Is your Hot Rod legit?

[Jive-Bomber]

I was riding my motorcycle down to Laguna Seca last Sunday to watch MotoGP racing. It was a nice, leisurely cruise down Highway 101 until a CHP pickup truck lit 'em up in my rear view mirror. It took me a moment to realize he actually wanted me to pu...

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[squirrel]

Fortunately the burnout was in Missouri, and the cops were in Tulsa.

76k miles, 15 years on the road, never been pulled over in my 55 chevy.

But when I was younger, I got stopped all the time driving this



It just had a warmed over 396, 4 speed, and a 17 yr old driver. Cops found things like non-working tail lights, missing registration papers, cracked windshield, etc to give me "CS" for

[HotRod33]

I don't have fenders on my 33 pickup and the exhaust is loud but I haven't gotten any grief for it yet.....

[JeffreyJames]

Last year I was pulled over in my '52 Merc by a police officer because my tailight was out. I didn't have registration (hadn't registered yet after owning it for 4 months) and I had a plate on the car that was some random plate was bought at a swap. When I pulled over I was sweating bullets because in NY where I am from they'll tow it for shit like that. But here in NC, the police officer pulled me over just to tell me that I should get that tail-light checked out so I don't get rear-ended. He didn't care enough to ask for registration and talked to me for a bit about the car. He was just trying to help a feller out

I love NC.

[Deuce Roadster]

I live in one of those " small southern towns " where the POLICE get a good bit of their revenue from tickets ... so both my 32's are 100% legal. Both also have the NSRA Safety 23 sticker. My little town is known to be a " SPEED TRAP " and to target vehicle violations.

The POLICE are under paid and mostly jealous of anyone with anything out of the ordinary or half way nice.



They just LOVE to right exhaust violations ...

[Von Rigg Fink]

All about the money

as if there isnt a real crime going on out there..but real crimes suck revenue, not generate it

[el shad]

Originally Posted by Deuce Roadster

The POLICE are under paid and mostly jealous of anyone with anything out of the ordinary or half way nice.

Ignorant statement. One of my homeboys is a cop/SWAT guy, and busts his ass. He has some cool shit and a nice house to boot. All boils down to how hard you are willing to work for it.

[grapp]

That Reminds me that I need to install the License Plate light on my car. It also makes me think about all the guys out there with non matching titles/vins and hokey paperwork, where a small traffic stop can lead to a seizure or your vehicle. It's not as off topic as it seems...

[Mazooma1]

I'm perfectly legal except for no front license plate. I carry it, along with the bolts, correct wrench, etc. to put it on, but if they are going to get bitchy about that, then I'm probably going to get a ticket instead of an opportunity to put it on.
I know it's against the law, and I take my chances.
If I get cited for it, it's nobody's fault but my own. No big deal.

[Nick Flores]

Its not only like that in small towns...

I live in Avondale, a suburb just west of Phoenix. Now while I have never had trouble I didn't deserve in Phoenix, here in the burbs I get hassled quite a bit. While most police will ask for license and registration, here in the 'burbs the first question out of a patrolmans mouth is "What year is this thing?"

Luckily for me, AZ has a 1964 cutoff for things like two tail-lights, seatbelts, and mufflers. Not so lucky for me is the fact that these small town cops know about some fairly obscure statues and use them freely. My last one was for not staying stopped at a STOP sign long enough. I got "waste of a finite resource" once because the cop didn't belive that an old VW "needed" a turbo... Judge threw that one before I could even plead a case. I wonder how many of these tickets are total bullshit, just written with the hope that you'll pay and not ask for a hearing?

[Deuce Roadster]

Originally Posted by Deuce Roadster

The POLICE are under paid and mostly jealous of anyone with anything out of the ordinary or half way nice.

Originally Posted by el shad

Ignorant statement. One of my homeboys is a cop/SWAT guy, and busts his ass. He has some cool shit and a nice house to boot. All boils down to how hard you are willing to work for it.

Your homeboy MAY be cool ... but these guys are NOT.
I myself have no problem with the POLICE busting vehicle violations and enforcing the law. My stuff is legal and the towns POLICE tough enforcement reputation helps keep the rift raft out of town.

.

[Larry T]

I ridden Harley choppers and fatbobs from the early 70's on. I found out quickly that it made life a lot simpler if everything was close to legal. I think I've mentions license checks on the side of the road that took about half the day and talking to some sort of LEO almost every day on road trips. It was just part of the deal until doctors and lawyers decided Harleys were the next big thing.

