November 2009

 

 

 

 

As an auto enthusiast, it sometimes seems as if legislation created in the state capitals only hurts the hobby. However, not every bill is a clunker. As the SEMA Action Network (SAN) has demonstrated with the success of its Street Rod/Custom Vehicle law, pro-active, positive legislation can serve to create new opportunities for the growth of the auto hobby. Expanding on last month’s theme of building productive relationships with your legislators, the SAN presents you with four hobby-friendly model bills to share with legislators in your state. Along with the Street Rod/Custom Vehicle bill, the SAN champions the Inoperable Vehicle, Exhaust Noise and Nitrous-Oxide Systems model bills from coast to coast. SEMA-model legislation is designed specifically to create reasonable and practical solutions to widespread issues affecting every hobbyist.

 

 

Every hobbyist has a dream vehicle over which they obsess about every detail. For some, this might be a kit vehicle they build at home, while for others it’s creating the perfect street rod. To facilitate putting that dream onto the road, the SAN developed the Street Rod/Custom Vehicle bill to simplify the titling and registration of these vehicles. This model bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom car as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. Under the bill, kit cars and replica vehicles are issued a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. To date, 20 states have passed a version of our model legislation to ensure historic and custom vehicles stay on the road.

 

 

Many hobbyists work to take advantage of the Street Rod/Custom Vehicle laws by building or restoring a vehicle at home. However, some cities or counties seek to limit your ability to store and work on project vehicles on private property. The SAN aims to protect your historic projects with the Inoperable Vehicle model bill. Under this bill, municipalities may not create ordinances or regulations that prohibit land owners from engaging in automotive restoration as long as the collector’s vehicles or parts car are stored out of ordinary public view. With the support of the SAN, hobbyists in states across the country are able to comfortably restore and build their dream vehicles in the freedom and comfort of their own properties.

 

 

One common thread on which most hobbyists can agree is the need to improve the performance of their vehicle. In the quest for more power and efficiency options, the first place many look to is their vehicle’s exhaust system. Through the years, we all have seen the nearly constant attacks on aftermarket exhaust system noise. As states work to limit the noise of mufflers, many enacted laws do not supply enforcement personnel with a clear standard to enforce, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether or not a modified exhaust system is in violation. We agree that these exhaust systems should not be used in a way that causes overly loud or objectionable noise. The SAN’s Exhaust Noise model legislation protects you by establishing reasonable noise limits for modified exhaust systems based on an easy-to-administer test standard. These limits are usually indicated in decibels and allow vehicle owners to prove compliance by an objectively measured, fair and predictable procedure. The exhaust model bill safeguards your ability to improve your vehicle’s performance while providing law enforcement with a measurable standard.

 

 

Tenths of a second matter at the local dragstrip and can mean the difference between hitting that magical 10-second quarter time or not. For some hobbyists, that shot of nitrous oxide is all they need to conjure their asphalt-shredding personal best on the track. Unfortunately, everyone knows the actions of a few can hurt the many. Because nitrous oxide has become linked to illegal street-racing in the minds of many, legislators began banning its use. The SAN’s nitrous-oxide model bill ensures the rights of those who use nitrous oxide legally. The legislation allows vehicles that are equipped to supply nitrous oxide to the engine to travel on public roads as long as the nitrous-oxide feeding line is disabled or the containers are removed. This allows for the system to be easily accessed and restored for lawful use at the track.

