My mechanic has a customer car that's been at his shop yard for over 3 years now. The owner signed the title over to him. He does all the work on my XJ6 and tells me this car is in very good mechanical condition. He started it up and the engine sounds healthy and it drives smoothly. He even put new tires on it. BUT the owner didn't keep the registration up to date. I checked with my local DMV and they want $1,200 to bring it current!
My mechanic is probably going to sell the car to a scrap yard for $500 which seems a shame. He would rather it go to a good home. I wonder if someone out of state purchased it would that erase the penalties?
The car is a 1996 XJ6 with 148,000 miles and torn leather on driver seat + slightly sagging headliner. The clear coat on the roof is completely gone. The front hood and rear trunk surfaces show some clear coat wear in spots. There is some body rot at the rear pillar where I have circled it. Engine sounds healthier than mine. Steering wheel wood is work and splintered but I have an extra new leather wheel.

What a great chance at a starter Jag! Its just like my old XJ6. 148k isn't too much. I hope someone picks it up. I can't, it has been proven that I can only realistically own (maintain) ONE near classic car at a time!

if it was over this side of the pond i would buy it in a heartbeat.
if for nothing else other than the motor at half the usage of mine.
can't find stuff like that over here.
it would likely be cheaper to buy it and import it here than to buy one locally.

For those of us in the UK, how does the title system work - do you still have a cost to pay even if the car is not on the road ?

I dare say it varies from state to state.

Car certainly looks a good project for someone.

Mine came with a few staples helping hold up the headlining

In my state you can file a certificate of non-operation if you plan to store the vehicle. There is a fee for that but that exempts the vehicle from DMV use fees.
That was not done on this car so there is 3 years of fees with penalties due.

Interested will drive to Oregon Title?

I checked with my DMV expert and taking the car to Oregon and getting it titled and registered there would be no problem.
California fees and penalties don't apply in that case.
The question becomes how to get the car from the bay area to Oregon with no current registration.
Not sure how that would work.

I would revert to my outlaw ways if I could not get a trip permit. I am 80 now and the CHP are nice to me!

You mean you couldn't just use your Oregon license plate, slap it on the Jag and drive it up.

Surely any cop would understand....just make sure you have the Bill of Sale....and don't speed!

crazy....
here you pay your registration every year and if it lapses and you don't pay it the car is unregistered and undriveable. that is all.
within 3 months of it lapsing you can renew it, beyond the 3 months you need to get a full inspection done and re-register it. you can do that easily as the last registered owener of the vehicle or as a new owner with a bill of sale and wat not.
nothing to pay at all for the time it is not registered.
registration is designed to pay for the cost of running the vehicle, ie the cost of maintenance on roads and blah blah blah....
basically having an ownership tax is some next level BS if you ask me.

here HWP (highway patrol) have automatic numberplate scanners.
if you go past one your plate would ping as belonging to a different vehicle.
you WILL be fined for driving an unregistered vehicle, and almost certainly displaying false plates.
they will not let you off simply de to the amount of total F***wits that drive unregistered vehicles daily.

I have to agree with Spud Matt.
An X300 in that condition in Australia(OZ) would bring about A$4000 or US$3000
That is taking into account the paint and the drivers seat repairs. A top condition X300 ranges from 9 to 15 KA$
Unfortunately buying and importing the car to OZ is not financially viable and it drives on the wrong side of the road for us.

Hmm! A thought