mercer09 Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 while I agree with Owen, that NJ has a pretty good system for historic plates, I find Alabama to be the best. they offer lifetime plates for a onetime fee that is very reasonable, to the owner of the vehicle, for as long as they keep the car. that is tops! who wants to keep paying registration fees year after year on a vehicle that gets very little use in most cases? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 To me the hard part would be a required annual inspection. Fortunately Florida no longer has one and relies on the police force to identify infractions (most people are glad to know they have a light not working but a gentleman in a big SUV Porsche became incensed when I told him his stop lights were not ). Most of my cars today are pretty conventional but earlier ones could be "different" (difficult to inspect) & suspect some collectors would need an inspector to come to them with a roll of stickers the collector would not want on their car anyway. One thought: in exchange for a permanent plate and no inspection maybe they should be limited to 45 mph and on no road with a limit over 55. Probably needs some thought but a starting place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 4 hours ago, padgett said: One thought: in exchange for a permanent plate and no inspection maybe they should be limited to 45 mph and on no road with a limit over 55. Probably needs some thought but a starting place. Padgett, stand stronger! Why would you want to give up your rights to drive on the road you choose by your own best judgment, just so the government would give you antique-car benefits that people in other states already have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I don't, all of my cars are safe at the ton. But they are not "stock". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlasguy Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Pennsylvania has also scuttled their tailpipe emissions test, thank God! This was even after many stations had already been set up. It involved positioning your "baby" over a set of steel rollers and running it up to seventy while stationary, thereby blowing the rear and trans! At the time, my 72 Cutlass wasn't quite 25 years old and would have been subject to the destructive test. I was ready to register it at a fictitious address in New York. We hobbyists have to be vigilant! The government never stops trying to ruin our hobby and our cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted sweet Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 one time fee and no annual safery inspectiom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 " Going back to post #35, where I see "as a starting point", to paraphrase a quote I read "I don't know what it's really supposed to mean. Start? Start heading to what end?" " I'm with Bernie on this one. Be very careful in NYS because in all honesty I can't think of one thing they have done "good" without trying to figure out a way to make it either expensive or strip people's rights from them. There are those who would dearly love for ALL older vehicles to be limited to shows, etc so as to improve air quality and make certain that people have all the latest "safety" gimmicks in every driving (you know - like those mandated exploding air bags). Just my two cents and close to 70 years of observing NYS politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 On 5/26/2016 at 3:04 PM, D Bosco said: Gentlemen, thanks very much for the deluge of info and comments. To John in PA's point, I am trying to put together a proposal for legislation in NY that minimizes the expense to the hobbyist/collector to keep cars on the road. This would include the legal regime for license plates, inspection etc. Some states, I understand, have a one time licensing system as long as the car stays with the owner. After I do some more homework and comparisons, I will report back to all of you on this site. Hey Don, I think a big problem in NYS is the inspection on collector/antique cars. The shops do not make any money from it because of the low charge, so they don't even want to be bothered by it. That to me is my biggest problem, Vehicle comes out once or twice a year only to find out the inspection has expired, and nobody wants to do it for two weeks. I got pulled over on a visual spot check because I did not have any stickers on my windshield, that car was one the cars from my Florida collection, so I was waved on when the other officer saw the rear license plate. If I had one of the NY cars most likely it would have been expired. By the way if you do get anyone's ear in Albany maybe you could mention to see if they can allocate enough money to fix the some of potholes I have been hitting for the past 35 years with the new an improved bridge toll fees By any chance does Don Bosco Prep in NJ have any connection to you? A high school football factory, some great players came from that school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) Being stopped for a violation is the BEST thing that can happen in a legislative action. That is pretty straight forward and usually avoidable. But NEVER invite an agent of the government into your house or community: Edited May 30, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Just out of curiosity... what do you do in NY to get an inspection on a brass car? I don't know, and can't imagine a mechanic in one of my local garages who's ever seen one up