Article in today's Raleigh paper about abuses of vintage tags. Not specifically targeted at the Mini crowd, but worth a read.

"Phony Classic Cars Have Cost DMV Plenty"
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/cri...ry/725492.html


I also recently received a letter from the VA DMV citing abuses of their antique tag policy and requiring me to certify that I have another vehicle to drive day to day and to provide that vehicle's registration info. (You are only supposed to drive cars with VA antique plates to/from shows and club events, weekends, and occasional maintenance rides) I was in compliance, but have since moved to TN and now have their antique tag.

Three states in three paragraphs, now that's traveling. Cheers, tom

 

There's a couple of companies in Alabama that offer bills of sale for pre 1974 vehicles. Alabama did not issue titles until 1974. Up to that time, cars were transferred by bills of sale.

What happens is that the title service company provides you with a "bill of sale" stating that you bought the car from them. They also provide a copy of the appropriate Alabama statutes proving that the state did not issue titles for that year vehicle. When you recieve your bill of sale and other info, you take it to your home state DMV and title the vehicle.

For those who buy older barn finds from owners who may have lost the title years ago, it is a convenient way to get a legitimate title. For the few that want pull a fraud - like the one mentioned in the NC newspaper article - it's not so good.

My brother sold a non-titled (in Alabama) '73 MGB GT to a gentleman in Kentucky. The poor sod like to have never got the thing registered in his home state.

 

I ahve one classic (my dad's 1970 240Z) and one nearly classic (1986 944 Turbo track toy (with matching engine and tub)...
I KNOW people build up junkyard dog track-toys this way:
Find a wrecked tub, cut out VIN and weld that into newer chassis...
or start with 'classic' chassis, dump in newer motor, suspension, body...

Granted these are mostly DE toys, but it doesn't take much of a stretch of imagination to make your newer street car inspection-free...

 

Missouri is kinda the same way. You can't drive it daily and there is a certain number of miles you can drive with it per year. I'm waiting to get some for my car (they lost my paperwork).

 

Ohio's that way with vntage tags... You're only supposed to take it to and from shows. So I just registered my classic as a driving car - it costs more but I use it on roads every day, and the fees go to infrastructure repairs, so... IMHO this has nothing to do with a car's age and everything to do with how often you drive it on public roads.

 

i never got vintage tags, cause i dont wanna deal with driving limatation......and i insured through a reg. ins. comapny for the same reason

 

i agree with Norm on this one. I can drive it when I want and how I want and not have to deal with the Po-Po or Hagerty insurance.

 

Nevada is similar. If you get "classic car" tags, you can only drive it 2500 miles per year. You can also get an exemption from the smog check, but you have to physically go to the DMV every year to get it, which sucks.
I got my Mini to pass smog, added to my regular insurance with non-comprehensive and registered it as a regular car.

 

+2 on Norm's comment. Not having to worry about breaking the insurence rules is well worth the added expence.

 

Mine's insured and registered just like any other old, road-worthy car, as well.

 

The fee for regular registration on my 69 Jag XK-E is about the same as the Vintage tags, so I didn't see the point.

I have a stated value insurance policy, if I wreck it, they don't worry about trying to repair it, they just write me the check.

 

The problem that VA was chasing was two fold: antique plates didn't require annual renewal (a time when they checked on payment of certain state taxes) and they exempted the vehicle from annual safety inspections. The antique plate was intended for a true collector vehicle with similar cost savings as collector car insurance offers.

Many MANY people in VA managed to get antique plates and hang them on any ol POS that they were using as a daily driver. The special plate allowed them to skip safety inspections on cars that were the primary target of those inspections, and in some cases to avoid an opportunity for the state and or county to determine that taxes were not being paid.

So the state cracked down. The VA collector car community was not happy but truthfully the true collector car people can still get the special tag and rate...it is the POS drivers that now have a larger problem. The teeth of the change I saw was the requirement to prove that you had another registered and inspected vehicle - your daily driver. But I'd like to see how many transgressions they actually find cuz I suspect many people DO have another vehicle that passes....and then a couple that don't. But I think they also removed the safety inspection exemption ....at least partially. I wasn't excited about putting a 'classic' against full safety standards....

For the record I now live in a state that has 'collector' tags, but they say the status starts at 30 years so I'm back to standard plates for my 79. But I have the very same restrictions on my use of OC as I maintain my collector insurance policy.....by choice. That's how I use the car anyway so I'm saving a few bucks.

It would appear that the issue is now spreading to adjacent states and IMHO it was flagrent abuse by people driving cars that really shouldn't even be on the road that caused the change in VA, who wants to get some of the POS off the road & collect their tax$.