Arkansas hot rodders beware....

I was at the meeting of the MOTAA (Mid-America Old Time Automobile ***ociation) board of directors last fall when George Beyers made his proposal, expecting MOTAA to jump on his bandwagon. MOTAA declined because we're a regional, multi-state group not wanting to get involved in politics.

A key component of Beyers proposal is to seize plates and get a $500 ticket for non-stock equipment, meaning if I'm running my steel wheels on my Nomad I'm in compliance but if I put on the torquethrusts, I'm in violation.

Read stillkruzn's link to see the whole proposal.

George Beyer's purpose is to "make the antique car tag mean something" (his words, not mine). He has no problem with someone running antique tags on an '84 K-car. But he hates modified vehicles, even if the only mods are a set of aftermarket wheels. The real problem that Hubnut mentioned, of 1984 beat up Chevy pickups being used to haul s****, is not addressed in Beyer's propsal. Just Rods & Customs.

Now, although MOTAA declined to get involved, attorney Raymond Harrill, who is on the board of directors of both MOTAA and the Museum of Automobiles on Pe*** Jean Mtn, said at the meeting that he would ***ist Beyers with the proposed legislation.

George Beyers is the "world's largest parade" organizer who is the contact for the toy for tots Christmas parade from Benton to Little Rock.

Because Raymond Harrill has been involved with MOTAA and the Museum for so many years, I wouldn't let them off the hook.

This isn't the first time it's come up in the legislature, and SEMA has been involved in lobbying against it.

What can we in AR do? Boycott anything and everything having to do with George Beyer, including Dixie Car Club shows. The Dixie Car Club fall show is in Benton October 3. That show is also the MOTAA 51st anniversary fall show. We could show up in our hot rods and customs but park in the parking lot and not enter our cars in the show, citing the fact that Beyers and MOTAA don't want us there.

We could also organize an alternative to Beyer's toy tot parade. I know many people at Children's Hospital. We could have a Christmas toy drive and show at the hospital instead of trying to help George get in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Contact MOTAA as well as the Museum of Automobiles and ask them if Raymond Harrill is ***isting Beyers. If the answer is yes, tell 'em you'll stay away from their shows and swapmeets.

Contact SEMA and let them know what's up. Contact your state senator and state representative and let 'em know Beyers and Harrill speak only for themselves, not the old car hobby in Arkansas.

Finally, and again, if you read Beyer's proposal, you'll see it has nothing to do with "84 Chevy pickups used to haul s**** and everything to do with George wanting only 100% original vehicles wearing the "distinction" of the antique tag.

 

Dude you have missed the boat completely on this. My whole problem with the system as it stands is this.......Miss City Council Lady is driving along behind sum clapped out 82 ltd with antique tags on it. Suddenly the ltd stops and city council lady rams it up the *** bc the damn thing didnt have a single brake light that works. Now city council lady is ticketed for following too closely and she on a rampage that this "antique car" was unsafe. Now in her views if that one was unsafe then they ALL must be. The problem with this is that ltd owner is not a hobbyist, ltd owner is just someone that figured out that they can save a few bucks a year thanks to US THE HOBBYISTS and thats who gets it in the end. I understand that the underlying cause here is the fact that the car didnt have to be inspected but **** rolls down hill. If you dont think these people and these cars exist then you need to get out more because they are all over the place here and **** like what I said really does happen. This aint got **** to do with ANYBODY being any better than anyone else, its simply that the hobbyists have something that was set in motion for THEM and it will be abused by NON-HOBBYIST which "could" potentially get it taken away bc of sum situation like what I stated above.

 

I had forgotten that George boasted about his "customized" pickup. If he is successful with his legislative proposal, I think I'll turn him in, using his own words as evidence

 

I will be supplying Mr. Duran with the pictures since George has already supplied the words.

