This is for an 81. I may have an option to register the car as a classic. I just want to get some thoughts on whether or not I should, or simply register the car in the normal fashion. This car would not be my only car to drive, and consequentially not the only car on my insurance if it matters.

Where I live, if you have a car that is 25 years old you may apply for a classic registration. However, between 20-24 years, you can still apply if you can prove the car is no longer made. This proof, I believe must come from the manufacturer somehow. Has anyone tried to get this information?

TIA

 

what would be the point? do you gain anything from it like no need for emissions? then i would go thru the hassle. would your insurance be lower? or maybe higher.

 

I know in most states you get a break when it comes to emmisions if your car is a registered antique or just 25 years old.

 

Here in Texas the car needs to be 25 years old. I'm not sure if that is nationwide or not. When you register a car as a classic, you can get full coverage insurance for about $100 a year! That's why you should want to do it.

 

I went for Classic plates when I did my79. Being that it is over the 25 year mark it no longer needed emissions, The only upside was the very cool tag that the Classic gets.

 

The clock is ticking on my '81 'til I can register it as a classic and get that nice insurance price :-)

 

There's a catch on the insurance though. In most cases the insurance company requires proof that it is hardly driven; They ask for odometer readings, anything over a certain milage, and they nail you.

 

Yea last i knew cars registered as classics can only be driven to and from carshows or for a weekend ride but not as main transportation

 

i think your just limited to so many thousand miles per year i think its 5000 or less a year not sure though

 

Yes, there is a mileage limitation, but in this case it may be acceptable for me. Also, registration cost is 1/3 for classics.

Anyone know how to get the "no longer in production" statement from mazda, or if that kind of official proof is necessary?

 

A friend at work has a 60's Impala, beautiful car. It of course is registered as a classic, but it can only be driven during the day time(unless coming back or going to a car show).

 

Insurance is a completely separate issue. Insurance companies usually do not care what kind of registration or licence plates it has. And they do not all have mileage restrictions either.

 

My insurance guy could care less how much it is driven. All he cares about is that it is over 25 years old. It doesn't have to be registered with the state as a classic car to do this. He just insures it as a classic. No catch and very simple.

 

I was looking at this to get around our smog issues, but in WA state a car must be 30 years old to be classified a "collector vehicle."

 

In Wis your car just has to be 20 yr old! pay for the plates once and you dont need to pay for registering every year. the down side is that you cant drive it 3 months out of the year.

 

Here in washington it is 25 yrs before no emissions.

Do what I always do. Park the car on the street, and go in and register it as a "non-runner" say it is parked on the street but you need tabs and license plates because of it being parked on the street.

The cool part is that on your registration it says nothing about this, so if you get pulled over it isn't ever a problem. I have done this on my last 7 FB's

 

rofl nice!@#

 

Jammer that is a great trick. I will give that a try. One note though, it is 30 years in Washington before you get out of emissions. I just looked at the RCWs on this topic.

 

Hmm nice one! I wonder if that will work where I live...

So as a non-runner, you do not have to do any of the usual crap like emissions (when the time comes), or a safety inspection, to get plates?

To get plates here you need:

Safety inspection slip
Proof of insurance, in the form of an insurance #
and about $200+

 

Update:

Ok, I talked to the DMV today, and they suggested that the rule about registering the car as a classic when the age is between 20-24 years is dubious. In addition, the *company* must no longer exist. So scratch that idea...

 

Yikes, they are closing all the ways we have snuck in through registration hell in the past.

 

Well,
I have a 79 and I have it registered as a classic. See most insurance places will not give you full coverage on this old of a car unless it is considered a classic. So my car is registered as a classic for that purpose. I have an insaine amount of money into the car, so I wanted full coverage so I wouldnt take a loss if the car was wrecked. Would be sad to loose all the money that was put into the car. So I guess its a matter of how much money you have dumped into the car.

 

Smart looking car CODE.

Ok update #2:

It is not possible to get tags for a *non-runner* car unless you get an inspection, but you can title the car as usual so it is in your name.

So, it looks like I will simply register the car as I would any car 24 years old or newer This means inspection, emissions etc



Ah well, at least is will pass inspection.

 

That is interesting but seems unusual. Is it a standard indemnity policy? The major collector vehicle insurance companies, e.g. Hagerty, Grundy, JC Taylor, American Collectibles, etc. do not require the vehicle to have any special classic or historic registration.

 

Code 2, is your car registered as a classic or as a collectors vehicle? WA State law says it has be 30 years old to be a collector car. How did you get around that?