Legislation Alert

New York State Assemblyman Jim Conte endorses legislation supporting street rod and custom car enthusiasts

Assemblyman Jim Conte (R,I,C,WF-Huntington Station) announced his support for legislation intended to encourage and help promote street rod and custom car enthusiasts. "From the evolution of Henry Ford’s Model T to the sleek and powerful design of the 1950s era Mustang, many Americans of every background have had a lifelong love affair with automobiles. Cars have given countless individuals not only a means of transportation but a sense of independence and an ability to pursue their spirit of adventure wherever and whenever it takes them. Street rod and custom car enthusiasts have highly specialized interests that celebrate innovations in the automotive industry and popular culture and are fully deserving of support from our State government", Conte stated. Assembly Bill A.6484 would amend the State’s Vehicle and Traffic law in relation to the registration of street rods and other custom vehicles. Conte said the initiative would facilitate the titling and registration of these vehicles in New York by providing registration classes and license plates for street rods and custom vehicles and ensuring that vehicles titled and registered as street rods and custom vehicles are only used for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours etc., and not for general daily transportation. The bill provides that a replica vehicle will be assigned the same model year designation as the production vehicle it most closely resembles and holds street rods and custom vehicles to the equipment requirements of the model year of the vehicle. "I am proud to support this legislation because it will make an important difference in assisting street rod and custom car enthusiasts," Conte added. Source: Website of New York State Assemblyman Jim Conte, Fall 2007

MANTIS: Just for the record, in all of the pro-hobby legislation items we’re aware of, the sponsors have been Republicans. Are Democrats focused on getting us out of our cars and onto bicycles?

Arkansas adopts SEMA custom car title legislation
Source: Wisconsin Collector Car (wiscollectorcar.com), March 31, 2007

We recently reported how SEMA had helped get new kit and custom car registration legislation passed in Virginia. Well, the razorbacks didn’t want their Southern rivals to get too far ahead and recently passed a similar bill of their own. Arkansas made changes to their vehicle titling and registration classifications for street rods and created a new class for custom vehicles too. The bill was recently signed into law by Governor Mike Beebe after being approved by the Arkansas State Legislature. Arkansas now defines a street rod as “an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949” and a custom as “an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948.” And like to Virginia law, kit cars and replicars will get tagged as being the same as the car they aim to replicate. So a freshly built ’32 Ford would be a 1932 Ford, and a new Cobra would be a 1960’s car on the books.

MANTIS: Why not get with your representative in your state and urge similar action?


Street rod/custom vehicle bill signed into law in Montana
Soource: National Dragster, May 13, 2005

Enthusiasts in Big Sky Country scored a major victory when Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer signed into law SEMA-model legislation that creates vehicle titling and registration classifications for street rods and custom vehicles. Montana joins Illinois, Missouri, and Rhode Island as states that have enacted the bill into law. Sponsored by State Sen. John Brueggeman, S.B. 507 defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The new law allows for the use of non-original materials and creates a titling criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle it most closely resembles. Vehicles titled and registered as street rods and custom vehicles may only be used for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, and the like.

MANTIS: “Does that “non-standard materials” include that hunk of chewing gum I used to plug a hole in my passenger side floorboards? My gal was complaining of frostbite on her pretty little toes…”

Street rod/custom vehicle bill on the move in Tennessee
Source: National Dragster, April 15, 2005

Lawmakers from the Volunteer State have joined the ranks of other pro-hobby legislators in introducing SEMA-model legislation that creates special titling and registration classes for street rods and custom vehicles. Introduced by Tennessee State Senator and vehicle enthusiast Tim Burchett, S.B. 812 also provides special license plates for these vehicles. A companion version of the bill, H.B. 320, has been sponsored by Representative Eugene Davidson in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

MANTIS: The only vehicle more popular than cool cars in Tennessee are horses.

Product Alert

Among the recall yesterday (Nov. 6, 2007) of 405,700 lead contaminated toys made in China were dragster and funny car toys imported by International Sourcing. The toys were sold at National Hot Rod Association events through Schumacher Racing and by Matco Tools through door-to-door sales. Source: Associated Press, 7 Nov. 2007