Driving Force August 2011
 

Texas Two-Step

Street Rod and Custom Vehicle Bill Becomes Law in the Lone Star State

After an effort that stretched into two legislative sessions, SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles, including kit cars and replicas, and provide for special license plates was approved by the Texas State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Rick Perry.
Slated to go into effect on September 1, 2011, the new law defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The law also allows for the use of non-original materials and creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. In addition, the law only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle and exempts them from emissions inspections. Certificates of title for replica vehicles will include the word 'replica'. "The bill was passed during this session because of the hard work of all Texas automotive enthusiasts and will help us with a simple and uniform method to title and register the cars built in this state," explained Texas SAN member John Crisler, who worked diligently to support the measure.
Texas joins California (2001), Illinois (2002), Missouri (2004), Rhode Island (2004), Hawaii (2004), Montana (2005), Maine (2005), Colorado (2006), Arkansas (2007), Virginia (2007), Nevada (2007) Florida (2007), Idaho (2008), Iowa (2008), Tennessee (2008), Wyoming (2009), Utah (2009), North Carolina (2009), Massachusetts (2010) and Washington state (2011) as states that have enacted similar bills into law.
The new law is the product of two legislative sessions. In 2009, identical legislation that was approved in committee did not receive a vote by the full Texas House of Representatives before the legislators adjourned for the year.
"After the disappointment we experienced in 2009, it is extremely gratifying that the Texas legislature was ultimately persuaded to enact legislation recognizing the unique nature of these vehicles as hobbyist cars," said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. "For the hundreds of vehicle enthusiasts in Texas that supported this bill, building, maintaining and enjoying these unique creations is a favorite pastime. This law represents an opportunity to acknowledge their commitment to the hobby and to protect it for future generations." The model bill will continue to be pursued by SEMA in states that either don't have registration classifications for these vehicles or have laws that are lacking in some way. SEMA efforts are ongoing this year to work with the state legislatures in New York and New Jersey on this initiative and to add others to that list in the coming legislative sessions.



CAUCUS CORNER

The State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus is a bipartisan group of state lawmakers whose common thread is a love and appreciation for automobiles. The caucus has grown by 173 new members (listed below) in the 2011 legislative session, bringing the total to an impressive 516 members in all 50 states. While cruising through our new member list, you will come across a few photos of legislators showing off their rides, which goes to show: lawmakers can be car guys, too!
ALABAMA
Representative Daniel Boman
Representative Allen Farley
Representative Jimmie Hall
ALASKA
Representative Bob Herron
Representative Kyle Johansen
ARKANSAS
Senator Mary-Anne Salmon
Representative Nate Bell
Representative Charlie Collins
Representative Linda Collins-Smith
Representative Homer Lenderman
CALIFORNIA
Senator Doug LaMalfa

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California State Senator Doug LaMalfa beside his ’68 Mustang.
COLORADO
Representative Mark Barker
Representative Millie Hamner
Representative Chris Holbert
Representative Pete Lee
Representative Marsha Looper
DELAWARE
Representative Harvey Kenton
GEORGIA
Senator John Albers
Representative Alex Atwood
Representative Josh Clark
Representative Terry England
Representative Michele Henson
Representative Pedro "Pete" Marin


