Best State for Car Nuts?? HELP!!!!!!!

Another Texas butthole. Must be some truth to that saying "only steers and queers" come from there.

 

Yeah Chris! Exactly!

 

I would say the Austin, Texas area sounds cool to me. SoCal has a lot of car stuff going on, but there's just too much traffic. The great shows in California GNRS, Santa Maria, Ventura Nationals and many more. I live on the Central Coast of California, you just have to drive farther to get to the shows. I'm in San Luis Obispo, CA voted nationally the happiest town in the USA, whatever that means.
CRUISER

 

Im with Five-oh, just because we need more hambers here in Arkansas.

Use to live in Cali and loved it. There is something going on every night of the week for car guys in So-Cal, and the monthly swap meets along with year round crusin' weather cant be beat.

With that being said Arkansas is pretty nice because of everything Five-oh said and we have lots of junk yards to go to and alot of great shows are just a couple hours away (LSRU, SK500, HAMB Drags, KKOA)

But after reading this thread im thinking i might move to Texas myself!!

 

We don't have hurricanes,tornadoes,blizzards or floods trying to kill us,the scariest thing in Phoenix is about 3 months during the summer when you get your electric bill the smog kind of comes and goes and go about 15 miles in any direction and you drive out of it.Since the housing bust homes are dirt cheap just stay out of HOA neighborhoods so you can work on your project.Someone put down Healthcare in a previous post,BS! my wife is a breast cancer survivor and we are on Social Security and the care was excellent and affordable.

 

Watching the news and betting when the Governor will go to prison is always fun too!

 

Wine, women, wheels, and weather.

I'm staying in SoCal. But I do love visiting everywhere else!

 

The State of Prosperity. Has it all.

 

I grew up in Trumbull, I know what you mean about CT. It's just a little too grown up now. Only place that seems the same is Fairfield Ave in Blackrock. My parents moved right outside Myrtle Beach to a town called Myrels Inlet. They love it there, warn year round, solid hot rod and old car scene, and taxes and cost of living are low. If your retiring and have a "new england pension" than you can live very well there, but from what I've found if you need to continue working than the pay scale is lower than what you might be accustomed to. The taxes are incredibly lower than what you would be used to. My parents pay only $450 a year for a very nice home, also there are fantastic deals on housing. Many developers went in and built gorgeous homes in developments but when the market tanked walked away. Other investment groups have bought many of them and are now selling them at very fair prices. My parents found a house just under 3500 square foot, with a 3 car garage that's extra wide and deep, in a gated community with a club house, pool, etc. and they paid mid 300's. Same house in Fairfield County would be in the miid 600's. There are great roads for cruising, a few real big shows each year including bike week which is a blast, and you have the beach right down the road. You know being from Ct your gonna want to see the water every now and then. Also if you need to return for any reason to Ct it's on a 12 hour ride or flights in and out are dirt cheap. You can fly Spirit Air round trip for $50. It may be a place you would want to check out.

 

I lived in Dallas for a year and never understood why they are so proud of that god forsaken place. City sucks and nothin' but tumbleweeds everywhere else. Not to mention they make it difficult just to get a beer. Did I mention the heat in the summer?

 

No alimony, either.

 

Arizona. For all the reasons the others said. I lived in Phoenix for a few years--great place for the old car scene.

 

I'm from PA and probably moving to California late in this year. Not trying to steal your thread, and I'll delete this if you want me to.

How are car regulations out there? How hard is to get old iron on the road legal-wise? I'm thinking So-Cal for a year or so then gonna try and live in Az, Co, and maybe end up in Texas.

 

Gas Tires Oil Man do I hear you !

I'm planning on moving out of CT. Way too expensive, crowded and it's just not the state I remember when growing up. Ct Dragway closed down in the mid 80's. New York City has in my eyes made Fairfield county CT into another burrough of NY.
IT TOO DAMN COLD HERE IN WINTER !

LETS NOT FORGET - how the governor thinks we should have more "sanctuary cities to protect those less fortunate then us"

If it wasen't for the wife my ass would have been out of here about 5 years ago !
I'm looking at either South Carolina or Florida.
Anyone got any comments about that, feel free to email me outside the HAMB as I would love to discuss it with them. Knowledge is Power !

