The inefficiency also makes it hard to traffic stolen vehicles.

It also makes it hard to dodge tickets. All outstanding fines must be paid before a car can be re-registered. A friend of ours spent 3 days driving to other cities to pay outstanding traffic tickets from roadside cameras.

The traffic police are slowly starting to join up thier systems.

you realise the driving test has changed here now- no longer can you get practice copies of the written exam, you need to actually study for it now.

Can get licence and buy a car, cash, and register with L visa. I did.

Cant register used cars( older than 2 years) in kunming anymore.
For our second car we needed to get it registerd in another city...

A microvan is easy to buy in smaller cities or outlying areas of big cities.

@mike4g_air that's great news. How did you go about buying and registering the car, and where did you go? And what did you mean by "cash"?

You can PM me if you prefer. I'd love any detail you can provide.

Thanks,
Matt

I think he's referring to how you have to pay the full amount in cash in China for a car if you haven't got a house/flat as security to get a loan. Goes without saying really that this applies to foreigners as well.

As we are talking about buying a used vehicle, this may also mean 'hard cash'/banknotes, as people here do not want bankers drafts, cheques or bank cheques.
Cash avoids bank charges and can remain undeclared income, for tax purposes.

BRICK & MORTAR MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE NUMBER
To do any of the bureaucratic things you desire to be legal in China - you'll need a brick & mortar address. Driver's licenses, vehicle registrations, mandatory basic insurance will all be tied to this address.

DRIVERS LICENSE
Although it's possible to get a driver's license on any visa - you'll need a brick & mortar address that the license, vehicle registration, and insurance can be attached to. This is common sense, so this is your first priority.

BORROWING SOMEONE ELSE'S VEHICLE
Low probability because of the liability - unless you're a missionary or affiliated with a missionary organization (or NGO, etc etc ad infinitum).

BUYING A USED CAR
Infinite selection at the many used car lots outside the city. You should also find someone who can recommend a mechanic to check the vehicle for you - tires, engine, oil burner, gas, brakes, transmission, ventilation, shocks, electrical including fuses & lights etc etc etc. These must be in working order anyway, as once you buy the vehicle, you'll have to register it - maybe get new plates. Pay special attention to the things required to pass the safety inspection - to include the smog check and emergency kit things.

For the safety inspection - make sure you also have the standard tools (change the flat tire tools), emergency roadside markers (reflective triangle etc), flashlight and I forgot if there's more on that list.

You'll also need to buy basic insurance - which will be difficult without the again aforementioned brick & mortar mailing address.

ROAD CONDITIONS
As you've been in India - you should expect bumpy road conditions which will tax your vehicle heavily, so hope you're basically familiar with simple standard vehicle diagnostics lest ye be ripped off.

ALTITUDE ISSUES
Also - about half of Yunnan sits on plateaus aka high altitude - Kunming is at 2km altitude. Some mountainous areas soar higher (ex Tibet assuming you can get a pass). Certain cities (example, Beijing) require permission to enter the city - you'll need to get that from your local police station (generally in the area you vehicle is registered and or licensed - back to that brick & mortar mailing address).

OTHER PLACES
I assume you know Kunming borders southeast asia - so if you're planning on crossing the border into Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia (did I miss any?) - plan ahead - make sure your China visa is multiple entry/exit. There's no Euro-pass here - every country requires entry/exit visas.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
You should do the vehicle transfer at the traffic office before you pay the vehicle - make sure the title is "free and clear", to include absolution (marginal homage to the recently resigned pope) of all accrued traffic tickets, fines, and whatever other crap people can think up to extort, steal, or impinge your short term investment.

DEALERSHIPS VERSUS PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS
As you're only here for a few months - you'll also want to think about how to unload the vehicle (same process). Fastest is to try to unload it to a used car dealership. You'll probably want to buy from a ludicrously marked up dealership because of title and paperwork complications as opposed to private transactions - which are cheaper but can be more..complicated.

Good luck - and are you sure you're here to travel or muck around with Kungming/Yunnan's bureaucratic traffic management departments.

I'm guessing you'll spend at least a solid week mucking around with all these departments, located all over the city (brick & mortar address stuff notwithstanding). To offset your expenses, you may consider offering to scribe a manual for the NGOs, expats, and expat rags (like gokm) as you navigate this bureaucratic bog and minefield.

As it seems you're on a low budget (not to mention the vehicle mods) - I won't bother to mention the emerging rental car biz (hertz, etc).