California - title transfer of a crashed donor

[Jo3sh]

Friday, I purchased my donor - a 2004 WRX sedan with 106K on the clock. The car is not roadworthy, just donor-worthy, so it had to be flatbed towed to my driveway. I have both a signed title and a signed bill of sale. I was hoping to do two things - transfer the title to my name, and register it as nonoperational. The idea there is to be able to prove to the DMV that I own the car, so that I have the right to take the engine and put it into an 818 chassis. However, I was just at AAA, and they told me I would have to have the car smogged in order to complete the title transfer, and that they can't do nonop status except during the window around the renewal of the tags - in July/August of next year.

I guess I could have it towed to and from the smog shop, but whether or not it would actually pass smog is an open question.

Considering this car is never going to be on the road again under the existing VIN, do I even need to register it?
When it comes time to do the SB100 process, is the paperwork I have going to show sufficient proof that I own the car and all its parts?
What else am I missing?

[codename Bil Doe]

This is probably beyond the understanding of AAA employees. When doing a CARB legal engine swap the VIN is really what you are buying. The VIN provides smog information for the engine and traceability to proove the parts weren't stolen. In the case of smog exempt builds, the proof of ownership is the important part.

Not an engine swap in the normal sense, but the junk cert should give you the best and cheapest method of taking ownership of the VIN.

I get junk certificates for donors from the DMV. A junk certificate is no more than a receipt like a temporary reg piece of paper. It provides proof of VIN ownership, but the VIN can never be smogged or registered again.

Look up CA junk certificate on DMV website. To get one, you'll need to bring the signed pink or title transfer if pink is lost and license plates. I have not had to smog or even non-op cars I've gotten junk certificates for. Wouldn't make sense.

Pick N Pull will buy cars with junk certs. Do not lose it. It's a single piece of printed paper. If you scrap the remains by selling it to PNP, your ownership of the VIN becomes the receipt PNP gives you with VIN info and their pick up time. You hand over the junk cert to them.

That should be the approach for you and not non-op.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1...hecklists/junk

[Jo3sh]

OK, that's excellent help. Too bad the CA DMV is so bad these days, but I will take the docs I have now to them and ask about a junk certificate.

UPDATE: I just got back from the DMV, junk cert in hand. Thank you again for your help.

[codename Bil Doe]

Bring the donor plates with you. See the link above.

[Alan_C]

In 2011 I bought a 2004 Mach 1 to use as a donor for my roadster. I bought the car through an auction site and had the same documentation as you. When I went to the DMV, they started to tell me about the inspections needed to register the car, then I made it clear the car would never be driven on the road, only to be used as a parts car. That simplified things tremendously and they issued me a salvage title on the vehicle. Now things have likely changed some since 2011, but it should not be that difficult to get the vehicle registered as non-op and salvage in your name. Yes you want to get the donor title in your name as it will make the registration process on the 818 much easier. When I went to register the roadster, they started telling me I needed a bond to cover the value of the donor parts used in building the roadster. I then pointed out to them that I had a CA salvage title on the vehicle showing ownership, fortunately the need for the bond was removed. Good luck as the process is not fun. Learn the process as best you can in advance so that you can keep the DMV on track. Some DMV employees have done a number of these registrations, others are novices that can get lost in the process very easily.

[DSR-3]

I bought my kit with all donor parts but no chassis from the original buyer. 'Sold that engine and bought the H6 from TX. Bills of sale were all that I needed, no DMV or other registration/paperwork involved. Never got any questions about the chassis, etc. They did however manage to send me in months of circles when they messed-up the paperwork*. Then the BAR came after me for labor cost, and more tax... *Check that EVERYTHING is PREFECT on all documents before you leave the desk at the DMV, accept no excuses or promises.