Meeting with the Mass. DMV and title division this Wednesday night, Pro Bass Foxboro.

oh yea this is working out great already

 

wish i knew about this it would have tried to make it. sorry not to show my support.

 

The state police inspection was successful after several calls back and forth to supervisors in the Mass. DOT office and the state police in Boston.
It got rather heated a couple of times.
Serious intervention from higher-ups got me outta there in about 1 hour.
The next stop at the Wilmington DMV was disappointing but I've got to see one more fellow there next Wednesday and hand him one more form that needed in insurance company stamp on it.
He says with that completed I'm free to get my reject inspection sticker reversed.
Only took one month and suitcases full of money to resolve.

 

^x2

They valued the car below at $7500 when i titled it. I went through the appeal process. That was also a joke. I specified on the form i wanted a hearing if the i didnt receive ruling in my favor.

I was never notified of their ruling and was never given a hearing.

I called several months after i filed. They said oh, we closed this weeks ago. I asked why i wasnt notified about the ruling or not given a hearing. They said they didnt know, i would have to find out from someone else.

What i struggle with is , where is the accountability?

 

As I interpret this latest turn of the screw in my back side, when the Mass DOT and Massachusetts State police in conjunction with all the others following in this food chain finally issue my title and registration for my 1947 Ford, it will be titled as a 2003 because of last major modified component , the ZZ4 Chevy engine but the line where it states model is now going to read 1947.
Right?
Well OK then, when the EXCISE TAX BILL is mailed out to me by my town I live in they are going to tax me on the value of a 2003 Ford.
Now what do I do?
I have to pay the bill first then file for an abatement?
Will I qualify for an abatement or does the town and the state stick it to me again?
They've already screwed up any historical significance on my antique, collector, street rod, whatever you want to label it as.
They probably just bit off 30% of the cars value thru this latest debauchery, so how well did any bill writers , SEMA, and the Massachusetts DOT think this whole episode would pan out?
Also, say my '47 Ford gets stolen or used in an armed hold up.
What are the police on the look out for? A red 2003 Ford coupe or a red '47 Ford coupe?
I get stopped on the highway for some traffic infraction, okay? Follow me so far?
The new rookie cop checks my registration and feels I'm driving a 2003 Ford 2 door.
This old coupe doesn't look like any 2003 Ford Mustang, or 2 door truck or any 2003 Ford he can conjure up in his mind.
Is he going to have me towed to the impound on a nice hot sunny summer afternoon, then offer me a ride home?
I think not!

 

This is the way the conversation would go.

"Dispatch, this is CAR 54 calling in."
"I've got this old Red Jalopy pulled over in I90 West Bound on a violation Eleven - Seven (Operating a motor vehicle with out proper designation and whatever else they can dream up).
"The vehicle's registration states it's a 2003 Ford. The operators appears irrational and delusional because he insists it's a 1947 and to me it looks prehistoric enough to be a fliver from the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Movie sir".
"Captain, shall I haul him in for trying to pass this jalopy off as a registered late model vehicle?"
"Captain, shall I check it for an airbag, a catalytic converter violation, and whats with these blue tail lights, impersonating a law enforcement vehicle's emergency warning lights maybe?"
TOW TRUCK-IMPOUND-MASS CONFUSION.

 

Thanks 2many for keeping us updated.

Is it now a 2003 because that's the year of the engine?
Or because 2003 is when the engine went into the 47 Ford?

What about emissions/safety...2003 or 1947?

I just read your post above....this is going to be a nightmare.

 

2003 because that was the final date of the build completion.


Still goes thru a vehicle state inspection but no emissions due to it being a pre 1948 model (street rod).

Yup, screwed up!

 

wait it has to be sniffed if its newer than a 48!? tell me that isn't so....

 

Too Many Projets, what was the final out come with the plates? do you have the same plate as before or do you have the oh so elusive... wait for it... "street rod plate"?

 

That's the best part! the state doesn't do a sniff test on any longer and hasn't for more than a year. Its all done thru the OBD II port. but if you have a rod with a SBC engine newer than 1974 you have to have all the emissions devices that it came with installed and functional. Yes that does include air pumps, restrictive manifolds and best of all? Charcoal canisters!

