Alfa Romeo Forums banner

Moving to S Cal with 87 Spider. Need advice.

13K views 130 replies 14 participants last post by  jmnegrin 
#1 ·
Hi People,

Searched "smog test" with no results. Will be coming to LA by next February and thinking ahead of it all......have a 87 spider with no mods except a home made AAV valve (choke cable/heater line valve). Whats the deal with smog testing out there? Do I have a good chance to pass? If not, man, Im gonna have to store the car at home in FL...

Thanks, People.
Sr
 
#52 ·
silver lake - excellent choice!

Joe I live in silver lake (before that in los feliz) and Benny at Johns Alfa will be the closest shop if your son ends up in either neighborhood. In case you don't know this already they're right next to each other.
Takes me about 15-20 minutes to get to Benny on surface streets and most of that time is waiting for traffic lights to change :)
If you need any info about the neighborhoods just ask- I'm happy to help!
 
#53 ·
Joe I live in silver lake (before that in los feliz) and Benny at Johns Alfa will be the closest shop if your son ends up in either neighborhood. In case you don't know this already they're right next to each other.
Takes me about 15-20 minutes to get to Benny on surface streets and most of that time is waiting for traffic lights to change :)
If you need any info about the neighborhoods just ask- I'm happy to help!
Thanks, man! I will keep this in mind. I trust Benny can do what Santo does...preping the car /pass smog? Thats the ticket.
 
#54 ·
Nice area, good restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, etc. I'm in that area just about everyday. Pretty good location in relation to the different studios.

Benny can help prep for smog and tell him where to go to test, or if he doesn't want to bother with bringing it to smog on his own, could probably take care of that as well. However you'd want to have it done.
 
#56 ·
While you're still on a FL license, go to any smog station. All of them - including "Test Only" places - can do a "pre test". No certificate fee, and usually only a little discount for a follow-up offical test, but you can find out how your car as-is will do. You likely don't need the 87 manifold - a euro type cast two piece is OEM, just not to your car, and likely will pass. Tube and chrome headers will not. It's only a visual inspection for things on the official list.

One thing NOT to do is get an official test cold. If you fail, your vehicle is declared a "gross polluter" and must be sidelined or repaired within something like 30 days. No guarantee it will ever pass, and if it doesn't your FUBAR.

I agree with going to Santos. He's a BB member, a dedicated Alfa racer, and one of the best in SoCal. And a nice guy too!

If your son is actually a student he can remain on his FL license as a non-resident student. Just be sure you update his location with the insurance co. Yes, that will likely change your rates, but a major accident could get you canceled retroactively (i.e no coverage at all!). Insurance co's do not exchange data with CA DMV.

Robert
 
#57 ·
Moving to S Cal with 87 Spider, Need Advice



I'm not sure what information you're referring to that the insurance companies do not report to the CA DMV, unless you're referring to out of state insurance companies.

They have become much more sophisticated in their notification procedures. Out of state law enforcement agencies do notify the CA DMV of outstanding tickets in their state. Also all California insurance agencies, to my knowledge, report every bit of information they have to the DMV, including missing your insurance payment date. The DMV will automatically send you a notice that you are driving on a suspended license due to no insurance coverage. This has been in effect for some time.
 
#58 ·
Cheryl - My point was that there are valid and legal out-of-state people living in California. Insurance companies need to have valid information on their risks, such as the location where the vehicle is driven, but do not (because there are valid reasons to have a valid California location with a Florida license) report an address change to the DMV. They do report valid insurance for state residents for purposes of registration (insurance is required to register a vehicle), but not for non-california residents - these reports go to the state-of-registration. Mostly they gather data from DMV on citations, which again affects their actuarial risks, but today most states share all this data.

Robert
 
#59 ·
Moving to S Cal with 87 Spider, Need Advice



Robert,

I totally agree with you that there are legal and valid ways to live in California without making it your permanent address. Being an enrolled student in an university is one of them. Maintaining a permanent address out of state and continuing to file your income tax from that address are two others. Any W-2 issued will show that the wages are being earned out of state and after a certain period of time, it will no longer be considered a temporary move, unless there is a contract that states the specific parameters. Yes, there are ways to accomplish it, but you must always be aware of law changes and what agency talks to whom so that you don't get caught up in a bunch of time-consuming red tape.
 
#61 ·
Not a problem; you got the idea I was trying to make. The issue I aimed (poorly) at was that the euro manifold is as good as tube headers for all but top rpm use, so you don't give up performance while becoming closer to smog-legal....

Some of the euro manifolds have cast bosses for the air injection that was used for some years.

