Sema Action Network (SAN), is a HUGE automotive organization that, a**** other things, helps fight anti-old car legislation nationwide. You had better believe that there is an uninformed, misguided congressman around every corner trying to p*** laws that limit or eliminate our freedom to drive our old cars. If that does't scare thae **** out of you, just sell your old car now and get in your Honda. Joining SAN is free, and every new member on their roster is more ammo when they go to bat for us. Stick it to The Man, before he sticks it to us.
same here! already a member! join guys its free, how hard it that to do? heres the link! http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?ID=/content/SEMASANcom/HomePage
The way they claimed the California/E-ROD thing as a huge success still really rubs me wrong. I lost a lot of faith in them after that. Although, I do still see a lot of work they do with the legislators that IS paying off on the state levels.... just don't ******** me calling a huge failure a success!
It is the closest thing we have to a nationwide lobbyist attempting to protect our interests, but, the California thing was a terrible compromise.
I wouldn't trust sema with day-old horse piss. They have thier own agenda and want to get you signed up, your name and personal information, for thier what suits them best. Remember, they are not a philanthropic organization and thier only interest in you is to sell you something - as thier name and charter imply.
When I joined SEMA, Dean Moon was the president. Ignorant quotes like the one above are part of the problem in convincing law makers to give hot rodders a fair shake. About the only thing SEMA sells is booth space in Las Vegas for the SEMA Show.
Things have changed, Dean died a long time ago. Money changes lots of things............. but computer controls don't belong on a hot rod engine. You not keeping up to date with what is going on, is like you say, ignorant.
already a member been a member since 2003 never tried to sell me anything did offer me tickets to sema once tho would have been great but i couldnt go
Just to clear things a little, when you sign on to be part of the SAN (SEMA Action Network), you aren't really joining SEMA. You are just adding your name to 1,000's of others that SEMA lobbies for on a national and local basis. The Specialty Equipment Marketing ***ociation is the lobbying organization for professionals in the aftermarket parts and equipment business. Make no mistake, SEMA has a vested interest in doing what they do. The aftermarket parts and services industry is a multi-million (probably billion) dollar business that they don't want to see go away. Through SAN they do give you e-mail updates to local and national legislation that could adversely affect your hobby. Compromises are inevitable when the legislative process takes place. Sometimes (as in California) the results of this give and take aren't always as beneficial to the old car hobby as one might hope. If others can be more eloquent in their explanation, please feel free to chime in.......Don.
lothiando1940 nailed it. If it hadn't been for some dedicated SEMA members in the 1960's, standing up to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) they, CARB, would have absolutely killed the hot rod industry as we know it today. Jim McFarland was the former editor of HOT ROD and had a lot to do with getting the E-rod project going as a compromise that makes it just a little bit easier for California hot rodders to survive. Again, the anti-SEMA posts are just plain ignorant.
Having been involved with SEMA since the mid 70's I can tell you that they are more on our side than many here would like to believe. Look, SEMA is the organization that supports the aftermarket industry. Do you really believe that those of us who manufacture and sell performance and speed parts want intervention or control over these parts by the government? Of course not, and SEMA is our way of fighting with government and trying to get legislation that is the best compromise for all sides involved. Believe me, if it wasn't for SEMA, Hot Rods and Speed equipment would have been outlawed in many parts of the country 30 years ago. You are right, SEMA member companies are trying to sell you something - Performance Equipment, but SEMA it's self isn't trying to sell you anything.
I am a old fart, 64 years old, when I first read this thread I was tempted to RANT. As many have said SEMA has done a lot of good but their action in California over the last couple of years has made me wonder about their purpose. How can a organization dedicated to the aftermarket industry join with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and General Motors and support California DMV 343. My understanding is that if your car does not p*** smog they, SEMA supported GM, will sell you a retro fit kit, at $3000.00, to try and p*** smog. If your car fails again then you can by a $10,000.00, GM crate engine. With the thousands of members in SAN this does not sound like a good comprimize. How many California owners have that kind of money laying around. If my understanding is in correct I would appreciate some explaining it.
I think you do misunderstand the whole ERod thing. My understanding is that this was designed/created for two types of people. 1) those building NEW cars that are technically Special Construction and that by law have to meet new car emissions laws. This is an easy way to do that with a certified package that makes good power and meets the law. If you build a Rod from scratch using all new parts, this applies to you 2) For those with older cars that want to update to more modern power plants. This package, as I recall can be swapped into any 1995 and older muscle car and be legal. So you can take a choked down, smog equipment saddled, no horsepower making 1980 Camaro and swap in a high HP LS motor and still be perfectly legal. It has nothing to do with your existing car not p***ing smog and being the only way out of that. Pre 1975 cars aren't emissions tested in California. And California Reg 343 is a form for applying for registration or ***le so i don't understand your references to that.
we are our own worst enemy, as Hotrod magazine, that has been the public face of Hotrodding since the beginning, puts out covers like the Nov 2010 Hotrod mag, we lose. http://www.hotrod.com/whereitbegan/hrdp_0803w_2010_hot_rod_covers/photo_11.html Giving the legislators **** rod pictures to hold up on the floor of legislature and say that they have to regulate such trash, we are doomed. How could the publishers not know that public perception is the one thing we have to recognize. SEMA is at least trying to change the public perception. The hoodlum persona is not the way to get the wanted results from our legislators.