 

No plates yet. I'm still in Garage Purgatory without plates. I have Antique plates but they're verboten.
The Mass DOT "encourages" me to go with PAN plates. (Passenger car normal plates).
My advice to everyone is to DUMP your Antique plates as rapidly as possible.

 

Grundy (the OLD Grundy ) never required antique plates in Mass. So I've always run PAN plates on my '34.Still do.

 

ill antique vehicle plates were at last check, 25.00 and good for 4 years. of course, they limit the miles you can drive but ive never heard anyone being asked to prove mileage from yr to yr.

from the sound of this thread, it sucks to be an antique vehicle owner in mass.

good luck to you. will check back later to see how you made out.

 

3 more buddies dumped their Antique Massachusetts 'Vanity' plates yesterday.
One of them read 32 FORD, another was a 3 digit reserved style plate he's held for years and the other was a real neat 4 letter word we use frequently that the DMV blessed a long time ago.

Looks like the state is gaining back some plates the 'Antiquers' would die to have.
Lucky them. SUCKS FOR US!

 

I can see it all now, my grandmother's 65 265 Chev blew an engine and there were no replacement engines for her car so the garage installs a new chevy motor in it.

State police pull her over for an "illegal" car, takes the plates and throws her in jail.

Told her that she should have applied for street rod plates.

 

How's all that hope and change working for you? This should of had at least a Grandfather clause for the cars already out there with MA titles before April 30, 2012. To Many...thanks for all the info you have provided...it definetly gave me a headache...I can only imagine what you felt like dealing with bullshit and the money you spent...all this amounts to a back door tax increase with the fees...with that being said it's over for now...phase 2...I'm thinking we need orgainize and contact our our state reps and get some admendments going to change some things back or better...who has car freindly reps in their area? We can move this to the Mass Hamb for future disscusions...no reason to let the rest of the world how fucked up our state is...November can't come soon enough for me...

 

I have antique plates on my '67 Vette. Just paid the insurance bill,$400 for $500,000
liability, and $40,000 collision.Thats about 1/2 of what insurnce cos for my 2008 Mercury
Grand Marquis.I can well afford the double registration fee.

 

2many I have a few questions?

Did you have to provide documents proving when the build was completed... in your case 2003?

What would happen if you bought the 1947 "streetrod" this year. The previous owner built it in 2003 but didn't keep receipts. How could you prove anything to them?

What does a guy do with a 327 powered 32 Ford he built in the early 60's?
Is he now driving a 1962 Ford in the states eyes? Also the chances he has any paperwork to prove when he built it would be close to zero.

My uncle built his roadster in the early 90's with a 283/powerglide.
He's running MA antique vanity plates and is now panicking about this.

Thanks Again for opening our eyes to this problem.

 

June 20th at Bass Pro in Foxboro, lower floor meeting room will host another meeting with the Mass. DOT.
MAAC is organizing the meeting.
Bring along all of your questions and Terry Hayes and other DOT personnel will give us new answers and solutions, I hope.
Today ,after a 5 week battle , I was finally awarded new PAN clean 6 digit normal plates and a new registration certificate for a 2003 Ford street rod.
No mention of the year 1947 appears on it like DOT told me it would.
Now I'm trying for the Mass state safety inspection and the service stations are clueless on handeling this new flaw in their system.
. Again, no accountability from Mass DOT, no proper training beforehand and again I'm trapped in the middle like a clay pigeon at the target shooting range.
How do you safety check a 2003 Ford(???) that has the body , the frame, and the soul of a 1947 Ford powered by a Chevrolet engine and transmission?
The Mass, inspection facilities don't know, who does?
,
Looks like this is going to start up more questions that Mass DOT will need to find answers for at yours and my time and expense.

 

Thanks 2many...i'll tell him about the meeting on the 20th. I will try to go as well.

Hopefully you can get the 47 safety inspected before summer is over.