Robert
 
#62 · (Edited)
Thanks, people. Yup, I think Santo (or the closer guy, Benny) will be the first one to se what I got in my car. The pipes start as individual pipes, chrome, then merge into 2 double merged pipes (2 pipes only) at the area of the base of the steering gear box. Then of course, they head back.

Come to think of it, my son will be an intern to start, there, technically, still a student. Then probably, withing 6 months to a year, no more student status. He could easily, I believe, keep the FL lissssssssence, notifying our ins agent of the new address. Sound sensible?
 
#63 ·
Wow, time flies. The situation is modified.....we are heading to LA in 2 weeks or so, and with no Alfa for now. Too early to ship the car until hes really settled in....So, what would you do here:

I will be dropping hinm off there, need to find a roomming house for interns/students. They have them, thats not the challenge. Silver Lake/Miracle Mile, similar. Big challenge is how will he get around temporarily without the Alfa? I cant rent a car for a month cuz I understand they wont allow a driver below 25 years old.

I doubt bus is a good option. Buying a junk toyota for $2500 , even for 2-4 months would be a hassle-registration, etc. I doubt he will be heading home-its where he must work. Internship is getting close/leads coming in, etc. I thought of a bicycle but bad idea, i think. Im afraid it might have to be the junk toyota, eh?

Thanks!
 
#64 ·
Moving to S Cal with 87 Spider, Need Advice



Correct 25 is the California limit for renting a car, generally. Check around with the different car rental agencies. I know my older daughter was able to rent a car before she was 25, but I don't remember what they required additionally, or who she rented with. They may have required Pat or I to sign also even though we would not be with her. AIR, you're a Triple A member, check with them and see if they have a solution, especially, if he's been insured under them.
 
#65 ·
Your hunch is correct, a bike's probably not a good idea for a newcomer as a primary mode of transportation here unless he's just staying in one small area/neighborhood.
But I'm 98% sure the car rental agencies will rent to an under 25 driver- they just charge them more. Have you called the big guys, enterprise, budget etc.. to verify this age requirement? I'm wondering if it wouldn't be more cost effective to just ship the alfa out sooner? The 2500.00 you'd spend on a temporary beater car would about cover the alfa freight round trip if it came to that, no?
 
#66 ·
Is your son 21 +?
This is from the Hertz website:

On most rentals the minimum age is 25 without an additional Age Differential Charge, and 21 with an additional Age Differential Charge.



Age Differential Charge Policy



Hertz will rent selected car class vehicles (Prestige Collection and high performance cars such as Corvettes and Shelby Mustangs excluded) to customers who are age 21-24 with an Age Differential Charge, in addition to the normal rental rate at Corporate and participating locations.



Most car classes will require a USD 15.00 per day surcharge, while higher end cars may require a USD 25.00 per day surcharge. See the counter representative for details
 
#67 · (Edited)
Depending on where he lives and the workplace is, a bike while not the best, can work out fine. Another option would be one of those scooters or a motorcycle. You'll see them on the road when your out here. Bunch of people have started using them more and more (cheap scooters). Bus can take forever, especially if it rains. Coming out here now, he's going to be dealing with that, which makes relying on a bike, scooter, or motorcycle, a pain, but then he could take the bus on those days.

Renting a car is possible. Here's another rental place's policy


1- Qualifications

-Renters Must be at least 18 years of age with two years of driving experience.

-Renters under the age of 25 must have either,

A. a major credit card issued by a U.S. bank and their own liability insurance, Or
B. Their own full coverage insurance that bridges to non-owned (rented) vehicles.

-All drivers aged 18-21 are assessed an underage driver fee of $18.99/day

-All drivers aged 22-24 are assessed an underage driver fee of $10.99/day

-Renters must have a credit or debit card with $300 in available credit for U.S. issued credit/debit cards and $500 for foreign credit/debit cards in their possession at the time of rental, or a sufficient available credit, should the rental exceed the required deposit.

-Prepaid debit cards and cash deposits are not accepted.

-All renters must comply with California’s financial responsibility law’s.

-In an effort to maintain low cost rentals, we accept non-owner liability policies, long term renters should inquire from a local licensed insurance agent.

-All renters must have a valid drivers license in their possession at the time of rental.

- Foreign licenses are accepted if they are an international certified original, i.e carries an on draft English translation. If not, a certified international driving permit with an English translation and the country issued license is required.

-Additional drivers must present a valid drivers license and their own proof of insurance.

-Renters driving records may be checked for infractions.



I've used them when I put my Spider in the shop and have been happy and only $6.99 a day for the car (depends on the type of car and doesn't include mileage etc). I think they also do monthly.

