Ferret Frolicks Vol. V - We Get Licensed

From: Ian Wallace (iwallace@uswest.net)
Date: Thu Jan 13 2000 - 20:05:55 PST


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Today the Ferret and I decided it was time to visit the Washington State
Patrol to get our vehicle identification number (VIN) confirmed. This is a
requirement for any out of state vehicle wishing to be titled and registered
in Washington.

You may have heard of the title services that advertise in various
publications like Hemming's Motor News and others. These services will
obtain a registration (and title in some cases) for a vehicle that has a
dubious or non existent "paper trail". The process is simple. You "sell"
your vehicle to them, with a notarized bill of sale. The title service in
turn obtains a current and valid registration in one of the states, usually
New Hampshire or Alabama. Then the title service "sells" the vehicle back
to you, providing you with the registration and notarized bill of sale with
you as the "new" owner. The advertise 5-7 day service!

New Hampshire is an easy state to deal with because they do not "title"
vehicles that are over 10 years old. They issue a registration only, and
provide a letter from the Secretary of State's office that explains this.
The title service I used is in Las Vegas (which made me slightly nervous).
Not to worry - they provided prompt, accurate service. The owner even
called me on New Year's Day to confirm some details to make sure they would
make their promise of the five to seven day turn around. The paperwork
arrived as promised, within a week, complete and ready to take to the local
licensing bureau.

Back to the inspection. It's 39 degrees out, and damp. I bundle up and
open all the vision hatches on the Ferret, make a final check of all
lighting functions (hoping to circumvent Murphy's Law) prior to our
inspection. I open the hatches, and quickly dismount the Browning .30 MG
from the turret. No sense having one more thing to explain. I think of
Ben, the trucker who brought me the Ferret, sitting in handcuffs somewhere
in Texas.

Goggles and gloves on, beret in place (you can't wear a cap with a visor in
a Ferret - it will get knocked off in short order because it's just too
close in there) and off we go, beating a path through the school children
who have just been released from the middle school at the end of my block.
"Awesome", "All Right" and other cheers were heard as I made my way through
the urchins waiting for their parents.

My route to the inspection station took me onto the Perimeter Road at the
Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Now here, I thought, is another great opportunity
for some dingbat to call 911 and report an attack on the airport. It was
only for around one eighth of a mile, and then we turned off that road, no
problems.

We cruised into the inspection lane, with only one car ahead of us. I could
see the guys inside gesturing for the others to come out and look. I shut
down the engine (so I can hear) and the oldest of these ancient folks says
"We can't inspect that, it's not street legal". Here we go, I think. "But
it has headlights, tail and brake lights, turn signals, mirrors, even a
license plate light". The oldest Ancient One trundles off, muttering. The
others think it is cool, and begin asking questions. "I'm going to call
headquarters" says Ancient One, disappearing into the office. Meanwhile the
others decide to get back to business, and one guy starts to look over the
Ferret.

After a while on the phone, Ancient One emerges from the office and I give
him the New Hampshire registration. "Where's the title", he grumbles. I
explain about the New Hampshire law, and start to give him a copy of the
letter from NH that explains all this. Meanwhile a smile lights up the
Ancient One's face. He says "You wasted your money on this, you'll never be
able to license that thing with this registration". He still has not read
the letter. I smile some more (smiling is a good thing when you have to
deal with these folks). I tell him that I will deal with that later, and
all I really need today is to get the VIN on the registration validated
against the numbers stamped on the hull data plate. Grumble grumble
grumble.... The number two guy smiles at me, shakes his head, and grabbing
his flashlight, peers through the driver's hatch to look at the hull data
plate. "Yup, number's the same" he says, smiling, scribbling some more on
the form on his clipboard. Another giant step forward!

I have arrived within half an hour of closing time, and now the Ancient One,
probably recognizing that he may be losing this discussion, appears with his
lunchbox and gives the Ferret a few final frowns before shambling off to a
piece of junk car that needed inspection a lot more than my Ferret. The
Number Two guy finishes the inspection sheet, grins, and gives it to me, and
says"Have fun with that thing!". I have WON this battle, but not the war.

After a quick (and cold) trip home I switch vehicles. NO WAY am I showing
up at the licensing bureau with the Ferret. All my paperwork is in order,
and I've done business in the same office before. The ladies there are
really good at understanding how this sort of thing works, and especially
for "collector vehicle" licensing. I explain to the clerk that the Ancient
One did not even read the NH letter explaining the title stuff, and the
clerk says "No problem". How many times have you heard THAT and things have
gone in the toilet? I am still expecting problems.

I am very pleasantly surprised when the registration and titling process
goes along with no hiccups. In short order I am out the door with my
temporary license plate (they mail me the real one), fully registered to a
green and black 1960 Daimler FV701 passenger vehicle! WE WON THE WAR !!!!

It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that during this entire series of contacts with
the License Gods, I did not utter the dreaded words MILITARY or ARMOR. I
have absolutely no doubt that this helped make the process move ahead,
rather than come to a very abrupt halt with a "What did you say? ARMOR?".
Also SMILE as if your registration depends on it - it DOES...

Now I can cruise the highways and byways of Washington (and any other state
for that matter) as a fully street legal, licensed collector plated military
vehicle! Whoopee! Tomorrow there is a training program for the state's
Commercial Vehicle Inspectors that I have an involvement in - I may take the
Ferret, if it isn't raining. That ought to be a hit!

Ian Wallace, Seattle
1960 Ferret, Washington Collector Vehicle Plate #CV4964 (magnetically, not
offensively affixed)
MVPA, PSMVCC



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