Registering the roadster with the state of California was an interesting event. Not the hair pulling, nerve racking, scream at the top of your lungs experience I was expecting, in fact it was almost easy and pleasant. I downloaded and filled out the paperwork ahead of time for the title transfer. Drove the car down to the Los Gatos DMV, without an appointment mind you, waited in line a short time, was told I had to have the car inspected and went back outside and drove it to the inspection spot. The DMV dude came out, looked at the car, looked at the VIN number on the engine, signed his copy of the paperwork (ignored my filled in and signed copy) and sent me back inside. I stood in line again, got my assigned number, then waited. Luckily I only had to wait about 20 minutes before I was called. The nice gal at the counter took my paperwork, looked at it, looked at the inspectors paperwork, then threw them away and had me fill out something different, oh well. Unfortunately I could not keep the original title from my dad. She made a copy of it, but had to keep the original. I was then handed a new set of plates for my Roadster. I now could legally drive the car anytime, anywhere. And get this, it's exempt from smog inspections, which is a very good thing...
This was in mid August of '09. Months went by and in May I was randomly checking paperwork and while scanning through the titles I saw the Toyota, GMC, Chevy, and then another Chevy??? Turns out that despite me having filled out the paperwork correctly, the gal at the counter put down the car as a Chevy. I was the proud owner of a 1929 Model A Chevy Roadster, built by Ford...
Well, the next day I drove the roadster back down to the DMV, stood in line, again, with no appointment and when I had to describe the problem to the front desk person, he couldn't figure out how to fill in the paperwork he had to give me. Evidently they don't run into this problem very often and don't have the proper 'checkbox' on the forms. I then had to go back outside, get the car re-inspected (yup, it's a Ford...), then go back inside and get my special number. This time I waited a bit longer and had the displeasure of listening to some lady talking to her mother about her son stealing an iPod. Then she called her son and talked to him about it. The really sad part was how she seemed to accept this behavior and wasn't really all that mad about it. Anyway, I eventually got called and had the paperwork fixed, so I am now the owner of a true 1929 Model A Ford Roadster.
The moral of the story is to always check your paperwork from the DMV...
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