HVILA

When is a car no longer considered 'historic' when making updates? I mean are there certain things you can't update? Are there certain things you can? Does it matter with insurance companies or the DMV?

What can you change? What cant you change?

MelWff

If your question is purely related to insurance and DMV the year of manufacturer is what is looked at they dont care as far as "historic" classification is concerned if you change the exhaust or the carburetor or the exhaust or the wheels/tires, etc.

pacoW

It may depend on the state you're in if you're talking about classic or historic plates (registration). For example, I'm in PA and I have a 71'. To qualify for historic plates I have to submit 4 photos (front, back, sides). If I were to have anything showing that was not available for that model year (side pipes, spoiler, etc) the state would not give me historic plates.

Mr D.

Not sure I fully understand the question but there is nothing historic about a used Chevy, some might be more desirable than others. As for updates it's your car to do with as you please, me, the guy next door and the DMV don't care.

7T1vette

And if your concern is regrading the issue of insurance, most of us use a collector car insurance underwriter. No insurance company I know stipulates anything regarding to the "historic" nature of the car. If you are referencing a "Survivor" vehicle, ANY change to such a vehicle detracts from its 'original' status.

The13Bats

If i were a purist of "born with" or owned a nice survivor i would be pretty darn picky about it,
I would be okay if the replacement part was correct and not modified from born with,
Oddly i would be okay if say a guy bought a 69 corvette in 69 3 days later bought a gm L88 hood and installed it, to me that is still survivor historic.
In the case if my personal 69...the car or i guess myself, its mostly poser.
To me restored cars are just that, restored, they might look original even use vintage correct parts but they are just tributes to what they were when born.

derekderek

New Jersey historic tags are like PA in that respect. You're not supposed to alter the car at all if you want to use historic plates. And you're also only supposed to drive it to car shows and in parades. But in the truth, nobody really cares nobody really checks. Now as far as the value of the car and what the car is and are you an idiot to alter it? It needs to be a pretty scarce and special car in the first place for you to qualify as an idiot for changing it. Now you want to put a Corvette summer hood on your car? You are an idiot.

The13Bats

resdoggie

Does historic = antique plates? In my province there are antique plates available for any car 25 years and older and hence, are considered classic cars. No one here cares if the classic car is bone stock or highly modified. Insurance is dirt cheap if it qualifies as a classic.

Tonio

In NYS, all they care about is how old the car is. 25 years old or more and it qualifies for "historic" plates as an option to regular plates.

derekderek

And a 93 Accord is still a viable commuter car...

The Money Pit

This for Pa is absolutely true. But in my case the pics I submitted were not my car. Never inspected or pulled over for any reason. Illegal, yes. But by the legal standard some new cars will not pass emissions testing. In my area there are no emission tests, just basic mechanical safety inspections which my Vette would easily pass.

HVILA

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm from NJ. I don't own a vette yet but I love the '68 - '72 body style, not too keen on keeping numbers matching nor paying for a numbers matching car. I would very likely buy one that needs some work and have some restomod done. So I was wondering (for NJ) are there were specific parts of the vette I couldn't change and still qualify for historic plates and reduced insurance. Looks like I got my answer so thanks again!

mrvette

Many decades ago, up north in Md....a buddy had a ~'35 Ford rumble seat convertible, steel body, NICE car, he paid like 13k for the thing, and brought it up to V8 club regional show winner, car was PURRfect.....when time to sell, he found the market tanked, why?? all the guys who wanted one when new, were outta the market, no demand.....all the $$$ and time effort and only got 15k for it.....

During this time, I was saying he should make a hotrod out of it, stick a SBC in it, update the rear, and rest of the car, and have a street rod......and he could have gotten about 50k for it, because the guys who saw them as hotrods when a kid.....were still around, .......

I fail to see why the same thing is NOT going to happen to the vette hobby.....

The13Bats

While your post isnt really about "when is a car no longer considered historic"

Your post and this thread really got my brain grinding,
With the risk of sounding short sighted or over simplifying i personally believe an old vehicle in this case is always in a way historic.

An extreme, Take a very top end c3 resto mod build the ones that fetch tall $$$ at auctions most are 68 to 72 chromies and they might not have many perhaps no orginal parts, but just about anyone who sees one knows its based on an old corvette. "Historic" well it might not have much of a history but it sure makes people think back which works for me.

Your question i placed in red, its not a case of "going to" its already here in our c3 world,
Polls show most members here who participated modify their c3 to some degree, most do like a stock look but it ends there while rare examples like a 435 bb 4 speed 69 ragtop are and always will be very desirable in bone stock original condition those musume pieces as i see them are making way for the c3 owners of today, the cats who want to drive their c3 more than look at it and in that most desire better suspension, more hp, all kinds of modern upgrades to make them better and more fun drivers.
Are the modded cars still historic?
In my book hell yeah, they are deacdes old and all have a history.

M4A3E2

In defense of the vettes, I'm fairly young, and still love the originals. My 72 is mostly original, and I prefer the way it drives and feels over say, my brother's Toyota 86. I think the styling and overall feel, along with the era the classic corvettes are from will carry them for a while as both historic, and valuable.

Rescue Rogers

As far as the DMV is concerned you can change the color, engine, transmission, steering and suspension. It wont change the value or what it was made as for. AS for value of a 50 year old car in the eyes of an insurance company it wont increase the value of what a blue book states. You can go with an agreed value to up the price.

In the end they only pay attention to the VIN and registration. Some states dont care at all about exhaust and some are becoming sticky on side pipes and exhaust. Here, as long as it was offered as a factory option , you can add it on.