My old registration expired yesterday, so tomorrow I'll be heading up the to county tax assessor-collector to re-register it as an antique. The main advantages are....
One (1) antique plate. Thats right, NO FRONT PLATE required!
5 year registreation for $50.00
No inspection (of any type) required.
The drawbacks are I can only drive it to or from:
Exhibitions
Club activities
parades
Other functions of public interest
In route to or from a location for routine maintenance.
Between "club activities", "Exhibitions", "other functions of public interest" and "maintenance" that covers just about every where I ever drive anyway.
The next thing I'm going to have to do is crash a Nifty-Fifties show with my "Antique" and see if they try to tell me that it's not "enough" of an antique.
__________________ If it breaks, make it stronger.
If it doesn't, try harder.
First (Official) Antique 3rd-Gen. 26 years and counting!
Straight from the TX-Dot web site...these vehicles are exempt of the "Safety Inspection"
15.01 Vehicles Exempt from Inspection
1. Equipment:
a. Road-Building Equipment
b. Farm Machinery
*c. Trailers
*d. Semitrailers
*e. Pole Trailers
*f. Mobile Homes
g. Any Vehicle required to Display a Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem
*When the actual gross weight or registered gross weight is 4,500 pounds or less.
2. A vehicle with one of the following type Texas license plates:
a. Paper Dealer Demonstration/In-transit/Converter Tag
b. Parade License
c. Former Military Vehicle License
d. In-Transit License
e. Machinery License
f. Disaster License
g. Farm Trailer License
h. Permit License i. Antique License
j. Charitable Organization Tag
k. All-Terrain Vehicle Validation Sticker
3. A vehicle with one of the following Texas permits:
a. Factory Delivery Permits
b. Prorate Tabs
c. One-Trip Permits
d. Temporary 24-Hour Permits
e. Mobile drilling and servicing equipment used in gas, oil, or crude production having a 72- or 144-Hour Permit
I would be exempt from the "Emissions" test with any kind of plate, but with an antique plate I don't nered any inspection at all.
i know a few people who have that tag, just make sure the same cop doesn't see you driving it at the same time every day too many times,.. unless you really are going to a car show
you do still need to be able to pass a safety inspection with the antique tag, if you get stopped & something is wrong they can still ticket you.
ZAP, a car can't be failed for not having seats either, the inspector can refuse to drive it, but can not fail it for that. yes, seat belts are still required without seats
i just noticed this from the state web site,...
",.... Vehicles presented for inspection without windshields will not be required to have wipers."
looks like another change they seem to have not mentioned to the state inspectors
Hi Guy's,
I've had the belair rehistered as antique since I got it. Registration is due for renewal next year. Got the car running yesterday with all of the TPI setup. It sounded sweet with no exhaust system of any kind.
I took my camaro in for its inspection last week. It passed but I had to take off the open element conversion and swap back to the standard air cleaner. Something about a closed crankcase system. I asked the inpector about the belair and he said if I wanted to go for the inspection they will only check safety items. Its exempt from blinkers, seat belts and the sniffer.
Except, if you have an Antique plate no inspection is needed. So actually it is exempt from the whole inspection.
Ask you inspector to look in the TDPS inspection handbood, chapter 4 section 15.01 (Vehicles Exempt from Inspection) Paragraph 2.i.
BTW did you ever get manifolds? I still have one place to look, across town. But I'll be out there tomorrow or the next day.
Hi Eric,
Yes with the antique plates, but I'm looking at using the car as a second daily driver. I got some exhaust manifolds and on sunday had the car running for the first time. Hard to start at first as I had the timing out by 180 degrees. Corrected that and it fired straight up. Woke the neighbors as all I have on it is manifold. But it idled sweet and all the TPI works perfectly. I'm still waiting on a steering shaft that I ordered back on the 20th december. Then have to hook up the power steering pump to the jaguar steering rack, found a company that does the high preassure hose for $45. Hopefully be driving it next week.
Who did you get your insurance quote for $100 with?