 

The SAN and hobbyists have worked together to generate these successes, but there is much more work to be done and we need you more than ever. With the knowledge of how to lobby your legislator and model legislation to share with them, now is the time to build that relationship. Each of you, through a letter, a phone call or by inviting a legislator to your club meeting has the power to protect the future of the hobby. Our allies in the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus prove that state legislatures are populated with automotive enthusiasts just like you, looking to protect the hobby. The Street Rod/Custom Vehicle, Inoperable Vehicle, Exhaust Noise and Nitrous-Oxide System bills along with the guide to lobbying your legislator, can be found on www.SEMASAN.com. If you are concerned about these issues in your state, now is the time to pick up that pen or phone and help the SAN enact hobby-friendly legislation so future generations can enjoy their own dream cars.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is its newest member:

 

California State Assembly Member Tony Mendoza

 

 

 

 

Indiana Antiques: SAN hobbyist groups affiliated with the Auto Clubs Council of Indiana, working with SEMA and SEMA-member companies, have reached a tentative compromise with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) on an agency proposal that originally sought to redefine the term “antique vehicle” in order to force more of these hobby cars into the emissions inspection program. Under existing regulations, an antique vehicle defined as “a motor vehicle or motor scooter that is at least 25 years old” is exempted from emissions inspections. Under the initial proposed regulation, the definition would be revised to require that the vehicle must be at least 25 years old, registered and plated as a historic motor vehicle, driven a maximum of 3,000 miles per calendar year and include federally required pollution-control equipment for that make and model year. Under the plan, the vehicle would be periodically forced into a vehicle emissions test site to verify that these requirements have been met. Under the current compromise, vehicles 25 years old and older would be exempted from the 3,000-mile limit and the pollution-control equipment requirement if they were insured under a collectible vehicle or classic automobile insurance policy. 

 

 

 

 

 

Free and unfettered access to public lands is vitally important to many U.S citizens, not the least of which are Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. This hobby represents a growing trend and leads to more people actively using and appreciating our public lands each year. Land use policies developed in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere have a dramatic impact on the availability of public land for hobbyist use, so it is important to be a knowledgeable and active enthusiast. Because these laws and regulations are massively complex, the SAN has created a “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation” to help you decode the Washington lingo.

 

The “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation” provides several key tools that will help you build a solid foundation of land use knowledge. It includes a broad overview of such topics as the key federal agencies managing public lands; major laws and regulations, such as the Endangered Species and Wilderness Acts, that affect access to public lands; private organizations who are active in the conservation of natural lands while supporting the hobby; and SAN position statements, which act as a guidepost for legislative and regulatory advocacy.

 

Many laws and regulations that are passed or proposed are well intended, but have a tendency to be one-sided and too vast in scope, taking little account of hobbyists who responsibly enjoy nature through a variety of motorized activities. Far too often, laws are enacted by legislators who do not take into account the beneficial impact that enthusiasts have on public lands through the OHV hobby. Many hobbyist groups and clubs actively participate in the maintenance of roads and trails on their own time and dollar, conduct clean up days on public lands, and work to preserve the environment not only because it’s the right thing to do, but to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same natural splendor and beauty our public lands possess. These are the same individuals that are as passionate about their vehicles as they are the land they enjoy them on, and maintaining a future for this hobby on public lands is essential.

 

How can these wilderness bills affect my hobby you ask? Imagine planning a trip to go enjoy OHV trails in The Great Basin, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Moab-La Sal Canyons or San Rafael Swell areas. Now imagine the U.S. Congress passing a bill called America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 which closes significant portions of those parks to all OHV use. The threat that these laws and regulations pose to hobbyists are not imagined or abstract; they are very real and require action on the part of hobbyists, hobby groups and other industry associations.

 

This March, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 was signed into law, designating more than 2 million acres of wilderness (land closed to all motorized activities) in nine states. This included areas in and around Joshua Tree National Park and Eastern Sierras in California, Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands in Idaho, Mt. Hood in Oregon and Zion National Park in Utah. Additionally, a bill entitled “The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act” has been introduced in Congress. This legislation would set a precedent by using the term “bioregion” as justification for converting 24 million acres across five states into wilderness areas. How would you feel if congressmen and senators from distant states came to your backyard and told you how you can use local designated trails? Keeping access decisions about these lands at a local level and to be determined by those who enjoy them is vital to keeping them free for all Americans.

