I’ve inherited my mother’s '91 Cavalier that’s been sitting in the driveway for about 3 years. It has low mileage (around 50K or less), and was running ok the last time it was driven. Obviously, the battery’s dead now, and probably other problems from not being driven. I don’t care enough about getting it fixed up, I just want the damn thing to disappear. So I’ll sell it to whoever will give me a few hundred bucks. They can tow it away and do as they please with it.
The problem is the registration has expired, and I can’t renew it without an E-check, which can’t happen because the car isn’t running. Can I sell a car without registration?
Unregistered cars change hands routinely. For example, junkyards buy (or simply haul away) damaged vehicles. To become the legal owner they must receive title to these from the previous owner. But since the vehicles will not be driven on a road, no registration is needed.
As long as you have the pink slip (the title) and can sign it over to the buyer, there’s no problem. Getting the car running, smogged and registered is up to the buyer to handle.
If they want to try jump-starting it and drive it home with what I’ll assume are very expired plates, they certainly can do that, but if they get caught, it’s their problem.
Hmmm… They’ve added that since the last time I sold a car. They do make it pretty clear that since 2005, it’s up to the seller to provide a smog certificate, but they don’t say what the penalty is for not providing one, or what to do in the case of a car that’s been registered as non-operational - aka “PNO.”
California’s been getting pretty vicious against old cars with the not-so-subtle intent of getting old “beaters” off the roads. If the car’s been unregistered for over two years, the buyer has to pay a 160% penalty on the cost of the first year’s registration, and smog testing has become more intense.
I’d suggest you check with your local DMV - some states offer a grace period for new buyers to complete registration/inspection of vehicles. Without that bye, I’m not sure that the car the OP describes can be legally moved without some registration on it.
Sounds like you got some problems. You might no even be able to start the thing with 3 year old gas in it. It will probably start but you might foul up some emission control stuff doing it. The battery is another issue, you could just jump start it and see if it even starts. Let it idle for a few minutes and then take it for a very short drive around the block, slowly. If it runs then get some good gas and a fuel additive like Heat (to get any water out of the lines) in it and run a few gallons through.
It might pass emissions.
If it doesn’t you’ve only got about a 400 car anyway. You could just sell it to the nearest junk yard. Bonus if it runs, so you might want to get it running even if you’re junking it. I’d bet the J-yard gives you at least $100 for it if it’s clean and running.
Otherwise you can donate it and take the tax deduction.
What I would do is splurge for a new battery, get it started and go right to the nearest gas station (registration be damned) and fill up with new gas and some fuel additives to clean the injectors and dry out the lines. Then try to pass emissions. Drive car.
Here in California you can’t sell a car that doesn’t have a current smog certificate. No exceptions. DMV will not give the buyer a title to it. This is for a car you intend to drive around in.
However, if you have a car that won’t pass smog, you can sell it as a junked car. You take the plates to DMV and get a “junk slip.” Then you can sell the car to a junk yard or to a buyer “as is.” Some people will want the parts.
Never having sold a junker to a private party, I don’t know what all the DMV paperwork would be. I’ve only sold to Pick-A-Part.
If you have a junk car, you can make it street legal by passing the smog.
Also, junked cars have to be inspected at a headlight and brake inspection station. Not sure why these are singled out. Maybe the legislator who introduced the bill has a brother-in-law in that business.
I once bought a car that had been de-junked. To register it, they had to pay the registration through all the years it had been junk, which is why I couldn’t get them to go lower than $300. They have paid about $270 in registration.
It was a piece of crap. But it lasted about a year. Only cost $50 to get it to smog.
I’d do some research before I started a car that had been sitting for three years. You’re likely to do some serious damage, if all you do it put a new battery in it and crank the engine. I’d, at least, change the oil and filters, replace the plugs and put some light oil (WD-40) in the cylinders, try to turn it over by hand (to avoid breaking rings) and drain as much of the old gas as possible, putting in some fresh.
NADA says a '91 Cavalier should be worth more than a grand, maybe two if its in good shape. Might be worth putting a few hours work in the thing.