close, let alone know what to check... Do you have to bring a copy of the law with you? That would be my solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 We had a grease monkey who specialized in brass cars. We called him our brass grease monkey. But he only inspects cars during the summer, since he accidentally got locked out of the garage one winter day. New York is a brutal place in the winter. An inspection of a brass car would be the same safety inspection given to any pre-1994 cars. Later ones need codes read (through a dial up network link! ). It is an objective inspection allowing for the judgement of the licensed inspector.If the car has lights most mechanics look at them as a binary device. If they don't light you fail. If you tow it in leaving a trail of water and oil, showing dry rotted tires you will probably go home unhappy. I don't know of any NYS politicians or lawyers who have an inspection license. If ran into one of those and said "this is a brass car" you'd get the "what does is mean" tactical diversion. Wait till the weather gets above freezing, the brass monkey will take care of you. Oh, and NYS has replaced all the inspection stickers with bad adhesive. They stay on now. I never did figure out if that was because they were from a low bidder or if it seemed like the state took 160 days to pay for the first batch. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfre Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I just took a 23 ford t for inspection here in NY , the new computer system the state forced all inspection stations to buy would not pass the T with out pulling the front wheel to inspect the brake ( what brake) the inspector had to lye to get it to pass. The Oneida Lake Region was involved in the 60s getting the HX plates and tried to have a one time fee but Albany insisted on yearly fee and got it. Good luck dealing with Albany. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 4 hours ago, Alfre said: I just took a 23 ford t for inspection here in NY , the new computer system the state forced all inspection stations to buy would not pass the T with out pulling the front wheel to inspect the brake ( what brake) the inspector had to lye to get it to pass. Al More reason for NYS to abandon inspections for antique and collector vehicles, I understand it and agree with doing it on "newer cars. It really is a joke in the lower 8 counties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I am heading up to town in 10 minutes to get my 30 year old Park ave convert NYS inspected, no appointment. I'll just get there when Joe pulls in with his '56 Studebaker President. I like the idea of a second pair of eyes looking objectively at the car once a year. This is the same shop that put a new Monroe exhaust system on my car in the Spring of '78. And my Son has developed the same kind of relationship with them. While others wait for appointments and suffer the mandatory bump for extra work we just skirt the system and get our job done. A few years ago I bought a Jaguar in for inspection, Scott, the other mechanic, looked at the car and exclaimed "How'd you get this far up the alphabet!". After years of Buicks and Cadillacs they get to know you. BTW, when my son was born I became encouraged to get inspections in a place where they checked, instead of the old "lick 'em, stick 'em" shops I used to use when we had the car lot. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Bernie, nobody is saying that you don't have to have someone look at it, I just don't need someone telling me I have to take my car to someone who does not what they are looking at. I don't mind them looking at my new cars, the dealership does that and the young men working on them were trained on them. I just know it is not a efficient system in the lower 8 counties of NYS. Make it a self certification. If the state wants to help owners of vintage cars that would be the biggest help for me, get rid of the inspections. Besides the cost I am getting shaken down for a $50,(the norm) to make it worth his while and just to get it in the door and to have to not leave it. It is different part of the state down here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Just got back, no appointment, $10 tax, $5 tip, and Caesar has what he is due for a year. I even stopped for coffee with the old farts at that end of town. The $50 minimum on a $10 inspection is pretty standard at a dealership. Most dealerships and some large shops pay the service manager a base pay with a bonus for sales beyond the original service request. If the manager doesn't make his quota he loses money. If a mechanic does not find added service he loses his job. The ratio is calculated monthly. Even $50 is a good investment if they find a bulb out. If one is ticketed for such a violation there can be a mandatory State surcharge of $120 to $150 upon conviction of the crime. You know how the indigenous peoples have been exploited for their wealth by intruding governments. We are the new indigenous. Bernie Edited May 31, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 THIS is why it is sometimes best to let sleeping dogs lie. I understand the US is not France but I fear that in the not too distant future ..................... http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/paris-is-banning-older-vehicles-from-the-city-to-curb-pollution/ar-BBtKIpY?li=BBnb4R5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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