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Georgia State Senator John Albers and his ’76 MGB.
HAWAII
Representative Angus McKelvey
Representative John Mizuno
Representative Jessica Wooley
IDAHO
Senator Lee Heider
Senator Steve Vick
Representative Adam Brown
Representative Frank Henderson
Representative Kathy Sims
ILLINOIS
Senator John Mulroe
Senator Suzi Schmidt
Representative Donald Moffitt
Representative Michelle Mussman
Representative Dennis Rosa
Representative Ron Stephens
INDIANA
Senator Jim Banks
Senator Jim Tomes
Representative Bill Davis
IOWA
Senator Dr. Joe Seng
Representative Cecil Dolecheck
Representative Jared Klein
KANSAS
Representative Tom Arpke
Representative Tom Burroughs
Representative Terry Calloway
Representative Jim Denning
Representative Gail Finney
Representative Jana Goodman
Representative Jim Howell
KENTUCKY
Senator Joe Bowen
Senator Jared Carpenter
Representative Mike Cherry
Representative Mike Harmon
Representative Dennis Horlander
Representative Michael Meredith
MAINE
Senator Andy Sanborn
Senator Lois Snowe-Mello
Representative Les Fossel
Representative Thomas Longstaff
Representative Kerri L. Prescott
Representative Wes Richardson
Representative Jeffrey Timberlake
MARYLAND
Delegate Michael Hough
Delegate Steven Schuh
Delegate Jeffrey Waldstreicher
MASSACHUSETTS
Representative Steven Howitt
Representative James Murphy
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Massachusetts State Representative Steven Howitt cruising in his MG.
MICHIGAN
Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood
Senator Joe Hune
Senator Mike Kowall
Representative Charles Brunner
Representative Brad Jacobsen
Representative Dale Zorn
MINNESOTA
Senator Jim Metzen
Senator Carla Nelson
Senator Katie Sieben
Representative Paul Anderson
Representative Joe Atkins
Representative Bob Barrett
Representative Mike Benson
Representative Kurt Bills
Representative Bob Dettmer
Representative Sondra Erickson
Representative Patti Fritz
Representative Kelby Woodard
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Minnesota State Representative Mike Benson with his son and ’78 MG Midget.
MISSISSIPPI
Representative Richard Bennett
Representative Roger Ishee
MISSOURI
Senator Brian Nieves
Senator Mike Parson
Representative T.J. Berry
Representative Mike Kelley
Representative Brent Lasater
Representative Thomas Long
Representative Tom McDonald
Representative Eileen McGeoghegan
Representative Jay Swearingen
Representative Paul Wieland
Representative Billy Pat Wright
MONTANA
Senator Tom Facey
Senator Jon Sonju
Representative Christy Clark
Representative Doug Kary
Representative Steve Lavin
NEVADA
Assemblymember Richard Carrillo
Representative Ed Goedhart
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Representative Gary Azarian
Representative Gail Barry
Representative Paul Brown
Representative Jack Flanagan
Representative Frank Holden
Representative Robert Introne
Representative Kenneth Kreis
Representative Keith Murphy
Representative Jeffrey Oligny
Representative Joe Pitre
Representative Mark Proulx
Representative Steven Smith
Representative James Webb
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New Hampshire State Representative Gary Azarian and his vintage Corvette.
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New Hampshire State Representative Mark Proulx with his fire-fighter inspired Mustang.
NEW JERSEY
Assemblymember Erik Peterson
NEW MEXICO
Representative Bob Wooley
NEW YORK
Assemblymember George Amedore
Assemblymember John Ceretto
Assemblymember Andy Goodell
Assemblymember Sean Hanna
Assemblymember Mark Johns
Assemblymember Daniel Losquadro
Assemblymember Steven F. McLaughlin
Assemblymember Mike Montesano
Assemblymember Edward Ra
Assemblymember Kevin Smardz
Assemblymember Lou Tobacco
NORTH CAROLINA
Representative Kelly Alexander
Representative Becky Carney
Representative Kelly Hastings
NORTH DAKOTA
Senator James Dotzenrod
Representative Craig Headland
Representative Dick Anderson
Representative Mark Owens
OKLAHOMA
Senator Mark Allen
Senator Kim David
Representative Dennis Casey
Representative Colby Schwartz
Representative Cory Williams
PENNSYLVANIA
Representative John Bear
Representative Stephen Bloom
Representative Marcia Hahn
Representative Michael Hanna
Representative Nick Kotik
Representative John Lawrence
SOUTH DAKOTA
Senator Jim Putnam
Representative Steve Hickey
Representative Tona Rozum
Representative Mark Willadsen
TENNESSEE
Representative Harry Brooks
Representative Charles
Michael Sargent
Representative Mike Sparks
TEXAS
Representative Larry Gonzales
Representative Sid Miller
Representative Van Taylor
Representative James White
UTAH
Senator Scott Jenkins
VERMONT
Senator Joe Benning
Senator Richard Westman
WASHINGTON
Representative Larry Crouse
Representative Troy Kelley
WEST VIRGINIA
Delegate John Ellem
Delegate Gary Howell
WISCONSIN
Senator Glenn Grothman
Senator Van Wanggaard
Representative Roger Rivard
WYOMING
Senator Ogden Driskill
Representative Bunky Loucks



