I am thinking of buying a 1976 mg midget from a 91 yr old man who still has it registered out of California. He bought it in 1990, it’s super clean and runs great. He did have an electric fuel pump installed. Never smogged .. he said it’s up to me to smog. I live in California
Been following this. Bottom line is run away.
If you transfer the title, the clock starts in the late, great, state of California.
Then it MUST pass, and even with all the BS installed, there is litle chance it will.
Had one person on BCF who bought a Triumph Spitfire, and had to scrap it, as it did not have all the BS nor would it pass.
If it is registered in another state and resides in California, it is already illegal.
If you can take the car to that state, store it, find all the missing bits, put them on, have it tested, then okay...if it passes.
As others have said, find another, and preferably one pre-smog.