Moving from Canada to California, should I take the EVO? Mod/Inspection questions.
 

Hey guys,

So this this sort of a serious question for all you EVO and California EVO guys specifically. I have been tossing the idea of moving to California in my head (due to some job offers) and I was wondering is it worth it to bring a lightly modified EVO to California from Canada (most people do the other way around lol)?

I would be thinking of the following mods possibly going with the car (most are not installed yet): cams, licp, uicp, fmic, intake, tbe, bilstein's with swifts, volks, tints, jdm tails and headlights and various other visual aesthetic mods for the most part.

Is inspection that strict that I would be required to go completely stock in order to register the vehicle? If I had light mods, are you constantly harassed/fined in California as I have heard the emission/modification laws are strict? Is it worth it to transport an EVO there, as I've heard the cars are quite inexpensive in California and EVO 9's are rare as hell in Canada and much more expensive here.

It would break my heart to sell my EVO, as I've searched long and hard for mine, so any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Hey there,
CA is not that difficult to pass inspection. I very easily passed a salvaged titled evo and to honest it was a mess. I did have a stock cat on it, and it passed smog easily with a boost leak over 4k, but smog doesn't need load because of AWD. So they have to run it in neutral with no load.

I would totally bring you car. The only reason you wouldn't would be because you can make money selling yours there, and buy a new one here. Basically taking advantage of your relocating from different exchange rates. (dollar for Evo that is).

You just need indicators that work, a front plate, no window tint on the front windows, and a stock cat. YOu will be all set.

(I moved from Boston to back to CA with a heavily modified Suby, so am familiar with the drill, trailored it here)

Best

Make sure you have the cat on for smog..any visual mods can be a fail also..put on the stock bov..and you should be ok.

N

i heard cali is strict with the tbe

Did you have to put your Suby back to stock in order to pass inspection? Do they specifically look for any kind of mods during the mechanical inspection?

I have no trouble going back to completely stock (my car is not heavily modded), but every evo owner wants some kind of mods here and there and I don't want to risk going through trouble if I do end up modifying it after inspection/emissions.

Why not keep it registered/insured in Canada?

So, I've posted fairly extensively on this topic before. Here are links to some of my more relevant posts:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/8297514-post10.html
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/9474658-post5.html
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/9475082-post11.html
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/9591684-post16.html
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/9594174-post23.html

Some of these may be helpful for you and shed some light on what you maybe in for if you want to bring your car here.

{thumbup}

do it!

You know what our IX worth in Canada, so I would definitively sell my evo in Ontario and then buy an other one in California . You could easily put 4-5k in your pocket .

Hmmm, that is kind of my overall point. The OP should do whatever gets him the most value ( or happiness) based on the fact that he is moving. If selling there and buying here actually generates funds then that is a pretty good option.

keep it registered elsewhere if u can... I have mississippi tags in california :)

Wow thanks very much for the help guys! All your input is appreciated, I guess my main concerns are the following:

1. Cost of transportation (although the company should cover this)

2. Inspection/Emission test (although you guys covered it and I should go back to stock if I go)

3. Mods/General harassment for having a tuner car (I suppose you get it everywhere, but I hear it is worse in California due to strict emission laws)

4. The fact that EVO's are worth considerably more in Canada than the US (they sell for around 20-30% more here than you guys buy them for especially the IX's)

5. I have invested a lot of hard earned money in my EVO and was planning to keep it forever (California was really never in my mind for places to go lol!)

Thanks again fellas, really appreciate the help thus far!

Wanted to make sure you received accurate data on this. I am going to my AAA office at lunch to see if they have some guidelines.

I know however that the key to what you are doing depends on the fact that you are a resident currently in Canada, and have purchased the car there (Its already yours and registered), and that its your primary transportation. This provides the necessary exceptions for registration in CA, as long as you can pass smog (slap on a big cat!). If you were a resident of the US and purchasing the car from Canada it would be a nightmare.

Think of all the guys trying to buy old GTRs from Canada. Its impossible to register them here because of the conversions necessary.

The CA DMV website does not completely clearly identify Canada to CA exceptions though. Let me see if AAA can give some documentation to follow, and I will respond in about 4-5 hours.

Great info.. Just wanted to say thanks for the info, because it's something I always wanted to know :)

OK, Just a heads up. I didn't forget. I am not one of the post and don't do what I say guys. Finding solid info for you has been tougher than I thought. I read almost all of the dmv.org site info for CA. I suspect you have to. The page that discusses getting cars in to CA talks about cars out of state more clearly than out of country.

I missed my contact at AAA twice. There is one 'guru' at my AAA office about this subject. All the other employees looked at me like deer in headlights. I have exchanged messages with him, but no meeting yet. They are open Saturdays, so i am going to try and fit that in again tomorrow.

However my reading so far, has opened up my understanding and seems to be consistent with the comments below. In short, you should/need to do some paperwork before you leave where you get docs from the manufacturer which you can send to the DOT. You may or may not need these at customs when you cross over, and you will need them at the CA DMV.

It seems the key is in the very detailed rules about bringing your own, previously registered vehicle that meets federal US EPA standards into CA. You can do that, but it must pass CA smog (which you will with a big cat). You are not required to convert to CA emissions standards in the cars mechanicals, but you must pass CA smog. You have to demonstrate your residency in CANADA. i.e. They are trying to prevent the illegal importation, like you bring me a GTR from canada and I try to register it. You prove your citizen status and that you are relocating, which includes getting a DL amount other things, and prove your vehicles US federal EPA capacity via the DOT letter and stamp, and the manufacturers docs based on your VIN, and you will be able to register. You may or may not pay a one time CA emissions assessment. (that one is hotly contested on the various forums)

As I found out doing my salvage title EVO a few years ago, detailed rules and regs like this 99% of the DMV employees don't know either. You need to make sure and get a manager at the DMV that knows these details, or be able to prove it while there. So, keep all your docs from the DOT. I will update here if I get more tomorrow from AAA. here are some quotes. (putting in the links was going to ask anyone to read way too much so I just pasted relevant text).

CA DMV info:
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr29.htm

"
When you take your papers to the DMV in California, you need the stamped DOT letter, Canadian registration and a smog test certificate. The cost to register the car is $300+2% of the value of the car + $processing charge which was $530 for a 95 Honda Civic. Make sure you call first to make an appointment to register the car!
Ammendment From Me (Tariq): I never faxed anything to D.O.T, all I did is give the EPA letter from Honda to the movers, and they took care of it (which is what my other friends who have come here did). I imagine the movers made the arrangements. My 1993 Honda Prelude costed about $730 to register, and $190 renewal in 1999.
"

"A used car being imported from Canada (or anywhere else) into the US, for permanent
use in the US, must meet the EPA "federal" emissions specs, or else it will not be
allowed into the country by US Customs.

An imported used car, being brought by its owner into California for permanent use in
that state, must pass a California smog check, or else the California DMV will not
allow it to be registered.

A NEW car being offered for sale in California is required to meet California's own
emissions specs, which are stricter than the federal (EPA) standards.

A USED car which was originally sold outside California (and which was designed to
meet the "federal" emissions specs, but not California emissions specs) does NOT have
to be modified to meet California specs in order to pass the California smog check.

In particular: A used car being imported from Canada into the US, with the intention
that it will be registered in California, does NOT have to be specifically certified
(or modified) to meet California emissions specs. As long as the car meets the US
federal (EPA) smog specs and passes a California smog check, that is supposed to be
good enough, both for US Customs and the California DMV.
"