Craigslist alert thread:

[sixto]

115 240D AT $850 - https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/campbell-1976-mercedes-240d/6887186444.html

Sixto
98 E320 wagon
02 C320 wagon

[vwnate1]

You're dead wrong, there's no problem at all registering and titling gray market or any other Diesel passenger cars in California .

[mottati]

Originally Posted by vwnate1

You're dead wrong, there's no problem at all registering and titling gray market or any other Diesel passenger cars in California .

I hope so, going to try again. When my son and i brought his 83 euro 300td into Ca. from Wa. The local dmv wouldn't do is. Said system won't accept euro vin, needs to go thru bar etc. They gave me the link that said 79 and older can be registered, but in doing more research i think that's a direct import into Ca. from out of the US.

[sixto]

It’s not so much what the process is as what the DMV agent believes the process is. In fairness, this might be a once in a couple of years transaction for the average agent. Telling an agent what the process is rarely works :/

Sixto
98 E320 wagon
02 C320 wagon

[BWhitmore]

AAA offers vehicle registration services. It is has been my experience in California, the AAA agent verifies that the VIN number on the title matches the actual VIN number on the VIN tag. In California a peace officer is also able to do this verification.

[koooop]

Originally Posted by mottati

I hope so, going to try again. When my son and i brought his 83 euro 300td into Ca. from Wa. The local dmv wouldn't do is. Said system won't accept euro vin, needs to go thru bar etc. They gave me the link that said 79 and older can be registered, but in doing more research i think that's a direct import into Ca. from out of the US.

It’s been decades since I’ve registered a gray market diesel into California, but I believe you need to have a silver sticker inside the drivers door. It is not factory sticker, it would have been put there at the time the car was brought up to either DOT or NHSTA standard (Federalized). My memory is pretty fuzzy on that stuff at this point.

Pretty sure California has different requirements than the other 49 states.

[vwnate1]

Ye, they did long ago when first imported but this old nail has California tags & title so just go buy it and have fun with it until the rust kills it .

FWIW, there are -no- inspections once it's here so it's not difficult to take it back to European spec., I'm doing this to my CWC purchase only !) late 1984 300TD that's been here since it was new .....

[sixto]

The burgundy one in Dublin has Oregon plates.

Never had AC? Maybe never had working AC. Someone noted the AC temp thumbwheel. I see a low pressure hose, condenser and aux fan. All OE looking too.

Sixto
98 E320 wagon
02 C320 wagon

[vwnate1]

O.K., it's still no problem to register any over 25 year old car in California ~ you post the fees, then take it to the CHP for a VIN verification, that takes a few moments but they then hold the paperwork for three weeks to a month whilst they check OnLine to try and be sure it's not stolen, salvage, has liens against it and so on .

It's not difficult, just some time consuming .

[Mikebear79]

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/d/new-river-1983-mercedes-300d-turbo/6901057539.html

Not mine, but if I had the money, I’d definitely snap it up. Such low miles.

[cmac2012]

240D with manual, 175K, $2999:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/d/monterey-mercedes-240d-diesel-stick/6897854654.html

[dieseldiehard]

Originally Posted by koooop

It’s been decades since I’ve registered a gray market diesel into California, but I believe you need to have a silver sticker inside the drivers door. It is not factory sticker, it would have been put there at the time the car was brought up to either DOT or NHSTA standard (Federalized). My memory is pretty fuzzy on that stuff at this point.

Pretty sure California has different requirements than the other 49 states.

An old timer I know related how he bought a car in Europe, drove it enough to be classified a "used" car and shipped it home, to Calif.
The DMV gave him a laundry list of items that needed correcting, He had to replace the bumpers, then the headlights had to be DOT spec, the last thing that was a killer though was they made him replace the front windshield, it seems the Euro window glass didn't have a US DOT logo on it (embedded in the laminate or something).
I believe that is what the silver sticker encompasses. They were sure cranky weren't they?
DDH

[Maximan1]

Originally Posted by dieseldiehard

An old timer I know related how he bought a car in Europe, drove it enough to be classified a "used" car and shipped it home, to Calif.
The DMV gave him a laundry list of items that needed correcting, He had to replace the bumpers, then the headlights had to be DOT spec, the last thing that was a killer though was they made him replace the front windshield, it seems the Euro window glass didn't have a US DOT logo on it (embedded in the laminate or something).
I believe that is what the silver sticker encompasses. They were sure cranky weren't they?
DDH

My friend just bought a 1979 W116 that has all original paperwork documenting exactly this process from the original owner.

Paid for in full at Mercedes Benz of Santa Barbara, CA. They flew to Germany, took delivery of the vehicle, drove it around for a few weeks, then had the "used" car shipped to Long Beach.

Came with a nifty little grill badge for all that extra effort.

[vwnate1]

Tourist Delivery is *very* different from greymarket ~ you cannot and could not ever, buy a European spec. car vie any U.S.A. Dealer .

Yes, the California DMV and AQMD were very persnickety .

Once the vehicle passes 20 years things ease off greatly .

Some are never going to make it, my son has a greymarket RHD Honda he loves but......

[VicS]

Clean looking 86 300sdl.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/concord-for-sale-by-owner/6912323191.html