 

Another meeting was held this past Wednesday night in Maynard at the Rod & Gun Club.
Well attended, mostly well mannered people, but not everyone liked the answers that were given.
The re-VIN topic is hotly debated in the street rod circle.
It's now being discussed as a violation of the federal law which states it's application to only prior rebuilt salvage cars or recovered stolen vehicles.
The federal level should over-ride the state level, not the other way around.

Think about that for a while folks,

 

Well that is interesting. I would love to see the state get there toes steped on . Thanks for the report 2many projects. See in my case Build project) I just do not have an exsisting vin. I have an 80 year old steel body ( bill of sale) which came with no firewall which is where the serial number plate would be located. Also I have a home built /costructed chassis from mild steel tubing. So I do not fit in with that rebuilt salvage or recovered stolen vehicles deal from my view point. So I know they can issue a new vin per my aplication for title with me producing major receipts for parts. I supose the cops will still look at it as a stolen body etc.

 

"I was finally awarded new PAN clean 6 digit normal plates and a new registration certificate for a 2003 Ford street rod.
No mention of the year 1947 appears on it like DOT told me it would. "


So a modified 47 Ford is a 2003 but a kit car is titled as what it most resembles?

 

When I titled my Model 4 years ago, I paid sales tax on a NADA value of around $20,000, far more than I paid for the car and much more than it was worth based on it's condition.
I pay annual excise tax of $5 for this car, a tax that is based on the year of the vehicle.
If I modify it and have to change the year on a title to the year I hot rod it, can the RMV now hike the rate of the excise tax based on the NADA value???

 

6 weeks worth of trips to the registry office, 2 trips to the Mass. State Police
salvage inspection Center, 5 visits to the state safety inspection stations, phone calls every 3 days to the DOT headquarters in Braintree, Mass., 3 phone conversations with the State Police Captain in my area, 3 conversations with people of SEMA who helped drop this bomb on us, and more money than a person has a right to fork over and I've got a totally Mass. compliant '47 Ford (now registered as a 2003 Ford street rod) and a couple of more hot rods with clear state inspections and new PAN license plates.
Am I clear to drive a street rod in Massachusetts again? (I truly hope so).
You Mass. HAMB rodders be the judge. How is this legislation effecting your rod or custom registration process?

The 2 late night meetings in Maynard and Foxboro were very helpful and informative that the DOT and various auto clubs hosted.
There are 2 more to follow in Foxboro and possibly Bridgewater between now and late June.

We should all plan to attend to learn more of the legislation and possible easing up of issues ahead of us.

 

It will get interesting tomorrow, May the 1st, to hear new tales about the registration process in Massachusetts for rods and customs now that we've hit the deadline.
3 more buddies turned in their Antique plate last week from their street rods and plate swapped them for conventional PAN plates.
One friend of mine turned in EIGHT sets of Antique plates off his hot rods!
The counter clerk in Wilmington gave him a whole world of flack so he left before he got into a real problem with them.
The Grundy insurance agent in our area, Prescott & Sons, took over the swap the next day. Rick at Prescott knows the right people, and the ins and out at the DOT.
He had new PAN plates for my buddy, Dave in under 2 hours ( and he personally delivered all the plates to Dave's house!)
Hopefully he'll get them all inspected for new stickers by tonight and can fly below the radar for at least one more year.
It's still a little ambiguous at the various DOT offices.

 

June 20th at 7:00 PM at Bass Pro in the Gillette Stadium complex, Foxboro, Massachusetts will be the meeting place this week for all Mass. area street rodders and custom vehicle enthusiasts.
This is another meeting to update us on the changing rules and legislation regarding street rods, custom vehicles, kit cars and other one-off type vehicles.
Everyone should make an attempt to be there to learn how our hobby is being affected by local government legislation.
The DOT will listen to our feedback after updating us on the newest rules and hopefully some improvements and compromises can be initiated in this challenging process we're now forced into.
Miss this meeting and you could be headed to garage-purgatory if you misinterpreted the new legislation.

 

Time to battle again.
Remember the furor over the fender law and the exposed engine components a few decades past?
Massachusetts regulators are back to their old regulatory tricks again.

See you all this Wednesday night in Foxboro,