Attention MD. Car Owners The Goverment wants to restrict old cars

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Feb 4, 2012 | 05:12 PM

lshlsh2

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71 cutlass convertible

Joined: Sep 2008

Posts: 2,171

From: Trappe, MD

Attention MD. Car Owners The Goverment wants to restrict old cars

I got this via my car club and thought I would give a heads up.

URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT

Maryland Introduces Bill to Restrict Eligibility for Historic Vehicle Registration; Committee Hearing Scheduled for Tues., Feb. 28

Legislation (H.B. 550) to increase the age requirement for vehicles eligible for registration as “historic motor vehicles” has been introduced in the Maryland Legislature. Under the bill, the age requirement would be raised from 20 to at least 25 years old and would prohibit these cars from being used for “occasional transportation.” The measure would also require that an historic vehicle is insured by an historic vehicle, show vehicle or antique insurance policy. A hearing to consider the bill is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, 2012 in the Environmental Matters Committee.

We Urge You to Contact Members of the Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee (List Attached Below) Immediately to Request Their Opposition to H.B. 550

· H.B. 550 makes it more difficult to register legitimate historic vehicles, which are now already limited to club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades and occasional pleasure driving.

· H.B. 550 makes no provision for “grandfathering” existing historic vehicles 20-25 years old and allowing them to retain their historic status.

· H.B. 550 would deny vehicles 20-25 years old from existing benefits, including the special historic license plate and exemptions from equipment and emissions inspection requirements.

H.B. 550 ignores the fact that existing historic vehicles in Maryland constitute a small portion of the vehicle fleet and are already well-maintained and infrequently operated.

DON’T DELAY! Please contact members of the Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee immediately by phone or e-mail to request their opposition to H.B. 550. Please e-mail a copy of your letter to Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org. Also, please forward this Alert to your fellow car enthusiasts. Urge them to join the SAN and help defend the hobby! Thank you for your assistance.

Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee

Feb 5, 2012 | 07:43 AM

DeltaPace77

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Joined: Nov 2010

Posts: 601

Typical bureaucratic crap, with someone wanting to get their name in the pages. How many collector cars you actually see on the road, and driven how many miles. I’m in the Detroit area, and you wouldn’t believe all the neglected daily cars we have around here spewing stinky, black exhaust. Can’t go after them though, as they’re broke, and can’t afford to fix them. Collector car owners have money though, so we’ll get some from them. We had basic emission testing here years ago, but a joke as 10 year old+ cars were exempt. What's the point, as those are the stink bombs. Nobody in government wants to be seen as picking on the poverty folks, but last time I checked, we all have to breath the same air.

Feb 5, 2012 | 08:50 AM

Destructor

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Joined: Sep 2009

Posts: 746

From: Braintree, Mass

One more reason to look foward to earth day when I drive all 3 of my V8 powered vehicles!

Feb 5, 2012 | 09:57 AM

Lady72nRob71

Registered User

Joined: Feb 2008

Posts: 11,798

From: Plano, TX

Sounds like they are wanting to restrict them just the way TX is doing them now (and has been for a while).
For a lower, less frequent registration fee, use is very restricted.
If you do not like the restrictions, you can just buy the costlier 'regular' registration and use the cars in any way you want.
This is the reason why all of my cars have the expensive regular registrations on them. Luckily, anything here over 25 years old is emission test exempt...

Feb 6, 2012 | 06:09 AM

Frank3

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Joined: Jun 2011

Posts: 101

From: Gloucester Va

Here in VA its been 25 yrs as long as I've known , and I'm using 1968 tags , which are supposed to be life registration . But a few yrs ago they decided to pull them if you didn't prove you had other cars registered no standard tags for daily drivers . Then ask you to certify the car to be in the same condition as when it was new , and get it notarized .

I called my representative and he had the DMV administrator call me back . She explained the she thought most people were trying to get out of inspections and taxes , and keeping their cars in repair . Then told me how scared she was about a old car with antique tags and a bent wheel on the interstate , which had prompted the change .
I asker how the rest of the car looked , she said really nice . So I replied , did you ever think maybe he just bent that wheel in one of those nice pot holes , and was more pissed than she was scared about it ?
NO SHE HADN'T !
AND the state police would pull me over almost every time I left the house , car completely stock , shining like new , and threaten to impound the car and/or take the plates . Never could find anything wrong with the car , and would let me go with a I watching you warning .
The car now after sitting 10yrs outside , is dull ,and has had alot of resto mods , and is sitting on Centerline drags , because they were the only wheels I have to fit the disc brakes , and is loud . and I haven't gotten a second look yet .
I've also been told they dropped the hole reregister and prove thing , but I don't know for sure . Never got a conformation one way or the other .
Now it sound like a new law here would require your motor vehicle to have the exact factory exhaust from the dealer only , no aftermarket at all allowed . Don't know the status of this law either .
You wouldn't believe the laws states are changing against collector cars and kit cars . 'Keep up with them and call your representatives .
SEMA watches most of them and fights them where it can .

Feb 6, 2012 | 02:31 PM

DeltaPace77

Registered User

Joined: Nov 2010

Posts: 601

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady72nRob71

Strange about the TX thing, as my brother's in San Antonio, and seems to have their share of smelly exhaust old cars driving around there. Also seen lots of late model cars, obviously running around with no cats. Curious what the emission policies are around there.