Driving Force Recognized in International Competition

SEMA Action Network's own Driving Force took home the gold medallion in the "Best Single Issue: Newsletter" category during the 20th International Automotive Media Awards, which took place on June 20 at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan. The International Automotive Media Competition, a function of the International Society for Vehicle Preservation, is an awards program. The purpose of this peer-judged program is to recognize excellence in all forms of automotive media.
"As the leader in legislative advocacy on behalf of the automotive hobby, the SAN relies upon Driving Force to reach thousands of enthusiasts regarding government activity in the states and in Washington, D.C.," said Steve McDonald, SEMA vice president of government affairs. "This recognition is a testament to its continued effectiveness in providing enthusiasts with the information they need to help affect pro-hobby governmental policies."



LEGISLATIVE QUICK HITS

New York One-Time Fee: SAN-supported legislation to provide historical vehicle owners a one-time registration fee of $100 upon initial registration was passed by the New York Senate. The bill will now be considered by the Assembly Transportation Committee. The reduced registration fee would be available to owners of historical vehicles owned and operated as an exhibition piece or collector's item and used for club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses. Under current New York law, a historical motor vehicle is either a vehicle manufactured more than 25 years ago or one which has unique characteristics and which is determined to be of historical, classic or exhibition value. The $100 one-time fee would replace the current annual fee of $28.75.
New York Assembly Passes Resolution Proclaiming July 8 as Collector Car Appreciation Day in the State: The New York State Assembly approved a resolution to memorialize July 8, 2011, as Collector Car Appreciation Day in the state of New York, in conjunction with National Collector Car Appreciation Day. The effort was sponsored by New York Assemblymember Bill Reilich, who has served the automotive hobbyist community for the past four years as national chairman of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus. Earlier this year, at SEMA's request, U.S. Senators John Tester (D-MT) and Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced and the Senate approved Resolution 154 (S. Res. 154), officially designating July 8, 2011, as 'National Collector Car Appreciation Day.'
Pennsylvania Year-of-Manufacture Plates: A Pennsylvania bill that would provide vehicle owners the option to use vintage, original model-year license plates on antique and classic vehicles was passed by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee. An application fee of $75 would be charged for a request to use year-of-manufacture plates. Under the measure, vintage plates must have been issued by the state of Pennsylvania between the years 1906 and 1975, must be provided by the vehicle owner and legible from a reasonable distance. Under current law, antique vehicle owners may only apply for special antique, classic or collectible plates that bear the designation 'antique vehicle.' These plates would still be available to state hobbyists if the bill is enacted into law.
U.S. House of Representatives Panel Considers the Benefits of Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation: A House Natural Resources Subcommittee held a hearing entitled "Opportunities for Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands." The main topics of discussion were protecting recreational access to federal lands and recognizing the economic benefits derived from such activities. Witnesses included representatives from the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition and other OHV organizations. The hearing included testimony in support of multiple-use federal lands and responsible OHV recreation. Don Amador, Western Representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, spoke on the need to reopen the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA) in California. Currently closed due to an ³emergency closure² in 2008, the CCMA consists of more than 75,000 acres of land containing off-road trails. Amador testified that the decision was based on inaccurate data and false assumptions and that the land should be designated as a National Recreation Area with prescribed OHV uses. The SAN promotes the responsible use of federal lands for recreation and continues to oppose land use policies that are unnecessarily restrictive.
"Wilderness designations" are of particular concern since no motorized activity is permitted on such land. In 2009, lawmakers passed 160 separate measures as one omnibus bill, thereby designating 2.2 million acres of new wilderness in nine states. Lawmakers are now discussing the possibility of designating millions more acres in the same fashion.



HEY, THAT'S MY CAR!