It's my honest opinion that CARB and the California DMV would have found a way to legislate the elimination of non-conforming car/hot rod/street rod or what have you if there had been no effort on the part of SEMA and GM to come up with a compromise. And, this subject will rear it's ugly head again in five years or so. In answer to designs that work , if SEMA hadn't stepped up to the plate with a good faith effort to cut emissions, the possibilities of having aftermarket products banned by the state government is very real. There are countless stories in HOT ROD, CAR CRAFT, R&C, POP HOT RODDING and other magazines from the seventies on how to make horsepower and cut emissions. And every time the SEMA after market manufacturers showed how to do it, the environmentalists have demanded more. This will never be settled in my lifetime, but I will still fight the fight.
hotrodon, Now I am really confused. Your statement about ERod's, a term I have never heard of. Are you saying that a TCI frame with a Brookville body is a ERod? And if it is a $10,000.00 crate motor lets you by p*** smog even as a SPV? This is where I tie it into 343. Thanks for your opinions
ERod was the name given the new GM Smog Legal crate motor for early cars. It is based on an LS3 and makes 430 HP and 424 ft lbs with all the smog stuff, cats etc. A NEW Build TCI Ch***is and Brookville body is technically a Special Construction Vehicle in California. To register and ***le it legally there are two options that I know if. Get an SB100 exemption (they give out 500 of these per year) in which case they certify it for smog by what is called a design year for the engine. The good part about that is for instance with 302 Ford you can usually certify as a 1964 289 with just a PCV valve. The GM ERod is NOT necessary for this type of build. The other option is that you do not get the SB100 exemption. Then you have to bring the motor up to current smog regulations and the ERod motor is a good alternative.
Member of SAN for many years.The MSRA Legislative Committee has been a member as a group for quite a few years also.We are having a SAN representative attend our 20+ year annual event called Run to the Hill that goes to the state capital where we hand out info packets as well as talk to our legislators.This year we,along with SEMA and SAN, will be giving plaques to 12 legislators who signed up as friends of SEMA and the old car hobby.While it is common to poke fun at the Gold Chainer street rod types the fact is 5 out of the 13 member Legislative Committee here in Minnesota are HAMBER'S and topics on here are a part of our monthly meetings.We watch threads on ***le issues in other states especially our neighbors Iowa and Wisconsin.We also watch California because as California goes so goes the country. We work closely with SAN and often have daily e-mail conversations.SEMA adds clout to our organization.
Guys , you dont have to join Sema to check out the legislative alerts on they post on their web page, every day they post any bills that lawmakers are trying to p*** that affect our hobby, The Traditional Car Club ***ociation fully supports Sema, and other ***ociations that have defended our hobby for years. sure they have a vested interest, they want to continue to legaly sell us parts for our cars, and we want to continue to build our cars and drive them. we share a common goal. It's funny how we will take the time to answer posts aboat building our cars or going to shows with them, but we won't take the time to view posts that are trying to protect our privilage to own, build and drive our cars. The danger is very real, Last night I viewed the Sema website , there is currently a bill that some state legislators from Arkinsaw are trying to p*** , it states that the state of Arkinsaw can come on your property and haul your car away if it seems to them, that your old car is abandon, with out warning! that means if you forgot to wash your hot rod, they can seize it, with out warning, it also makes it illegal to store car parts ,or parts cars on your property. God help you if your hot rod breaks down or gets a flat , they can haul it away. Right now we can fight this bill , before it p***es into law, all it takes is an e-mail of protest to who ever is trying to introduce the bill, trust me , if he gets enough of them , he will drop the bill.Once a bill is p***ed , it is almost imposible to repeal, and costs thousands of dollars in lawyer bills to revoke. AGAIN ,IT COST NOTHING TO VIEW THEIR LEGISLATIVE ALERTS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THEM.So if you are too busy to help them defend your interests , at least show some gra***ude and don't **** talk Sema or other ***ociations like them.
I don't want anyone to mistake my comments as a negative statement about the SEMA organization. I'm sorely disappointed at the way the they handled the E-rod thing. In my opinion it is a tremendous blow to hot rod builders. I started a thread on it a few months ago that was closed because a mod thought it was inappropriate. Let's not get this thread closed too. By and large SEMA has protected us as hobbyists and professionals. They've done more legally and legistatively for hot rodding than any other organization. So what if they're selling stuff? They ARE a business for heaven's sake. Yes, we should all support SEMA and SAN. I won't share my opinion (conspiracy theory) on this thread regarding E-rod thing. Let's keep this one open so some good can come from it.
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