Recommendations on an Auto Shop

[hotzcatz]

No worries, it will be a piece of cake.

Just save the papers you get from the shipping company to show the DMV folks and if you don't change your license plates to a Hawaii plates, they'll give you a tax clearance stickers to put on the bumpers.

Something about having to pay out of state taxes for road use or some such. Something to do with Hawaii not sharing roadways with anyone or something. Actually, I'm not sure of the exact reason, but if you're driving a car with out of state plates, it's supposed to have a sticker on it that says you've paid the Hawaii road taxes.

Hmm, come to think on it, this topic has been about registering a car in Hawaii and hasn't touched on the topic of if it needs new license plates. If you have current plates somewhere else, then I think you can take your papers to DMV and they will give you a tax clearance sticker so you can drive around with the out of state plates until they expire. Not sure if you still need the Hawaii safety inspection, but I'd suspect so.

Ha! There's a whole page at the DMV website about how to go about it: Hawaii Car Registration Requirements & Steps | DMV.org They mention something about proof of weight? How much does your car weigh? Isn't that usually written on the registration papers? There's someplace around here that will weigh things like that, but I forget where it is. We had to have a trailer weighed once.

[mijax]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Ha! There's a whole page at the DMV website about how to go about it: Hawaii Car Registration Requirements & Steps | DMV.org They mention something about proof of weight? How much does your car weigh? Isn't that usually written on the registration papers? There's someplace around here that will weigh things like that, but I forget where it is. We had to have a trailer weighed once.

I'm pretty sure my owner's manual gives the weight of the car.


I've gone to the website and done a lot of research. Just a bunch of hoops to jump thru but doesn't look to bad.

[terracore]

"If just printing out the card works for your inspection place, then cool... Would you mind sharing the name of the shop & that's where I'll take my cars?"

This has been brought up before, but most of us aren't looking for "quality" safety inspection places, we look for the places that get our junkers through as quickly as possible while overlooking as much as possible. This is word-of-mouth information.

A good indicator though... if they have a restroom you can use, they aren't going to pass your junker unless you open up your wallet, and expect to take some time. If they have a "waiting room" and the place smells like new tires, you have perceived disposable income and the experience may take a few hours and it's going to cost you.

If they have a pitbull chained up within view... make sure your brake lights, headlights, wipers, and blinkers work. Sometimes: horn, reverse lights: in-and-out within 30 minutes or less. Try to thank them with so much exuberance they remember you next time, consider gifts of cold Cokes.

[leilaniguy]

In other words, stay the hell away from Lex Brodies, (My advice, and I think maybe terracores) or just go to Paul's in Pahoa or that guy on Paradise in HPP.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by mijax

I'm pretty sure my owner's manual gives the weight of the car.

Good. That would be curb weight. Be prepared to show it to them, in case they plan to use a number that's been rounded up in the thousands column. I actually just discovered such an error on an older vehicle.

[mijax]

Originally Posted by terracore

If they have a pitbull chained up within view... make sure your brake lights, headlights, wipers, and blinkers work. Sometimes: horn, reverse lights: in-and-out within 30 minutes or less. Try to thank them with so much exuberance they remember you next time, consider gifts of cold Cokes.

Hahahaa... Thanks terracore. Got it!!

[terracore]

Originally Posted by leilaniguy

In other words, stay the hell away from Lex Brodies, (My advice, and I think maybe terracores) or just go to Paul's in Pahoa or that guy on Paradise in HPP.

Shhhhhhhhh