When Your Truck Breaks, Rod It!
Mopar Owner Leaves Nothing for the Junk Man
1950 Dodge B2B
Owner: Donald Giglio
Saratoga Springs, New York
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I bought this truck in New Hampshire 26 years ago for $200 as a knock-around truck to help keep the miles off my new Dodge pickup. I never dreamed it would ever turn out to look like this. I drove it with the Flathead 6 for 14 years until the motor stopped running. I couldn't find a replacement at that time, but I sure wasn't going to give it to the junk man! So, I decided to street rod it.
Under the hood, I put in a '74 Cuda 318 with 340 heads, a 904 torqueflite, two chamber Flowmasters, 83/4-in. sure-grip rear 3:23 gears, a Ron Francis wiring kit, Lokar linkages, Cool-flex hoses and a fan, an Edelbrock 2176 performer aluminum manifold, an Edelbrock 600-cfm four- barrel carb and a Walker aluminum radiator. I covered the stock seats, updated the shifter with a Hurst V-Matic and installed VDO gauges and a JVC sound system with Bose speakers. Lastly, I coated the body with ¹01 Napa Rod & Custom bright blue paint.
The truck is all Mopar. It's been in two magazines and I've won more than 400 trophies with it over the years. My motto is, "Old Mopars never die! They just change drivers!"



Hobby Heats Up

SAN Spreads the Word This Summer
SAN’s own Dan Sadowski (left) helped draw the name of Cindy MacKusick from Gurley, Georgia—winner of the SAN raffle of a 50-in. 3D HDTV. Conducted at the Country Music Association Festival’s Power Zone in Nashville, Tennessee, the raffle was open to all SAN members in attendance at the four-day event.
The SAN has spent its summer participating in enthusiast events around the country and spreading the word about the need to be involved in the protection of the auto hobby. Kicking off the start of the car show season in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as part of the Hot Rod Power Tour, SAN staff had the opportunity to sign up new members and speak to enthusiasts about current government efforts impacting hobbyist rights. With the SAN aboard, the tour continued to Valdosta, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama; Nashville, Tennessee; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Muskegon, Michigan, before concluding in Detroit. An extra four days were spent in Nashville, Tennessee, at the 2011 Country Music Association Festival where SAN staff mixed and mingled with car-crazy country music fans, warning them of government threats to the hobby and bringing them into the SAN family.
Tour participants met each morning for the daily drivers’ meeting to discuss the route and rally together to take on the road as a group.
After seven days and more than 1,500 miles, Hot Rod Power Tour “long haulers” pulled into the world-renowned GM Proving Grounds just outside of Detroit, Michigan.
SAN representatives spoke to tour participants each day from the main stage about the importance of staying informed about legislation impacting the auto hobby.


CLUB SPOTLIGHT

Commitment to Preserving the Hobby
MSRA Reminds Legislators of the Importance of Rodding at Its Annual Run to the Hill
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Approximately 100 members attended the annual breakfast preceding the Run to the Hill. MSRA’s member and State Representative Patti Fritz delivered a speech and displayed her continued commitment to preserving the hobby.
The Minnesota Street Rod Association (MSRA) was founded more than 30 years ago by a group of 12 Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) rodders. From those humble beginnings, the MSRA has grown to exceed 13,000 active members worldwide. The founders of the MSRA had great vision for preserving and protecting their hobby of street rodding. They knew this would include developing good relationships with government officials and formed their legislative committee to be a liaison with local city governments and the state legislature.
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The MSRA’s Legislative Committee held its annual Run to the Hill on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. The weather was picture perfect, and it turned out to be the only nice day of the week. Perhaps, Mother Nature has a “soft spot” for street rodders (we are the ultimate recyclers!).
The MSRA Legislative Committee started an event called Run to the Hill, which has become a day for auto enthusiasts to show off their collectibles at the state capitol and visit with Minnesota state legislators, the governor, lt. governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor. The event serves as an opportunity for legislators to see hot rods and other unique vehicles first hand and meet the people behind the hobby. Through the efforts of the Legislative Committee, the association has been able to retain its exemption for non-oxygenated fuel use and create other special exemptions for things such as fenders, blue-dot taillights and other modifications popular in the hobby.
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MSRA members parked 65 cars on the Capitol sidewalks. When the rodders arrive each spring, everyone in the Capitol building knows it within about five minutes!