I called Consumer Affairs and spoke to a BAR Representative about the fate of Referee Stations which are still closed (in spite of ahnold signing the new budget last month). His grim outlook was more a question of IF rather than WHEN they will re-open. I was told that budget crunch is worse than it appears on the outside, and some alternative may have to be implemented if the Referees don't open. At this point, they will try to have the executive order lifted and re-open the stations sometime in December, but if not, he suggested to anyone doing an engine swap to simply continue renewing temp. registrations until this fiasco is resolved.

I think he may have been overly dramatic about this but all the same it doesn't rest any easier with me now that I'm getting an engine swap underway, and as if you don't need a reminder, this is not the friendliest state to get your engine swapped in. I just hope those of us who haven't jumped this hurdle yet aren't left in the dust here foreward.

On a positive note, he says having the donor car VIN is helpful for an engine swap, but not necessary.

 

By having me do the install you will eliminate a lot of the pitfalls you would otherwise run into.

 

Sent ya a PM, Don.

 

I think he is correct. The budget crisis is bad here in California. The state is trying to borrow 7 billion dollars.

 

http://www.bar.ca.gov/

 

Wow Alex that was fast. As of noon today no one I spoke with knew when they'd re-open, and that site still said they were closed. Maybe I should just go back and edit my original post to discuss the return of this warm weather.