Just checked,

Basic Daily: $6.99 + $0.23mi/day
Basic Weekly: $49.99 + $0.23 mi/day
Preferred Daily: $17.99 and 100 free miles
Preferred Weekly: $123.83 and 700 free miles
Unlimited Mileage: $23.88 per day
 
#68 · (Edited)
Thanks, people. I didnt think of the rainy season. Bike may be useless. H eis over 22. I wasnt aware they would rent to ,25 yrs. Im happy with paying the surcharge, no big deal. Too bad LA/Cal in general is deficient in mass transportation. They like to squawk about pollution, but offer alternatives that do not work well. Geez....

Thaks for the reasearch, Shadow. Price schedule and all!

OK, I will maybe call these Hertz/Avis/etc and get the scoop. I'll be looking for the bare bones/cheapest/puniest car on the lot....LOL. A big thanks to all here !!
 
#72 ·
Good site, shadow. $7/day plus mileage....gotta figure say, 10-15 miles a day, 2-3$ or so. Thats already $300/month. could be good, could be just so so. will have to compare with at least one other but Im confident they should work out! They gotta have a weekly or monthly rate too. I'll be calling them maybe after christmas.

Tanks for doing all this work!
 
#76 ·
Drivin up to tallahassee tommorow....graduation for film school. Man....its over...!!

Then, get the alfa down here back "home" for final go over maintenence before the shipping to Cal. Fix ac, solder radiator pin hole, fix windshield leak. Thats it. May be the last time I work on this car......(tear starting, left eye, rolling down left cheekbone...knowing it will have to be relegated to a mech in S Cal.....)
 
#77 ·
LOL distance and travel time hmmm. Those don't always make sense here in Hollywierd. Wilshire Blvd to Hollywood Blvd anywhere from 10-90 minutes or more. Depends on time of day, traffic, construction, weather, movie premiers, parades, protests. Figure average 15-30 min.
 
#78 · (Edited)
Actual mileage from Wilshire to Hollywood isn't that far. To give you an idea, if you look on the map, distance from Burbank to Pico and Hauser where John's ALFA is located, was less than the maximum towing distance for basic AAA towing, less than 7 miles maybe.?. If you have street names, I can give you an idea on time, but mileage wise, my odometer is broken so its kind of hard to give you an idea of distance. If you start asking about areas in the canyons, then that's throwing a bunch of curves and vertical travel into the mix, miles and travel time can be even more mixed up there.

A thought of a more practical nature, if you're trying to figure out what type of rental policy to get, maybe do the cheapest policy (if you're considering the 699 place) for a week or 2, driving around the area needed, seeing what the mileage averages to for the day/week, then change it up to the unlimited if necessary. If he's using it for basic transportation to and from work, and waiting to do the playing and exploring until after settled in and the ALFA arrives, it might save you a couple $$.
 
#79 · (Edited)
It's not so much as how far. It's a lifestyle issue. You just get into driving a lot. I've a friend's daughter that expected me to drive her across the parking lot at a big mall! I live west of the Valley, and think nothing of driving the 12 miles to Zuma Beach for an afternoon, or 15 miles the other way to the ranch where my horse lives for a sunset ride. Hollywood is 25 miles away (which is 20 minutes on a weekend morning to two hours in commute time) LAX is 1 1/2 hours from anywhere....

:D

Robert
 
#80 · (Edited)
Moving to Southern California with 87 Spider, Need Advice

I do not live in congested LA, but instead, in a small city in Orange County within 4 miles of my workplace. Having said that, if you take my annual mileage and divide it by the days in the year, I average 30 miles a day.

You miss a freeway transition or your exit and the mileage adds up fast getting back to where you wanted to be; or you find the city has a bunch of one way streets that you're trying to navigate to get where you want to be. Another mileage builder, driving around the mall or anywhere else looking for a parking place.

I love the comment about LAX being 1-1/2 hours from anywhere; that is so true. I could drive from San Diego to LAX faster than I could drive from my house to LAX fighting the traffic. I haven't used that airport for the last 15-20 years. I use Long Beach or John Wayne.
 
#83 ·
Before GPS, everybody in SoCal carried one or more volumes of the Thomas Guide, a regional map service. These BOOKS of maps - the LA one is an inch thick - are so ubiquitous that every Taxi carries one, and the realtor's MLS includes Thomas coordinates for every house listing. Now a computer will print MapQuest with directions, as will Google Maps. But a GPS has a nice lady that takes good care of you without complaining when you miss a turn...

At least its MUCH safer driving here than in Boston, and lots less potholes than NYC. :D

Robert
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top