. For any vehicle where they are the same it's easy to import, and legally register a Canadian vehicle.Your Integra may have matching Canadian and US specs, if it doesn't the Feds will hunt you down like a dog !

Raze wrote:

alfadriver wrote: Well, if somehow Georgia finds it ok that a VIN not actually allowed in the states gets by, I'd be stunned. As I would be equally shocked if you could find an insurance company who would insure that, too. All paperwork HAS to be in place before you try on that beast. Or it may be a major nightmare.

We registered our 86 XR4 with an 85 XR4 title not knowing it (only the last 4 digits of the VIN differed) until 2 years later when the emissions people finally went computerized (this is in Fulton County, AKA City of Atlanta) and said they didn't match, I got a title search done on the car from the North Carolina DMV (last place of register) and took it in without a title, filled out some silly form, a Police Officer looked at it, signed it, and they issued registration, in a state where a 1986 and newer HAS to have a title to be registered. The DMV lady basically said it was at the discretion of the DMV counter worker to issue registration based on paperwork. If you can do it anywhere in the US, here in GA would be it, GO FOR IT! Now if you really wanted to make this happen, register it outside the covered counties and then all you have to do is submit generic title bond or whatnot and voila, registration...

Bear in mind, the cars that you made a mistake for were US spec cars. The first half of the VIN tells you that. If your DMV registeres cars that were never intended for US import, again, I would be stunned. The car should not even appear on thier computer.

Your example is very different- you just mixed up two US cars, that were both vaild numbers. BIG difference.

Also, again, the insurance company uses the same VIN to tell what the car is.

Basically, what you are suggesting is that the Geoirga DMV can decide whether or not they want to follow DOT and EPA rules. Which they can't- the rules are mandatory.

As for the crack about government covering terrorist or whatever- that's why there are diffrent departments. Just like the EPA and DOT do not fight wars, the DOD and customs do not enforce vehicle import rules. FBI = crooks, rapists, murders, DOD/homeland = terrorists, DOT/EPA= imported cars. Amazing how they distribute the work.... ha, ha.

HappyJack wrote: But I do say, for that price, make it a track car.

Except that the plain jane Clio is an underpowered FWD piece of corn, not the midengine Clio Cup racer we all know and love from various racing games.

Duke wrote:

HappyJack wrote: But I do say, for that price, make it a track car.

Except that the plain jane Clio is an underpowered FWD piece of corn, not the midengine Clio Cup racer we all know and love from various racing games.

The Clio Cup is a FWD. The same generation from the Craigslist created the Clio 182 Cup. That was a cool car.

In reply to alfadriver:

Very very true about my situation being different, but then again, a kid at GT had an R34 Skyline registered in FL and it was a greymarket car. I was pointing out that many of the DMVs in GA are non-centralized and do not cross-reference any external databases and registration is left to the discretion of the individual working the counter at the DMV. They don't 'follow their own rules' so I was pointing out the weakness in the system, not debating the legality of it, just my experience with it. I'd have no clue as to how to get proper insurance on a vehicle like that and to me that would be the sticking point IMO. I referred to the non-covered counties in GA specifically to skirt emissions regulations on newer vehicles, there is no testing done in those counties, I'm not saying it still wouldn't be a federal crime from the EPA's perspective, but at a state level they could care less.