 

The SAN has taken the action of submitting comments in opposition to these bills, but participation by invested hobbyists and businesses may be necessary to secure access to these areas in the future for all tax-paying hobbyists. The SAN’s “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation” is another means of protecting access to these lands by putting the information necessary to understand the issues and the players at your fingertips. Educating yourself and using that knowledge to take action by writing your legislators and passing the information on to your friends is the key to creating a win for your hobby and passion. The guide can be found at www.SEMASAN.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Owner: Eric T. Brubakken

Marietta, Georgia

 

When my Dad got home from work one evening in August of 1967, my mother met him at the front door and told him they were buying a new car that night. This would be only the second new car they had ever purchased and since my dad was a mechanic at JM Taylor Oldsmobile in South Gate, California, that’s where they went.

 

In the showroom sat a ’67 Cutlass Supreme. The Cutlass had the Turnpike Cruiser option, which was basically a 442 with a two-barrel carburetor and a cam designed with highway cruising in mind. That was the car they purchased, and it has been in the family ever since. The purchase price was somewhere around $3,200 in 1967 dollars

 

The Cutlass was my parent’s daily driver until I enlisted in the Air Force in 1972. During tech school in Biloxi, Mississippi, my parents decided to give me the car and brought it to me while I was stationed there. Before they left for home, I managed to find a set of “mag” wheels for it, the first of a long list of changes to the Cutlass.

 

Modifications throughout the years include: complete repaint and new vinyl top; swapped out 400 engine with a 455, added Edelbrock intake; Holley 780-cfm carburetor; Chevy 12-bolt rearend 3.31 gears; PowerTrax Lock-Right Locker; Strange Axles with C-Clip eliminators; Hooker headers; converted drum brakes to disks; and Turbo 400 transmission swapped to a 700-R transmission with a 2200 stall converter.

 

One of the many monumental events the Cutlass was involved in was the birth of my son. When he was born, we brought him home from the hospital in it and now, 20 years later, he is the third generation of my family driving it.

 

Future plans include building another 455 engine for it, freshening up the original interior and someday giving it to my son.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 13–14, Dothan

10th Dothan Automotive Swap Meet and Car Show

Information: www.swapncrusin.com or 866/277-3962

 

 

November 20–22, Scottsdale

12th Southwest Nationals

Information: http://good-guys.com/events/eventDetails.aspx?eventid=09-629 or 925/838-9876

 

 

November 6–8, Borrego Springs

Bronco Daze 2009

Sponsor: Early Bronco Registry

Information: www.earlybronco.com or 760/751-9859

 

November 13–15, Trona

Panamint Valley Days

Sponsor: California Association of 4WD Clubs

Information: www.cal4wheel.com or 626/280-0308

 

November 14–15, Pleasanton

20th Autumn Get-Together

Information: http://good-guys.com/events/eventDetails.aspx?eventid=09-804 or 925/838-9876

 

 

November 1, Clearwater

Mason Dixon Best of the Best

Sponsor: Mustang Club of Tampa

Information: www.masondixonchristmaswishfund.com or 813/417-2483

 

November 6–7, Indian Harbour Beach

Roadsters Rock the Island ’09

Sponsor: Florida Roadsters

Information: 321/848-4447

 

November 7–8, Ocala

22nd Annual Mopar with Big Daddy

Sponsor: Florida Mopar Association

Information: www.floridamoparassociation.com or 813/986-0990

 

November 8, Dade City

21th Annual Pasco Bug Jam

Information: www.pascobugjam.com or 352/567-6678

 

November 14, Orlando

Moparty Car and Truck Show

Information: 407/847-0690

 

November 12–15, Zephyrhills

25th Annual Fall Auto Fest

Information: www.zephyrhillsauction.com/index.php or 813/258-6726

 

November 22, Sarasota

18th Annual Super Sunday

Sponsor: Mustang Club of West Central Florida

Information: www.mustangclubofwestcentralflorida.org or 941/927-7284

 