 

Arkie, thank you for helping clarify what I feel, or should I say view, as being the real underlying problem. As for Beyers, his proposal is ****, and he seems to have all the cl***ic symptoms that all the restorers I know out here carry with them. Ignorance and overwhelming self pride.

 

SEMA worked with the Arkansas legislature and a couple of years ago, we got Street Rod plates ('48 and older) as well as Custom Vehicle plates ('49 and newer)

The difference with antique plates is that they are lifetime plates which makes sense for vehicles used only occasionally (whether original or modified). The Street Rod and Custom Vehicle plates have to be renewed annually.

 

Man, I would love to see the welcoming that Mr Byers would get on the HAMB...

 

I hear what you're saying. I'm on the board of directors of the state Early Ford V-8 Club and many of the members not only enjoy but own hotrodded as well as restored vehicles. They like it all. But just a few, like Beyers, screw it up for everyone when the problem, as you stated, is the non-hobbyists.

 

As far as cars go, live and let live. Geez, antique plates on a modified car are fine. Its still an antique car.

 

Yep. our fore fathers went out of their way to have separation of church and state. A lot of the "In God We Trust" stuff was added in the 50's during Mc Carthyism.

Now for this George guy, I can't wait to hear about his own words getting his plate yanked.

 

Nothing worse than old people well off enough not to have to worry about money and retired with absolutely nothing to do in their lives. They pull **** like this because they can - what's someone going to do, beat their ***? Then you look like a **** for beating up a "defenseless senior citizen" ... I've run into my share of these ***holes over the years. I don't think this ***** is going to get the point unless some people confront him at a show, tear his antique plates off his truck and fold them in half back and forth until you snap them in two, while telling him that his "customized" car isn't en***led to run them either. Just bring enough buddies with you that can tell the cops who eventually show up that the guy is full of **** and you have no idea what happened to his plates.


I don't even want to get into the off topic stuff about "In God We Trust" and the supposed "seperation of Church and State" that if you actually read the cons***ution notes the government won't declare an "official" state religion and nothing more.

 

Overhaul his car and stick a small block in it.....

 

....and 20" Foose wheels, a big ghetto-killin' stereo and the same grey/black paint job. That would be HILARIOUS!!!

Funny **** there.

 

we have a similar problem over here on the east coast in Virginia. the antique plates are being abused and last year, meybe 2 years ago already we were required to fill out a form and list our "daily" driver to prove that we did in fact have something to drive on a regular basis besides the antique car o cars in out possesion and wearing those tags. Virginia too requires a one time fee and no state or safety inspection. the plates are for limited use and are clearly stated so.

there are people abusing the tags in the same way in Virginia as i read they are in Arkansas. folks found that by putting the antique plates on any thing 25 years and older they could get away from potential problems at state safety and emissions inspections with cars or trucks that wont p*** either or.

like i mentioned, the state then aware of a potential problem issued the forms in the last year or so. if you proved that you had another car or truck for "daily" driving purposes that was tagged and registered with normal or the proper tags then you were okay, those who couldn't had their antique tags revoked. the police were also given the right? to stop any car they saw that in their view was abusing the antique tags and pull them, i believe, on the spot. the problem here was the officers who abused such a power and went after any and every car or truck they saw with antique tags on it. if you happened to be one of those who likes to drive thier "old" car to work 3-4 times a week you were probably going ot get stopped and your tags pulled.

looks like the guys in Arkansas has something up his *** and he's a hypocrite as well as in his own admission his truck is not "stock" but customized. the problem with the tags though isn't just and issue for those in Arkansas.

Dave

 

DDlova,,we have the same requirements here,,you must have a "primary" means of transportation first.
Matter of fact, in Perryville,, I was encouraged to get the Antique Plates on my '48 Chevy 2 dr,, with the admission my car would be changed some, but only as it was back then when it was popular to do so. The Lady mentioned "we love to just see them on the road",,Bless her. I got the Antique Tags in '07 and it's almost ready to drive. I want to drive it.

