Should Classic Cars Be Banned From The Road? - Some Lawmakers Think They Should!

If you’re not into modern cars, you’ve always had the option of driving something else. A car without a computer, GPS, a black box or any technology that pre-empts your decisions about everything from whether and when to turn the headlights on to how fast you’re allowed to drive.

But this end-run around automotive Big Brotherism may not be possible in the years ahead. Older, pre-computer cars could be outlawed entirely.

Many states have already rescinded (or are working to rescind) the “rolling exemptions” that used to allow owners of cars more than 30 years old (or thereabouts) to skip the annual or semi-annual emissions check — on the sound reasoning that most cars that old are no longer even roadworthy (if they’re even still in existence) and the few that are tend to be rarely-driven antiques and collectibles whose actual contribution to smog/pollution is so small as to be irrelevant.


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WorldofLuxury - 11/25/2009 9:55:48 AM

-1 Boost

well... This is a hard question, frankly.

Shredmo - 11/25/2009 10:27:15 AM

+3 Boost

Not sure how easy this would be to implement. In the midwest, you have all sorts of vehicles on the road that aren't road worthy. Look no further than farm machinery.

Brembo - 11/25/2009 10:27:26 AM

+4 Boost

well... there are classic cars and there are just very old cars.

Joe_Limon - 11/25/2009 10:36:13 AM

+3 Boost

When given the choice between a 67 Corvette or a modern car of equivalent value, I find the choice very hard to say no to the vette. Same goes with most classic cars. I am guessing that these lawmakers are jealous that they don't have anything nice because it goes against their "morals".

Shredmo - 11/25/2009 10:40:05 AM

+6 Boost

Many classic car owners will not part with their autos for $. Law makers hate anything that cannot money cannot control. This is probably part of the reason they discriminate against things of this nature.

supermoto - 11/25/2009 12:20:02 PM

+4 Boost

Anyone who suggests this should be permanently exiled. How many classic cars drive regularly any more. Not many.

China emits more CO2 than the US now anyway, and in 10 years will be 2-3x our levels. Classic cars are nothing compared to the entire Chinese economy!

veyron1001 - 11/25/2009 8:11:13 PM

+2 Boost

Well duh they have about 4 times the population as well. Emission per person would make the US #1 polluter.

bfghemicuda - 11/25/2009 12:25:37 PM

+8 Boost

I personally own a Real 1970 Hemicuda, 1970 Challenger R/T 440 and a 1968 Origonal Charger 440 R/T. This posture has been brewing for the past 20+ years and gets defeated everytime. The vast majority of vehicles in question are responsible for a multi billion Dollar aftermarket, look at SEMA for example. These vehicles are a blast to drive and are a part of American history [ all brands] Those politicians in question just don't know how to have fun anymore and do it in the name of " saving the planet " even though Global Warming is a Hoax to say the least. Long Live The Smokey Burnout!!!!!

TehShibbs - 11/25/2009 7:24:03 PM

+4 Boost

They'll argue all day long (because they've got nothing better to do) that new cars are "safer" and "more economical," but at the end of the day, we drive classic cars because its a HOBBY, and those cars have so much more emotion and depth than most current cars.

I wish I lived in the day when working your ass off for a summer meant you could buy a big-block Camaro, or a Gran Torino, or a Firebird.

TehShibbs - 11/25/2009 6:17:13 PM

+5 Boost

Fuck you, 009. Seriously. Your articles are drama drama drama, just like every other 14 year old girl.

Ex post facto. They CANNOT be banned from the road. Its really that simple. Really.

TehShibbs - 11/25/2009 6:23:58 PM

+5 Boost

Since my previous comment will probably be removed because of the language, I will rephrase and elaborate:

Go away, 009. Seriously. Your articles are drama drama drama, just like every other 14 year old girl.

EX POST FACTO. They CANNOT be banned from the road, because they were made and designed to travel on the exact same roads and were legal at the time they were made. Its really that simple. Really.

I suppose the gov't could make licensing these vehicles very expensive, therefore making it quite difficult to be driven. However a downright outlaw would NOT happen.

TheDepressingTruth - 11/25/2009 7:06:27 PM

+4 Boost

Kinda Like Guns...."..From My COLD DEAD HANDS"!

Joe_Limon - 11/25/2009 9:54:53 PM

+3 Boost

These cars are worth more in their stock form then they are modified, why would you spend $20k on an engine fuel injecting it when it will lose that much if not more in value?

bfghemicuda - 11/27/2009 3:07:42 PM

+2 Boost

We love them so much We keep them as the manufacture intended them to be.

Joe_Limon - 11/25/2009 11:25:38 PM

+4 Boost

*sigh... hs... some things you will never get*... that's like saying who would want to buy a mona lisa painting when you can get a poster of it?

MBCLS07 - 11/26/2009 3:10:30 AM

+5 Boost

Don't leftists/democrats have anything better to do than dream up new ways to curtail our individual freedoms and confiscate more of our income? Al Gore produces 20 times more CO2 than the avg. American. Before you take away classic cars, put Al Gore on a CO2 diet.

MBCLS07 - 11/26/2009 3:15:51 AM

+5 Boost

HyundaiSmoke, you're just as bad as the politicians and their daily assault on the Constitution, because it's mindless, ignorant people like you who facilitate the advance of intrusive, big brother gov't and the subsequent erosion of individual rights. Stop being so naive. Read a history book and get a clue.

bfghemicuda - 11/27/2009 6:31:13 PM

+3 Boost

HyundaiSmoke, Who the hell do you think you are. Screw oil prices Ill drive whatever the hell I want. And all this climate crap is just that. You, if you are what you claim you are should just leave and stop trying to manipulate the USA into something It should not be. You can put your forced change where the sun don't shine. I am usually not this strong in my reply's but you can take your " were not **-**** playing with you guys" BS and shuv-it.

bfghemicuda - 11/27/2009 7:01:36 PM

+3 Boost

Thats fine, But you still dont get it. You dont have to force technology, its happening in America all the time We are the best. But you have to let the private sector do it. That stimulates jobs and the economy. Us car guys are the ones that developed fuel injection, turbo chargers, superchargers,fuel mixtures and the like and most developed in our garages. But that dosent mean we destroy our past inovations. They should be respected. Get Big government out of the way so the private investors gan breathe again and make new jobs without unearned tax dollars.