November 26–29, Daytona

36th Annual Turkey Run

Sponsor: Daytona Beach Street Rods

Information: www.turkeyrun.com or 386/767-9070

 

November 27–28, Ormond Beach

Antique Car Parade & Show

Sponsor: Volusia Region Antique Automobile Club of America

Information: http://local.aaca.org/volusia or 386/672-7762

 

 

November 7, Monroe

4th Annual Santa Cruise

Sponsor: Georgia Street Rod Association

Information: www.gsra.com or 770/464-1327

 

November 6–7, Augusta

The Fall Pumpkin Run

Sponsor: CSRA Road Angels Car Club

Information: www.roadangelsaugusta.com or 706/595-1450

 

November 7, Valdosta

25th Annual Fall Classic Car & Truck Show

Sponsor: South Georgia Classic Car Club

Information: www.sgccc.org/images/flyers/Fall_Classic_2009.jpg or 229/244-5820

 

 

November 21–22, Rosemont

2009 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals

Information: www.mcacn.com or 586/549-5291

 

 

November 7, Richmond

37th Annual Vintage Wheels Rod & Custom Car Show

Sponsor: Vintage Wheels Car Club

Information: 765/966-0541 or 765/855-5771

 

 

November 11, Boutte

3rd Annual Benefit Car Show

Sponsor: Louisiana Custom Cruisers

Information: www.lacustomcruisers.com or 985/785-8494

 

 

November 6–7, Henderson

AMC/Rambler Club Southwest Regional Meet

Sponsor: Southern Nevada AMC Club

Information: http://snamc.amcrc.com/carshow.html or 702/985-7647

 

November 6–7, Logandale

29th Hump N Bump Trail Rides

Sponsor: Vegas Valley 4 Wheelers

Information: http://vv4w.org/humpnbump.asp

 

 

November 7, Truth or Consequences

13th Annual Veterans’ Day Car Show

Information: www.nmstateveteranshome.org/events.shtml or 575/894-4222

 

 

November 7, Shelby

Hog Happnin’ Bikes & Cars Barbecue

Information: www.hoghappnin.com/carshow.htm

 

 

November 8, Hatfield

Toy Drive 2009

Sponsor: Full House Motorsports

Information: www.fullhousemotorsports.com/eventschedule.html or 215/896-2923

 

November 14, Media

Salute to the Troops Car Show

Sponsor: Delco Cruisers

Information: www.delcocruisers.org

 

 

November 13–14, Bastrop

Veteran’s Weekend Car Show

Sponsor: Bastrop Area Cruisers

Information: www.bastropareacruisers.com/events.html or 512/569-2316

 

November 26–29, Houston

AutoRama

Information: www.autorama.com/casi/show/houston.php or 248/373-1700

 

 

 

 

December 5, Folsom

22nd Annual Gold Country Toy Run

Sponsor: California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs

Information: www.cal4wheel.com//index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=67&func=fileinfo&id=75 or 916/985-2250

 

 

December 5, Calhoun

2nd Annual Christmas in Paradise

Sponsor: North Georgia Hotrods

Information: www.northgeorgiahotrods.com or 706/278-2846

 

 

December 4–6, Timonium

East Coast Indoor Nationals

Information: www.eastcoastindoornats.com or 410/628-6262

 

 

December 5, Stayton

Santa Cruise Toy Drive

Information: www.stros.biz/santacruise.html or 503/769-5060

 

 

 

 

 

We’d like to know what’s going on with SEMA Action Network clubs and enthusiasts across the country; what charity events you’re involved in; when and where the rod runs, car shows, trail rides, rallies and tech meetings are held; and what legislative and regulatory issues concern club members and individual enthusiasts. 

 

One of the best ways to keep us abreast of what’s going on and what’s important to the vehicle hobbies nationwide is for us to receive your club newsletters and updates. Please consider placing SEMA on your mailing list. Send correspondence to: SEMA Action Network, 1317 F Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20004-1105. Or by e-mail to san@sema.org.