California "green rod"-new legislature

Has anyone seen this yet? I got an email a few weeks ago from SEMA Action Network stating new legislature in California. Here is the "green rod" stuff verbatum:
The GreenRod Project
SEMA and California Agencies Solve Titling Dilemma For Hobbyist Vehicles
Under a looming threat of prosecution faced by thousands of California specialty-vehicle owners, SEMA, working on behalf of California enthusiasts and in cooperation with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Bureau of Automotive Repair, Air Resources Board and Attorney General’s office, has resolved a complex and threatening issue to this market segment and the industry it serves. “This breakthrough procedure allows owners of certain illegally titled specially constructed vehicles (SCVs) to avoid a situation that could have led to confiscated cars and law enforcement action against vehicle builders and owners. Further, the program now permits these vehicles to demonstrate state emissions-compliance requirements,” said Steve McDonald, SEMA vice president of government affairs. Specially constructed vehicles in California include certain street rods, custom vehicles, kit cars and replicas.
Last year, a law was enacted requiring the DMV to develop and administer a vehicle registration amnesty program. The amnesty program will be in effect from January 1, 2010–December 31, 2010 and will apply to vehicles that were previously registered or classified under erroneous or illegal circumstances.
Under the program, vehicle owners that have knowingly made any false statement or knowingly concealed any material fact in any document filed with the DMV or the California Highway Patrol will need to apply for amnesty. Examples of this would be failing to report the actual value of the vehicle; failure to pay the correct sales tax when the vehicle was first titled/registered in California; or incorrectly stating the actual age of the vehicle.
The consequences of not applying for amnesty and paying back taxes and penalties could be severe. If an owner understated the value of the vehicle to the extent that the state lost more than $1,000 in revenue, the owner could be charged with a felony. If the amount is less or the owner incorrectly stated the age of the vehicle, the owner could be charged with a variety of misdemeanors. Recent prosecutions for this type of offense required owners to pay back-taxes and fees averaging $4,000 per vehicle. In some cases, owners will be forced to surrender the title to their car. To receive amnesty from future prosecution, any and all back-taxes must be paid in full and the vehicle’s title must be factually corrected.
Recently a process was established to allow specially constructed vehicle owners that have been granted amnesty to avail themselves of emissions requirements that recognize the unique nature of these vehicles. While there are still details to be concluded, SEMA has reached a tentative agreement with the state to provide for three methods to achieve compliance.
• The owner can pay all back taxes and penalties and apply for one of 500 (per year) smog-check exemptions. Under California law, these 500 exemptions for specially constructed vehicles are available each year on a first-come, first-served basis. For vehicles with an exemption, a smog-test referee compares the vehicle to production cars of the era that the specially constructed vehicle most closely resembles to determine the model year. The vehicle owner can then choose whether the inspector will certify the vehicle model year by body type or by the engine model year. Only those emissions controls applicable to the chosen model year are required.
• The owner can pay all back taxes and penalties and then choose to install one of several OEM engines and related powertrain components (including specifications for the construction of a fuel tank and delivery system) that are intended to meet California emissions compliance requirements.
• The owner can pay all back taxes and penalties and a SEMA-engineered “retrofit kit” of parts can be installed. Major components in the kit include an aftermarket electronic fuel injection (EFI) system, an EFI controller, exhaust headers, a camshaft, mufflers and catalytic converters.
While the engine SEMA used to develop the retrofit kit was considered a worst-case configuration, it still passed smog-check requirements. Variables, such as engine condition, accumulated mileage, and related factors affecting emissions from these parts, may, in some cases, cause similar engines not to meet acceptable emissions levels. Nonetheless, transitioning from a carbureted environment to a fuel-injected environment while utilizing the latest controller technology and emissions parts upgrades available from the specialty-equipment industry resulted in dramatic and unprecedented reductions in tailpipe and evaporative emissions on the test vehicle. The retrofit kit actually improved performance and efficiency while not limiting power in a full acceleration mode, compared to a carbureted engine.


