Question for guys in Texas
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
From: Corpus Christi TX
Question for guys in Texas
does anyone know the laws for grandfathering with cars and emmissions and all the crap im getting a 81 vette and would like to put sidepipes on it just wondering about all that stuff. thanks guys
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,523
Likes: 1
From: grand prairie texas
Are you planning on using the car as a daily driver? If I am not mistaken if you have regular license plates you are required inspection annually which means keeping the cat installed. Now if you have antique plates like many of us do it will cost you $50 dollars for 5 years and no inspection required. By the law even if you have antique plates the DPS troopers still could pull you over and cite you but trust me they dont hastle you in a classic car unless you are seriously breaking the law
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 924
Likes: 15
From: DFW Metroplex Texas
Cars that are 25 years old and older do not require emissions testing.
All cars do require a safety inspection. This includes checking turn signals, horn, lights and a short drive around the parking lot.
The guys that inspected my car did not look under the car at all.
In short, I doubt you will get any grief about it. Most places are too busy talking to you about your car as they do the inspection to bust you on the CAT issue.
It is of course a federal law not to remove them, so you COULD get busted.
NCM Grand Opening Veteran
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,979
Likes: 384
From: South of giving a damn
St. Jude Donor '11, '17
Go with Antique Plates & have Kinko's print you up some business cards for Joe Blow's Corvette Club, with you as president. Antique Plates are supposed to be for club functions, parades, etc. If you are the Corvette club president, then you are always going to a function. The price is right & no inspections are necessary. The plate was easy to get, no one even raised an eyebrow.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
From: Corpus Christi TX
ok cool so you can get a classic registration for 5 years for a car 25 years and older ?? but as far as keeping the cat i dont suppose anyone knows a way to put sidepipes with a cat ? and im planning to use it for a daily driver
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 545
Likes: 8
From: Murphy Texas
Are you planning on using the car as a daily driver? If I am not mistaken if you have regular license plates you are required inspection annually which means keeping the cat installed. Now if you have antique plates like many of us do it will cost you $50 dollars for 5 years and no inspection required. By the law even if you have antique plates the DPS troopers still could pull you over and cite you but trust me they dont hastle you in a classic car unless you are seriously breaking the law
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,625
Likes: 0
From: Cut n Shoot TX
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Fairview TX
I can't beleive folks who regularly drive your cars are running antique plates. The TX regs on them are quite clear and VERY restrictive. To and from a show, to and from the mechanic PERIOD. No Sunday drives, no driving it to work, no driving it to 7-11.
It just isn't worth it to save a few bucks. Inspection is $13 (safety only) registration is about $40. So about $50 a year to be legit. They don't check for cats or anything else not safety related. You can look up the inspection requirements on TXDOT web site.
I got my C3 inspected in the last month. The car is too low to even go in the inspection bay now that most places have the emmisions dyno up on a ramp, so they don't even bother checking headlight aiming.
The only things I see catching folks out on a safety inspection are parking brake and headlight high beam indicator (and can't say most techs even check those two items). Everything else is stuff that should be right on everyone's car all the time!
The fine for this varies, but is not more than $200. I'm in Collin county and I'd be real surprised if it's not the full $200. Last ticket I got a few years ago (crossing a double white) was in the $300 range...
It just isn't worth it to save a few bucks. Inspection is $13 (safety only) registration is about $40. So about $50 a year to be legit. They don't check for cats or anything else not safety related. You can look up the inspection requirements on TXDOT web site.
I got my C3 inspected in the last month. The car is too low to even go in the inspection bay now that most places have the emmisions dyno up on a ramp, so they don't even bother checking headlight aiming.
The only things I see catching folks out on a safety inspection are parking brake and headlight high beam indicator (and can't say most techs even check those two items). Everything else is stuff that should be right on everyone's car all the time!
The fine for this varies, but is not more than $200. I'm in Collin county and I'd be real surprised if it's not the full $200. Last ticket I got a few years ago (crossing a double white) was in the $300 range...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,838
Likes: 10
From: Austin TX
Here's the info you need:
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/...nbr=51&type=AC
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/txdotefor...vletConfig.xml
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/...nbr=51&type=AC
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/txdotefor...vletConfig.xml
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 545
Likes: 8
From: Murphy Texas
I don't drive my car to work or down to 7-11. Just weekend strolls. If I were ever to be pulled over I would just say, "I'm going to a car show, or I just finished some "maintenance" and need to drive it to see if everything is working correctly".... Problem solved. I really doubt if an officer would really make a big deal about it anyway. If he did, I'd just count it up as one officer who was just a hardass.
