• RME Gear & Apparel

Vintage License Plates

Kevin B.

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
BCGPER said:
An 85 Toyota is a collectors item now? :rofl:
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When they're being listed for 10k or more on EBay with nothing but some theoretically original paint and vague "maintenance records"? You bet.

Admit it, you're doing it solely to skirt the yearly Safety Inspection.
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Well of course I am, what would be the purpose otherwise? Why does anybody go for a vintage plate except to pay less in registration and avoid the hassle of yearly inspection? That's not the same as being too lazy to keep your vehicle safe or emissions legal and hiding behind the vintage plate, which is what I think you think I intend? That's a horrible sentence, lemme put it this way - the law clearly states that vintage vehicles are expected to remain safety and emissions legal, you just don't need the yearly inspection. I intend to abide by that law. I will have mudflaps and fender coverage, I will have a working parking brake, I will have emissions levels that are under the limit for my year and model (or I'll do my best to be as close as I can get), etc. I'll just pay less for my sticker and won't pay at all for inspections. Are we talking past eachother, because I don't understand what you find objectionable about that?

I stand by my assertion. I don't believe I'll be abusing the intent of the law.
 
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Marsh99

Marsh99

Lover of all things Toyota
Location
Mantua UT
My question for everyone is: Why is your 30 year old car any different than any other? You guys are cherry picking in your mind what vehicles the law should apply to. I agree this isn't for daily drivers, but come on.
 
ricsrx

ricsrx

Well-Known Member
for the record: my truck easily passes safety and emissions, (after repairs are completed that are noted above) the law states that it is a collectable and qualifies for a vintage plate. I actually have driven it more this year than in the previous years that I have own it combined. so now I don't have to have the inspection or IM completed to license it.

I brought this post back up because I got pulled over for obvious violations and I wanted every one to know how the LEO handled the situation with my truck having a vintage plate, he could have given me a fix it ticket for the items listed above, and I think that I would have received it regardless of what plate I was running.

BCGPER I think I follow you on your description of a classic car or truck, you have stated your opinion and im fine with that.

I do collect Toyota's by the way
 
S

skeptic

Registered User
Being in-demand does not make something a collectors items. An old truck you use for wheeling isn't a collectors vehicle IMHO, it's just an old truck. Some of them have desirable features such as solid front axles - for wheeling, not to restore and collect. As I've already said, I think ALL cars 30+ years old should fall under the "vintage plates" rules automatically so I will withhold judgment on what would be considered abusing the rules. I will throw this out though, IMHO these are examples of what I believe vintage plates are intended for:

toys3.jpg

'81 Corvette (stock) / '77 Toyota Celica (resto-mod)
 
S

skeptic

Registered User
Cherokeester said:
The plate says "Vintage" not "Collectable" there is a difference.
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Yep, but the description reads more like vintage collectible. Any semi-rare vehicle could be considered collectible even when new. Chevy has sold a couple different Corvettes they actually called collectors edition. Jeep sold a Tomb Raider edition Wrangler back in '03 that is definitely a collectors car, but certainly not vintage (yet). Plenty of other examples. At the same time, there is a reason vintage plates are not intended for any old car you might DD.

We can argue technicalities all day long, go back and forth about who may be abusing it or barely sticking within the letter of the law, but I think if you read it without bias it's reasonably clear what vintage plates are intended for even if we don't agree on a definition. That old rusted out '72 Chevy farm truck used to haul hay in the summer no, the restored '72 Chevy show truck that only sees sunny weather on the way to a car show yes. Both technically qualify and would be completely legal to have vintage plates for, but IMHO one would be bending the rules a bit.
 
Stephen

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
Location
Never Far From Nowhere
Cherokeester said:
The plate says "Vintage" not "Collectable" there is a difference.
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Hit the nail on the head there. Because you can argue "collectable" all day long. If I saw a Renault 5 at a car show, I'd be all over it and probably try and see if the owner would sell. A Chevrolet Corvette wouldn't even register to me. Same said about a rusty farm truck. I think that is far more collectable than the same truck in show quality. One tells a story, the other is... well... boring. Who wants to look at something thats never been used? Not I. But thats my interpretation of collectable.

Thus the reason, I think, that the DMV chose "Vintage". Other states have "Collector" plates, and the rules for those are much more strict. I'm glad that the Vintage plates are more flexible. Helps keep interesting cars on the road longer.
 
S

skeptic

Registered User
Bart said:
Nice little collection. I really dig the Celica.
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Thanks. The Celica is the most fun to drive car I've ever driven. Now if I could only get the overheating issue resolved and get it back on the road I'll modernize the interior and get the last little bits done. The intent is to have a completely modern car built from a classic Celica.
 
clfrnacwby

clfrnacwby

Recovery Addict
Location
NV
Saw this "collector's item" heading North on I-15 out of St. George yesterday. I'm fairly certain it was being used for "participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses, but is not used for general daily transportation." Did I miss a Camry parade somewhere? :D

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S

skeptic

Registered User
clfrnacwby said:
Saw this "collector's item" heading North on I-15 out of St. George yesterday. I'm fairly certain it was being used for "participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses, but is not used for general daily transportation." Did I miss a Camry parade somewhere? :D

View attachment 95151
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Sweet car. No possibly way the driver did that to get out of safety and emissions testing on such a perfect condition classic like that.
 
Stephen

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
Location
Never Far From Nowhere
clfrnacwby said:
Saw this "collector's item" heading North on I-15 out of St. George yesterday. I'm fairly certain it was being used for "participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses, but is not used for general daily transportation." Did I miss a Camry parade somewhere? :D

View attachment 95151
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From that small little picture, looks clean. Thirty year old Camry in great shape would certainly fit the bill as "Vintage". Good on him for using the system as designed. If its in as good of condition as it appears, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he was a member of a club. I went to a JDM Show last year and there were a couple of that vintage Camry's there. Way cool. :thumbs:
 
Kiel

Kiel

Formerly WJ ZUK
kurt needs to start importing jdm camry's and corolla's. Part of the deal is he vintage plates them. Obviously there is an untapped market here.
 
cruiseroutfit

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
Kiel said:
kurt needs to start importing jdm camry's and corolla's. Part of the deal is he vintage plates them. Obviously there is an untapped market here.
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There actually are a couple importers dealing with JDM cars of this variety, you would be surprised how popular they are amongst some crowds. I went to the JDM show Stephen mentioned, sure enough there were Camry's, early Lexus models, etc on show. There is a butt for every seat :D

Stephen said:
If it doesn't say "Land Cruiser" somewhere on it, I'm not sure if Kurt even knows it exists. :D
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Partially true :D
 
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