So what I get from this is, unless you are one of the first 500 people to get an exemption (which still requires an emissions check non the less) you either have to install a modern OEM engine (by OEM I'm assuming they mean unmodified) or a retrofit kit that comes with its own exhaust, EFI and related components, and CATALYTIC CONVERTERS!!! What is this all about? Anyone from california know any more about this. To me it seems like they are trying to eliminate the whole traditional thing by making us comply with modern standards and trying to filter out traditional engines and induction setups? I'm a little distraught about this. California is the only one that has passed this, but I'm sure there are more states to follow.

 

Man am I glad I live in good old Northern Ontario Canada!!!

 

Man, I hate to here myself think this way, but I think it's time for angry mobs with torches and pitchforks!!! I have f****ing had it with both government intrusion and environmentalist meddling. Remember, the way this usually works is California first, the rest of the country next. Wouldn't be much of a fight though, they're usually pussy pacifists!

 

Sounds like all they really care about is getting the taxes judging by how many times it was mentioned - not real surprising there. CA and all the other states will be doing more and more to close their budget gaps as the fed. continues to decrease support. The environmental stuff is really just an excuse and a mechanism to placate fools who think there are enough non-conforming cars on the road to even make any real difference. Giving the fact that most trucks and particularly diesel trucks are still largely unregulated to any serious standard in CA, I find this kind of a sick joke. They tried with the trucks and lost, so I guess they are back to old cars again. They bring this shit up every 6 months knowing that if they keep doing it, one day it will eventually pass. When push comes to shove, voting differently may be able to correct some mistakes down the road as well.

 

So the California DMV is the equivilant of a swift kick in the nads. Nice.

And "green" is the biggest scam EVER created. It's a firm platform for all future crap to come.

 

I'm not worried..........My name's Brandy, not Brandy's Fantastic Fiberglass Not a Real Rod, but I'll title it as Such Corp. =O) I'm just sayin, honesty is generally the best policy.

 

No, more like a kick to the nuts/ovaries with an upper cut from the left, while being pushed from behind. Get on their bus or get under it..........no worries, it only hurts the first time until you learn to use lube.

 

I agree. I personally think this is just plain ridiculous. I mean, if you argue from the point of these cars as being historical-why don't they put emission systems on the old coal powered trains that run for people's enjoyment? Why don't they put emissions regulations on the old time factories that people get to tour and enjoy? And so on and so forth. What can we do? I'm at a total loss, whose rights are we infringing upon to invite such restrictions. In all reality, if you compared the cars on the road that are "daily drivers" with our cars, odds are our cars are better maintained and in better running condition. And if you want to speak tree-hugger language and talk about "carbon footprints" let compare all the energy it takes to build one prius. The batteries alone travel through 7 different countries in their production, not to mention all the energy used by the factory to produce the vehicle, the synthetic fibers used in the interior-all the plastic in the car, and the large amount of hazardous waste from the car when its all used up. Now compare that to a guy in a garage building a hot rod. I think we are the true conservationists. I hate this stuff so much. too much political involvement and not enough car savvy people in the government.

Does the government tell a brain surgeon how to operate on a brain? No, of course not, politicians aren't brain surgeons! So why does the government tell engineers and car builders how to build their vehicles?

 

It's not an attack on those of us who build original cars, as much as it's an attack on those half a million dollar cars that were pressed out of a mold in 2009, but are being registered as a 29.............

But we will all pay the price for their shady doings.

 

Use the HAMB search function for recent threads on this subject (keywords: California DMV, SEMA, title, etc.) which has been chewed up pretty thoroughly by HAMB members in recent months. As I understand it, the primary issue is all-new construction vehicles (such as kit cars, replicas, etc.) that were registered as pre-smog era vehicles. The posts on these threads will give you a better idea of the regulations and their implications.

 

But, but, but California is so much smarter than the rest of us hicks. They are so much more progressive.

I hate it for you guys in California. You can't own proper rifles or proper magazines. You gotta buy a SEMA kit to build a hot rod and then cross your fingers it'll pass smog or you've just wasted thousands of dollars on a car that'll probably end up siezed and fined into confiscation. You gotta deal with earthquakes and mudslides. Without getting too deep into politics, California is the utopia liberals have always dreamed of. I can't believe you guys aren't bending over backwards to thank them for legislating into existance such a perfect world.