NCM Grand Opening Veteran
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,979
Likes: 384
From: South of giving a damn
St. Jude Donor '11, '17
A Sunday drive is a function of public interest, everyone can see my car. The printed club cards work here too, as an officer of a 'Corvette Club' you are always driving on a 'club' activity. The point is that the law is loose enough to allow all the driving you want. About the only thing to trip you up would be passing the same cop, at the same time, every day. The amount of the fee for the tag or inspection is not the issue. I try to keep from giving the state any more money than I absolutely have to. I have no issue with what others choose to do in the this regard, this is just another option.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Fairview TX
Guess I'm taking the other side of the interpretation. When I think of 'club activity' I think of 'show'. Though of course any type of club meeting/get together would clearly be OK.
I agree if you don't drive to/from work, your chances of getting caught out are slim.
But I think the intent of the law is for it to be used on something more akin to a museum piece. I personally read the regs and gave it no more than 60 seconds of thought. Lie my way out of a ticket...not my style.
I agree if you don't drive to/from work, your chances of getting caught out are slim.
But I think the intent of the law is for it to be used on something more akin to a museum piece. I personally read the regs and gave it no more than 60 seconds of thought. Lie my way out of a ticket...not my style.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 366
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
I don't think they do emissions tests in Corpus. My 76 is my dd, and I run regular tags with annual safety inspection. I had one inspection station fail me for no EGR (since corrected), but no station has ever looked underneath. A previous owner installed true duals w/headers, but no cats.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,523
Likes: 1
From: grand prairie texas
We all know what the Tx rules and regulations are but I can pretty much guarantee you the TX DPS or local's wont bother you unless you are breaking the law. For awhile I was driving mine with no lights at all installed too and from the body shop and didnt get hastled.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,625
Likes: 0
From: Cut n Shoot TX
I can't beleive folks who regularly drive your cars are running antique plates. The TX regs on them are quite clear and VERY restrictive. To and from a show, to and from the mechanic PERIOD. No Sunday drives, no driving it to work, no driving it to 7-11.
It just isn't worth it to save a few bucks. Inspection is $13 (safety only) registration is about $40. So about $50 a year to be legit. They don't check for cats or anything else not safety related. You can look up the inspection requirements on TXDOT web site.
I got my C3 inspected in the last month. The car is too low to even go in the inspection bay now that most places have the emmisions dyno up on a ramp, so they don't even bother checking headlight aiming.
The only things I see catching folks out on a safety inspection are parking brake and headlight high beam indicator (and can't say most techs even check those two items). Everything else is stuff that should be right on everyone's car all the time!
The fine for this varies, but is not more than $200. I'm in Collin county and I'd be real surprised if it's not the full $200. Last ticket I got a few years ago (crossing a double white) was in the $300 range...
It just isn't worth it to save a few bucks. Inspection is $13 (safety only) registration is about $40. So about $50 a year to be legit. They don't check for cats or anything else not safety related. You can look up the inspection requirements on TXDOT web site.
I got my C3 inspected in the last month. The car is too low to even go in the inspection bay now that most places have the emmisions dyno up on a ramp, so they don't even bother checking headlight aiming.
The only things I see catching folks out on a safety inspection are parking brake and headlight high beam indicator (and can't say most techs even check those two items). Everything else is stuff that should be right on everyone's car all the time!
The fine for this varies, but is not more than $200. I'm in Collin county and I'd be real surprised if it's not the full $200. Last ticket I got a few years ago (crossing a double white) was in the $300 range...
Don't be jealous man......
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,147
Likes: 477
From: NM
Register as antique and no emission or safety inspection (don't do it for a daily driver - could mess up a good thing for the rest of us
)Also....there is a law on the books that says that NO car can be sold without all the emission equipment in place and working. No age limit either. Have never seen it enforced but it is there and could jump up and bite someone sometime.
Last edited by Tom73; Nov 6, 2007 at 01:35 PM.