> Regarding the newly adopted emissions regulations on old cars, one lister
> writes:
> There is clearly is a smog problem in Los Angeles area as well as some
> other parts of California. The real issue is not the hobbyists who is
operate
> his/her vintage car on the weekends, but the many people who daily drive old
> cars that are gross polluters that could become smog exempt and drive them
on
> a daily basis.
> Some years ago, Minnesota adopted a law that allowed a hobbyists to declare
> a 20 year old car to be a collector car. Legally, the car is not supposed to
> be used as a daily driver. A special plate is given these cars (so police
> can identify them as collector cars) and they enjoy a very affordable
insurance
> rate. They are not subject to smog testing.
>
> California would do well to look at what other states have done to address
> this issue. Frankly, the problem in Minnesota tends to solve itself. After
> twenty years of daily use, the winter road salt has pretty much left the car
> ready for the salvage yard.
>
Having followed this process of creeping controls for ten years now, I
absolutely agree. My disappointment with this whole process is that the
leaders of
the club/insurance/industry group in California have continued to sleep at the
switch. Rather than taking a pro-active stance, and proposing legislation that
would both deal with the old car problem and protect true collector cars,
they wait around until months after legislation is proposed and then fire off
pleas for email campaigns to stop the badly-written legislation that has been
proposed. I predict that now the current legislation is a fair accompli, the
group will go quiet until after the next piece of damaging legislation is
proposed to rescind this one and substitute an even worse regulation
Regards
Gary Anderson
erstwhile editor, Classic Motorsports magazine
erstwhile publisher, British Car magazine
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