Me, I'll stay in The South thank you very much. Come join me, but not too many of y'all! And don't bring any smelly hippies.

 

Greenhouse gasses are pumped into green houses as plant food.
Is plant food realy that dangerous?

Looks like there trying to tax CA. back into the black.

 

Sounds to me like SEMA came up with a way to sell more shit.

 

Thanks billsill45. I think you are right, but like Brandy said, everyone has to pay the price.

 

But, but, but, SEMA is our friend! Let's see, the Specialty EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS Association just worked with the state of California to enact a law requiring all you California residents building cars to PURCHASE the EQUIPMENT SEMA members MANUFACTURES? It seems like SEMA is protecting their own wallets more than your average hot rodder.

 

Yep. I'm REALLY starting to fucking hate California. How is Texas?

 

Does sound more like they are trying to clamp down on fraud and tax cheats and using thinly veiled environmental stuff to help do it. But, my guess is if that even if that is all it is and not too much for hot rodders on the up and up to worry with for now, the environmental stuff will keep creeping down the road. Fact is CA, is arguably the birthplace of American hot rodding, still has an immensely strong following and support structure to this day and still arguably a critical hub for hot rodding - let's keep it that way. I for one don't plan on rolling over and letting some asinine rules ruin it. Frankly, I am all for a clean environment and cleaner new cars. But, to attack such a small fraction of the problem is just short sighted at best and completely over reaching. I don't care about the fake new car recreation cheat types, fine go after them, I'm all for that too. Just don't cross the line and hit up the true old traditional folks trying to do the right thing and enjoy a few old cars and keeping a bit of history alive. I'll be damned before I put any fucking EFI crap on any of my trucks.

 

A friend of mine has 2 T-buckets which he bought titles for. However, his sons built a Cobra and a T-bucket and went through all the hoops that DMV required. Now he wishes he gone through the legal route since he will now have to go through it.

 

It does sound like the days of even taking a bunch of actual old parts and putting together a streetable hot rod essentially from scratch will be harder to deal with in CA. Will need to start with a more complete and legal vintage chassis + VIN/paperwork. New frames will likely not cut it with this.

 

Not again!!!!!!!

 

Ok, I'll chime in again on this. I was a director at SEMA when they started trying to stop the state from basically making hot rods illegal. We ran various rods provided by car clubs, Socal Speed, Barry White's Hot Rod Repair and other builders in the state on AAA's emmision testing dynos, to show how close to emissions hot rods were. The state was going to make it madatory ALL vehicles have emmisions equipment on them. Also, at the same time it became news that some builders were using bought titles to make new cars from and some owners were reporting them as cheap beaters when registering. (That IS fraud) The systems in the beginning of the thread were hard fought by SEMA just to keep some sort of normal in the industry. If you actually read the piece, the 500 special build titles have a emission referee set the year of the car, it is provided by the owner, either body or engine date code. To make this reply too long, it means if you have one of these titles, you can build a rod. The rest is to help save those who screwed up and lied about some part of the licensing of their vehicle. So SEMA is not the evil empire colluding with the State. Yes, too many tree huggers here and yes, we need to vote for those more sympathetic to our hobby, but if you follow the rules as they are now, you do not have to worry. Write your representatives in support of raising the number of special vehicle titles, that will help. And for the rest, build from an original frame and tile...no prob!!!
Oh, and why cry about those who could afford a $150,000 rod and then want to scam out of paying their fair sales and licensing taxes. You had to, didn't you?

 

i blame boyd, you son of a bitch. but on a different note, so if you built a frame but have an o.g. body, are you screwed?

 

Well said my friend!!!!!!!!!

 

And you're just now posting it.....
This has been discussed MANY times already,that's what the SEARCH function is for.

Now,hopefully I'll help you "break it down"....

That's easy to understand.

If you registered your vehicle correctly,you have nothing to worry about.
Right above where you sign your name on the Title it states;
"I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the forgoing is true and correct"

More than a few threads have been posted about this very subject
Most have been closed from all the Non-Californians throwing in their "opinion" and drama about how "bad" we have it in California.

