Welcome !
I agree with all of the above as well. Sounds to me it would be less expensive if you picked up a 90 - 92 or 93 5.0 even if it wasn't an SSP and go from there. Keep the CHP SSP stock and original.
I feel keeping your CHP SSP as original as possible will make it worth more rather than changing it for a daily driver. It's less expensive to buy a car with most everything already on it for the driver.
Also............ just a little advise from a retired CHP officer
.....
IF you are a CA resident living and working in CA, and you have your car registered in AZ, you are in violation of CA Vehicle Code 4152.5 VC - 4000.a VC. It can be a misdemeanor viloation of up to $1000.00 fine and/or 6 months in jail.
You are required to register your vehicle within 20 days of gainful employment in the Sate of CA.
If cited, DMV can and will go back as far as they can to find out when you entered CA and had the car in CA, and on top of the citation and court fees, will make you pay registration as far back as they find you were a CA resident.
They use utility companies, employment, renter info, SS# work, Driver license etc., plus.... AZ DMV info on you. They can find out a lot of info on you fast.
So.... my suggestion is to get your car registered in CA as soon as you can.
AZ registration expired or not. Your car is over 25 years and does not require a smog check. Registration won't be much with the year of your car.
Is it worth getting caught and paying the fees and fines ? NO !!
It is easy for an officer to figure it out. They see you driving your car daily.
One my follow you to your work or home one day. Make a call. Your employer says.. Oh he's been here for 5 years. BINGO.. you are done.
You get a ticket in the mail. If you lie to DMV, they already have all of the info. They will stick it to you. trust me.
Foreign registration was one of my assigned jobs in several of the offices I worked out of.
We'd also cruise apartment complexes at night, write down all of the out of state plates we found and run them for owner's name, then run the name for CA drivers license. They usually send you a letter in the mail first.
If you still do not register it, a CHP officer cites you.
So, be aware. It will happen one day.
Sorry for not so good news... BUT.... hate to see you get nailed and have some huge fines to pay.
Keep up the photos ! Can you send a picture of the front bumper ? Is there a hole cut out in it on the driver side ?
John