lemish

VOTE SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW ON RESTRICTIVE HOBBY BILL!

Virginia Legislators Threaten Additional Requirements for Antique Vehicle Owners

H.B. 288 has been introduced in the Virginia State Legislature that would amend the state’s current law defining antique motor vehicles to restrict pleasure driving of these vehicles to a range not more than 50 miles from the owner’s residence.

Under current Virginia law, use of antique vehicles is strictly limited to club activities, exhibitions, tours and parades and to test operation, obtain repairs or maintenance and pleasure driving up to 250 miles from the owner’s residence.

While legislators have indicated a recent willingness to retain the 250 mile provision, they are now considering including antique cars in the state’s mandatory annual safety inspection program, claiming that many of the cars are unsafe "junkers."

H.B. 288 will be considered by the Virginia House Transportation Committee TOMORROW, JANUARY 31st.

I Urge You to Contact Transportation Committee Chairman Leo Wardrup and Bill Sponsor Danny Marshall (See contact information below) to voice your opposition to H.B. 288.

*In its current form, H.B. 288 will deny Virginia citizens the opportunity to enjoy the occasional long-range pleasure drive in their antique vehicles and disregards the immeasurable time and money antique vehicle owners invest in ensuring the safety of their cars.

*In its current form, H.B. 288 discourages owners of qualifying vehicles 25-years old and older to register as "antiques" thereby potentially increasing their use if registered as "daily drivers."

*In its current form, H.B. 288 ignores the fact that many antique vehicles are insured under policies that already limit their use, require regular use vehicles for each household member with a driver’s license, and are required to be stored in a locked and enclosed garage.

Legislators should target abusers of benefits provided by antique registration and not attack the entire old car hobby. The total number of antique registrations in Virginia is less than 2% of total registrations. There are no statistics indicating that antique vehicles are unsafe. Modern inspection standards cannot be applied to antique vehicles; state safety inspectors lack the technical knowledge to properly disassemble and inspect vintage vehicles; inspectors do not have all the proper tools necessary to complete a proper inspection.

PLEASE DON’T DELAY! Contact Virginia Delegates Leo Wardrup and Danny Marshall immediately by phone or e-mail to voice your opposition to H.B. 288:

(1) Delegate Leo C. Wardrup, Jr. Chairman, House Transportation Committee 804/698-1083 DelLWardrup@house.state.va.us

(2) Delegate Danny Marshall Sponsor of H.B. 288 804/698-1014 DelDMarshall@house.state.va.us

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Here is the letter we wrote:

Dear Sirs,

I have a classic '59 and ’67 Corvette that are in beautiful condition, that isn't my opinion, but the opinion of all who admire it. I invest thousands of dollars every year maintaining these vehicles. I don't want some high school drop out coming anywhere near this car with a wrench, and greasy hands. These people do not appreciate the time, effort and expense I have invested and they can distroy it by not doing something the right way. People who are in the antique vehicle hobby spend a great deal of time finding the right people to work on their cars, or they do it themselves. There are plenty of "qualified" mechanics who I wouldn't let touch my car.

Modern inspection standards cannot be applied to antique vehicles; state safety inspectors lack the technical knowledge to properly disassemble and inspect vintage vehicles; inspectors do not have all the proper tools necessary to complete a proper inspection.

Furthermore, there are no statistics indicating that antique vehicles are unsafe. In the Corvette hobby, there are people who specialize in only Corvettes, and even within Corvettes there are those who specialize in specific years '53-'55, '56-'62, '63-'67, '68-'82, etc…they do this because of the amount of knowledge that is necessary to properly maintain and restore these vehicles correctly.

Your H.B. 288 will cut the attendence in car shows by half if not more, since most of the car shows I attend are outside your 50 mile limit! (The Skyline Drive Cruise - Front Royal, VA, Corvettes @ Carlisle in PA, Boardwalk cruise in Ocean City, Sully Classic car show, etc...) Not to mention I would no longer be able to take pleasure drives in the country in my car, since I need to drive at least 50 miles to find a nice country road. My insurance company already limits my use, and requires my vehicles to be stored in a locked and enclosed garage (not sit outside and become a junker.) It is stupid to limit the distance to 50 miles from my house. That's saying it's fine for me to drive 800 miles as long as I stay within 50 miles from my house. What's the difference if I drive 800 miles in one direction or 800 miles in circles, it's still 800 miles.