 

Make sure you have a good job waiting for you BEFORE you move. I live in south FL. Very hot, especially in August. Home insurance is high if you live in a hurricane area and homes are not cheap. Wages are low as FL is a right to work state. It's better if you speak Spanish and don't have a NYC accent and attitude that "things are better up North.". No income tax. I would recommend north FL. as it won't be an 8 hour drive to leave the state.

 

Not at all bud. Type away! This is a good thread for all.

 

Understood! Yeah, I plan on lining up a job first. No attitude here unless someone provokes me.

 

I have lived in Bama my whole life. The little traveling I have done has shown me how good I have it here. I wear shorts and sleeveless t's yr round. FL is full of hot rods but you guys have regulations out the ass. I love cruising down there. NH seems like EVERYONE rides a bike AND has a hot rod. You guys have one BRUTAL winter tho. Love your ramp-style roads, never know when you are gonna leave the ground! In Louisiana my sweat sweats! The MOST laid back people I have ever met. SD is absolutely beautiful but winter............tough. You guys are TOUGH. Lotsa cool hot rods. My freak friends in PA, super sweet hot rods, I could live in P'burgh for a while but a little too cramped for me. We are currently having the warmest winter I can remember. Probably have a 2 week ice storm in April!! Lot of Hot Rods here but tuff to get us together. Cruise-ins are fun and at least 2 weekly within 60 miles of me. Fall/spring car shows are plentiful and uncrowded. I live rather cheaply anywhere I go but here is best for me. peace

 

In those states without income tax--- doesn't the state generate revenue in different ways? For instance, higher sales taxes, property taxes, fees and fines?

After all, the money has to come from somewhere.

 

FINALLY! Somebody gets it! Don't forget the toll roads, and all the other "revenue enhancements". You are correct, there is no such thing as a free lunch....

 

ca for trad car culture, i'd argue, although it definitely has its problems. tx otherwise (especially austin) seems like a pretty good for a car guy.

 

Sales tax in Broward County FL is 6%. Palm Beach County is 6 1/2%. Property and school taxes are less than in CT for sure. Moving traffic violation (no right turn) where I live is $165.

 

I can recommend Savannah, GA. Taxes, insurance, and house prices are fair. Weather is nice, close to SC and FL. Gulfstream is hiring also. Lots of jobs for engineers in this area. Weather is HOT for July and August, but the rest of the year is perfect. I am from CT and don't miss that place because it is not what I remember as a kid.

The only down side is that this place is kind of weak for Hot Rods. See lots of muscle cars driving around, but they seem to hide?

 

One way around PA inspection is to run Antique plates. Pay a one time fee, no annual inspection, registration or stupid window stickers. I run both my old cars this way. Technically you're only supposed to drive Antique plates once a week, but I've never been stopped.

PA certainly has it's plusses & minuses (like everywhere). I like the semi-rural life (after 30 years in SoCal) - been here since '98. Cost of living is reasonable, but salt on the roads sucks - means my old stuff stays mostly in the shop for three months each year. As has been mentioned, the commonwealth form of gov't (at least here) is not the best...but then, these days, what form is? So Cal has great weather & all the car culture you'd want, but you gotta like lots of people & be able to afford a high cost of living. I do miss many aspects of California, but no matter where I go I doubt I'll ever live in a major metropolitan area again.

Steve

 

CREEPY avatar, dude.

There's a spot open in CA since I left....you can have what's left of that once-great state.

 

I read an online magazine article on this a while ago. If I remember correctly, Nevada, Montana, and Florida came out best. Why does this have to be reported from the other side of the planet? Surely someone closer read the same article?

 

No one here believes it???

 

My brother-in-law is contemplating moving from NY to NH because of the tax advantages.
Apparently NH makes up for no sales or income tax by selling booze. He didn't say if the state sells all the booze or if the compete with private businesses.

He also mentioned the seat belt law in NH. If you're under 18 you use a seat belt. If you're 18 or over they figure you're capable of making your own decisions.

 

Registering cars in N.C. is a real pain. Plus we have a personal tax on vehicles based on value . I go one state over S.C.

 

I don't think they could ever sell enough booze to make up for lack of sales taxes, unless the state is actually making the booze and there's an awful lot of drunks in NH. What he probably means is that the state runs all the liquor stores, like we have in Pennsylvania. Still not enough revenue to cover lack of sales tax by itself.

No seat belt laws? Wow, that's a big motivator. Combine that with lots of state-sold booze and NH is at the top of my list.