need help regarding purchasing a 1984 440i

If the car is not running very well, it will have difficulty passing. Also, does the car still have it's smog equipment and catalytic converters? Both will be needed to get through CA emissions.

good luck and welcome aboard!

Art S.

 

Yeah, rotsa ruck getting it passed in CA. I've had mine here for 6 months now, and have given up ever getting it CA certified. It's a nightmare!

Do what I finally did: Register it out of state at a friend's or relatives' house.

 

Don't forget that the 400i series was never officially imported to the U.S. and so every single one that is here either had to be converted to pass EPA and DOT requirements or it is here illegally.

It is simple to check with both the EPA and DOT by phone to see if the car you are considering has both of its exemptions as a starter.

Assuming that it did at one time have the equipment necessary for EPA/DOT exemptions, it still can be difficult, but not impossible to make the car pass local emissions inspections.

I am not familiar with the laws in California, but my understanding is that the laws there are the toughest and most difficult to pass.

Good luck, but do your homework before you pay any money for the car.

John

 

Over the past 5 or 6 yrs. I have grandfathered in several of the older Euro. models.(Boxers, 308's, 400's, and some early Lambo's) All imported cars that were already here(Ca.), prior to ?/87 were supposed to get retested by the Referee and would get the BAR sticker. Very few people complied so the State started to crack down through the "Test Only" reg. process. Cars with out a 17 digit vin were easy pickens....The State did offer the program of "Grandfathering" in the cars-If the illegal cars were in Ca. and registered for at least seven years, could pass the test, and the owner could prove the entry date complied; The Ref. would have to issue the Bar sticker with the smog equipment on the car. If your car came into Ca. after the entry cut off in the Mid 1980's, or simply failed, OR YOU JUST PURCHASED IT OUT OF STATE...IT IS OFF TO THE LAB YOU GO. There are only a few places that can Ca. Cert. a Euro car today and it is not cheap!

 

This is the ebay car. No way this 24 year old car has 8,000 miles on it considering it has had 4 owners in the US, who knows how many in Europe.
Notice how the milesage is quoted in miles? If it has a MPH speedo in it then it isn't the original one. They didn't come with MPH speedos.

 

True, but how many miles could have been put on the car in Italy before going onto the boat for the ride over? A few dozen? A few hundred?

The folks buying these gray market cars in the US didn't want "used" cars, they wanted new ones before certifying them. Some may have brought over and converted used ones, perhaps, but I have to imagine the majority of the 400s brought over were new.

 

My 1980 400i was imported from Germany in 1986, but it has the original metric speedo.

Koisokok, congratulations and welcome to 400 ownership!