 

I removed my post earlier, it was bugging me that I deviated politically. So I manned up and policed myself.
Getting back to the issue at hand, I thought about his point of view. It still ****s.

This fella wants to be real strict with antique plates on antique cars. OK. Try this on:
Say you have a 1880's armoire all original. Is it an antique? Of course.
Same armoire, refinished. still original. Is that an antique? Of course.
Same armoire again, refinished and different yet tasteful knobs. Still an antique?

Apply this logic to cars and trucks. You can see he's just plain wrong.

 

Ok in Arkansas you still have to access and inshure a car with antique tags. But there are abuses. What happens when you go to reenew your plates and the girl behind the counter ask if you want antique plates people buy them because its a good deal. Every year when i renew the license on the 64 chev 3/4 that we use as a yard dog wrecker they try to sell me antique plates. They are surprised when i state that i dont want a antique plate on it. But that junky rig qualifys? Now we do have antique plates on the 72 pictured not totally original we replaced the engine and it has wagon wheels. It is accessed and insured. Believe it or not the 64 is very good mechanically brakes lights ect all good. We pull a car trailer with it when we bring cars in etc. Use the wrecker boom and sling to load cars and move them on our yard. we also haul fire wood on it( that is how it got so beat up. I have to admit not every car just because it is 25 years old should be allowed to qualify for antique plates. it should at least look like it is being restored not a hunk of junk that is being just drove into the ground. But i dont think they have to be 100% original either. OldWolf

 

george i take it is a restorer. theres somethin funny about those guys!

 

Do what flatheadpete and ratmotor suggest. Photoshop it . Send him a picture to show what the next owner is going to do.

 

I'd tread lightly there...too many complaints sent in and they might decide it's all too much h***le, and how much more revenue would be brought in by axing the program all together.

 

The solution here seems simple. Take his camera.

 

I like the suggestion of using his own words against him. Do take the photo,s of each part he has said that is changed.Verify that it is different than stock or original. Verify that he said what he did.Do it in a professional manner then report his ***.....

 

Next thing he will go after, is older women with enhancements, he will claim they should not have an ARP card because they are not original. LOL

 

ea and be shure to include all that have knee replacement,s also. OldWolf

 

Here's the link that shows what George Beyers and Raymond Harrill are up to. For me, I think I can stay away from the Pe*** Jean swapmeet in June, even though I've been going for 25 years. It's MOTAA's big annual money-maker, and there's a lot more hotrodders buying and selling parts and cars than restorers. Take away everything but the restorers and you have nothing. They don't realize how old and how few they are.

http://www.arkansastinlizzies.com/First Level/Presidents Message/Antique Car Plates.htm

 

Sometimes some people do abuse them by putting them on cars such as old work trucks (non HAMB friendly). And (so I was told) you could not use them on any vehicle that would be used for pulling, hauling, or all around work truck uses. Now, I am in no way trying to get anyone busted or anything this is just what I know. Some people think they just have to be a little hall moniter when it comes to other people and what they do. I don't personally give a **** about someone elses plates.

 

I like ****ies...both real and plastic. Can't be picky when it comes to materials, can we?

 

Parts is parts

 

George Beyer's own words from a letter he sent to the Arkansas Senate and House Transportation Committees (you can read all of it in the link on post 56):

"Let me say, I really like street rods. However, authentic antique vehicles deserve a certain amount of respect. How often do you see an 80 year old pickup truck like mine driving down the street? That deserves respect. One of my friends has a 1913 Model T Ford that looks like it just drove off the show room floor. That deserves respect. He has a Street Rod, also. A street rod is generally a new car with an old car body or an old car that has been upgraded with many modern parts so as to safely and reliably travel at freeway speeds. That deserves admiration but NOT respect. By properly tagging Street Rods and eliminating them from the Antique tag community, because of the easily recognizable rarity, a true Antique vehicle would receive deserved respect."