Register your vehicle properly and you have nothing to worry about.

 

saddly, California isn't even the worst anymore! Oregon on the other hand is touting the flag of liberal capital high and proud these days, or should i say PORTLAND is.. albeit cal. is more PROGRESSIVE than this state in the truest meaning of progressive policy, but goddamn, i fear the day the fucking liberals in this state pull their shit together and start their progrssive agendas. it will be scary as hell.

on another note, why dont the hot rodders in Cali pull their heads out and take a page out of the MSRA's (minnesota street rod association) book and get their asses into the state offices and make a difference instead of sitting back and letting SEMA be the littigator to their dilema???!!! Shit i would be calling my damn representative, congressman, senator, governor, and the freakin pope raising one hell of a fit. organize! make a difference and dont let them restrict the car hobby in general! who cares if its daddy warbucks' $150,000.00 credit card tupperware car, he has the right to enjoy and build a car just as much as you or i regardless of his tatse or budget. Dont let the state try to solve their financial problems by using some fake guise like you are a bunch of ass backwards grease monkey hillbillies that aint got no good learnin'. Its just another way for them to pull a fast one on the states "elite" (you know the type, those fuckin high and mighty liberal ass holes that think they are just so much smarter and more educated than the rest of society) and convince them that there is something amiss and legislation should be passed to stop these ozone destroying contraptions that arent a prius or hybrid.

fuck em. FIGHT IT! dont let SEMA fight a battle you should be fighting for YOUR rights!

 

Yep, I feel for the guys who 'bought' a title. Big brother has taken notice and has you in his sights!
However, if your still building and you're fabbing your own frame, take heart. There's still a chance to make it California legal. Mark the date. January 3, 2011.

How to acquire one of the 500 Certificate of Sequence numbers

 

Boyd is to blame for a lot of this mess......

Scare tactics by the state of California in order to try and get more money.

If you car is already registered as a 1934, 1935 and doesn't look like a gumball street rod... or whatever, go on in life and don't worry about it.

 

The gentleman who posted this knows what he's talking about. He has, on many occasions, replied to various threads started by people who did not digest the entire context of what was being proposed.
Read his post again and slow down with over-reacting.
While it's true that everyone needs to stay informed and we all need to stay on top of things, we must read all the boring fine-print to get the whole picture.
Everytime a thread is started regarding any proposed legistlation regarding our hobby, the posts are fast to come and many seem to just be people "flying off the handle".
It does beg the question: How many of you guys do anything more than voice your anger on the HAMB? How many of you contact your state assembly-member or state senator? To really keep government in control we need to do more than gripe amoungst ourselves.
When the time comes to act, we want to know exactly what we are talking about. Otherwise, we look like simpletons and gadflys.
While it's everyone's responsibility to act, it's a waste of energy to over-react.

 

Just keep telling yourself it's not so bad in California. While you keep losing liberties day by day. If you're a gun owner, or a performance car owner, or a fishkeeper, (three of my favorite things), you're being oppressed. Badly. And then there's the smelly hippies that want you to live in the stone age so you don't hurt any innocent trees or spotted owls or "fill in the blank". And then there's San Francisco, a city so oppressive in the name of progressiveness. Nowhere else in the country are the gun laws so extreme infringing on your second ammendment RIGHTS "given by GOD". The rest of the state isn't much better for gun laws. Last I checked those oppressive gun laws have only led to a state with more gun violence than any other. Guess what else? I don't even have to get my older vehicles "smogged". I don't even have to have a safety inspection. I can run without mufflers or catalytic converters if I want to without worry of tickets or having my car towed. I can put whatever parts on my truck I fucking well feel like without worrying about a CARB number or whether it's approved by smelly hippies.

There is no way I could put up with that bull jive. You may not care, but these are things that are very important to me. So yeah, you guys got it bad in California. You've had your freedoms and liberties confiscated in such small increments that you don't even notice and even defend your beloved "cali" or "so cal" (whatever the cool term is for the week) as they stand to take away more of your freedoms. Enjoy!

 

Wow...