Half the places I take my car for service are more than 50 miles from my house. I am usuallyscared to let a corvette expert touch the brake system on my hundered-thousand dollar 1967 Corvette, much less have some inspection stationer do a quickie brake inspection. Most of these inspection stationers no nothing about a vintage car. Unless you think the Virginia State Police want to add a more rigorous training program for antique vehicle inspectors to their Safety Inspection Program - I suggest H.B. 288 not be passed.

Perhaps instead of H.B. 288, you should consider amending law that simply forces the DMV to require that those who register an 'antique' really are registering an antique by requiring proof of actual antique vehicle insurance vs. regular or no insurance at all. Find a better way to clean up the junk, this is not it!

The manner in which you are going about this is WRONG! You are trying to punish 99% of the people out there who are trying to preserve the past! For what, to get the 1% who are abusing the system? I don't believe you have fully considered what passing this bill would mean to the citizens of this state.

If you pass this bill, this is the kind of car you will be taking off the road, more often then not! I cetainly enjoy driving this car, but most of the enjoyment is from the smiles, waves and joy this car brings to others when they see it going down the road.

<<59corvette.jpg>> <<67bb.jpg>>
DO NOT PASS THIS BILL,

Jerry Curl

That is BS.

wills670

I agree with makeing the state inspection a requirement. I do not agree with the mileage restriction.

I am a state inspector and what special traning and tools are you refuring to? I agree with you that you would need to be very careful on where you get your cars inspected but all the junk I see running around with antique tags needs to be stoped.

Yes the state needs to pick on the people running around with junk but as long as your cars are legal you should have no problem with a state inspection. On my 67 nova I always ran a state inspection because my insurance agent advised me too. And when I get my vette running I will have a state inspection sticker on it too.

I forgot to mention I do not inspect for the public. I inspect for a private fleet and I have to pay for my own inspections that are done by someone else. I hope I have not gotten anyone upset. i am just telling my opinion.

Panhead

Lemish, Very good reply, I also sent a letter opposing HB 288 which is nothing more than b s. Thank you

lemish

Deep down, I probably agree with making the state inspection a requirement. However, I have to disagree with it because there is no way a state inspector in my area is touching my cars - in Northern Virginia they are all either young punks or foreigners that don't hardly speak english. They are just in the job to collect the money - they dont care about my personal property. In fact - its all about the money - does everyone in Virginia know that the money you pay to the state inspectors goes in thier pockets - not to the state? (If I recall correctly, maybe a dollar goes to some EMS fund - maybe you can elaborate wills670.)

As far as training and tools? Maybe I selected the wrong wording, but how many corvette guys out there have the tools or the correct know-how to remove bolt-ons or trim rings from a '67. They can both be easily damaged unless you know what you are doing! (Thats why GM had to print seperate instruction cards for insert into owners packets.) I think my point in my letter that they can do a lot of damage is evident right here. With the cost of restoring an original set of trim rings in the thousdands dollar range - some idiot at the inspection station thinks noting of what they consider "just another beauty ring."

Seeing as you are a state inspectioner - I hope I have not offended you. I am entitled to my opinion too.

wills670

I know exactly what you mean by not wanting other people to touch you cars. And if they made inspections a requirement you would have to be very selective on who inspected. There is nothing that says you can not remove your own wheels.

The money does go to the inspection station and they have a small fee to pay once a year for the paper work based on inspections performed the previous year. New this year the motorcycle inspection fee has been increased by two dollars and that money will be sent to the state.
This fee is going in a special fund because they think the helment law will be overrode.

The fee the station collects is a small amount if they do everything an inspection requires. Look at the list on the wall of the inspection process. It would be take at least 1/2 hr. or longer for a proper inspection and it is quite a bargin at 15.00 when shop rates are 50.00 and up.

You have not offended me in the least. That is what make this country great when two people can debate stuff like this and still be freinds.

Hitch

There is an easy way to avoid all of this even if the law is passed. Currently in the Commonwealth you can register the YOM (Year Of Manufacture) plates to your car for life. There is no "Antique" stipulation to doing this and no restrictions on mileage. Also if you read the current code any "Antique" vehicle needs no current Safety Inspection. The "Antique" only denotes age not the current registration of the Black plates. Ultimately you could just run the ole Blue and White plates and drive it as much as you would like and still not get the annual Safety inspection.

I wouldn't personally worry about this bill to much. JMO... Dave..