I still try to go "legit". It makes life simpler, which is why I just shake my head at open headers/shakey paper work/etc. that I see and hear about pretty often around here.
Larry T

[porknbeaner]

You are in California right? I got a ticket in '82 on my Hawg for my tail light being too dim. High noon on 101 in San Mateo, Calif. my tail light wasn't even on. Of course that was after they frisked me and gave me a lecture about everything else under the sun, including how I better watch out for the Hell's Angels. At least that one gave me a chuckle.

Most of my rods have been basically legal for a long time. I did get a lot of grief when I was still in high school a lot of it legit. But in that time frame I also got a ticket for allowing a motor vehicle to be driven illegally. I sent a friend after parts for his car in my car and he got a speeding ticket. Some how that translated into my allowing him to drive it illegally.

Anyway I for the most part have all my "saftey" equipment in good working order not because of the law but because most of it is a functional part of my vehicle. I mean hell it does rain here, and I do need to stop on occaision.

It seems that once business men started having a mid life crisis and buying "hot rods" things seemed to settle down for most of us. I get stopped once in awhile so the cop can check it out but it is not a fishing expidition like the time on my bike in San Mateo. For whatever reason the local constabulary seem to give us a wink and a nod.

[el shad]

Originally Posted by Deuce Roadster

Your homeboy MAY be cool ... but these guys are NOT.
I myself have no problem with the POLICE busting vehicle violations and enforcing the law. My stuff is legal and the towns POLICE tough enforcement reputation helps keep the rift raft out of town.

.

I never argued that fact.

I hate guys that puff up once a badge is pinned on them too. I was simply pointing out the inconsistencies in your statement.

There are good and bad in every profession.

[Zombie Hot Rod]

In New York the only equipment you need is what was required the year the car was manufactured. So for my '32 it's pretty much steering, brakes, headlight, one working tail/brake light, and I think that's it.

If you have a windshield you're supposed to have a wiper.

[jipp]

i live a hour out side of phoenix, iv never had a ticket yet.. i do not drive like a idiot tho for the most part.. at least not in public

anyhow, there is a strip of the freeway that runs by my house on high way 60.. it goes through this little town called gold canyon, anyhow.. they try to pretend to be like Scottsdale. but apache junction, my town wont let them be there own town... at any rate the cops through that 5 mile section pull over everyone.. they always have like 3 cops on that 5 mile section.. they have not messed with me yet but have nailed my brother 3 times for nothing and my sister once.

so if you driving through Arizona on high way 60 and you see a speed sign telling you 55mph up ahead drop down till you get out of gold canyon.. or you will get a ticket even for a mile above.
chris.

[Tman]

South Dakota is pretty relaxed. Never got hassledbut I don't drive like a squirrel either (no offense to Squirrel)

[2002p51]

I have no fenders, wipers, or turn signals but I don't have any problems here in Tennessee as long as I drive responsibly. I've noticed I don't even get a passing glance from most cops I see on the road.

I have been told however, that I shouldn't go into Virginia with a car like mine.

[RodStRace]

No, I'm not legit. Most of my cars lack some small thing.
I moved here to a 12K pop town to escape the So Cal rat race. I drive within the limits because they enforce them rigorously. I hear stories of CS pull-overs, but haven't had it happen here.
In my 20s I was getting pulled over at least once a month, mostly for CS.
Doesn't happen now.
I've had legit tickets and a few CS ones. A couple of pure BS ones too. I've got away with stuff too, though.
I hear the police here are handing over dispatch to the county sherriffs. I hope they are better than the San Diego Sherriffs. They were the biggest CS tossers ever.

Oh, and another for those travelling AZ; The town of Heber just off the 17 on 69. Slow it down, a notorious speed trap!

[need louvers ?]

When I first started driving the Plymouth daily about 17 years ago, it was a weekly deal to spend time by the side of the road saying such phrases as "What can I do for you today officer...". As a matter of fact, I once had an AZ highway patrol cop begin his stop by saying "You know, I had to follow you for 9 miles before I could find something to pull you over for!" Gee, thanks. Turns out, he just wanted my louvered license plate claiming it was "mutilated". I'm pretty sure it's still hanging on some supervisors wall.
My car has gotten progressively faster and better handling over the years, been driven more and more, sometimes more agressively than back in those days, and yet my amount of time by the side of the road has become less and less over the years. Matter of fact, it has been about 8 years since my last traffic stop. Either the world has become that much more dangerous, or my hot rod has become that much less a threat...