Interesting. They had me do a VIN verification and have a local officer come to the house. Once that was done they had me registered it as a p***enger car so the normal state inspection is where I was having issues. They said with normal plates the model year doesn't matter it still needs to meet all the criteria.
Yes, I have all of the records for the car dating back to the 50s but they didn't know what to do with any of it. The car has been registered and inspected yearly in M***achusetts since the '50s without issues. But nothing in M***achusetts carries any weight for New Hampshire of course.
This is why I was so confused. The car wasn't a project. I bought it running, previously inspected / registered in m***achusetts. Vin number attached with matching do***entation. The car was originally my grandfather's and I didn't want to go the street rod process where they would recertify the car that has been on the road for 70 years and give it a new vin number.
What I would suggest right now is fabbing up some old school cycle fenders like you see in the east coast little books. Every hot rod that was street driven in New England that didn't have stock fenders had those cycle fenders when you dig out the east coast little books and check them out. The old farts will look at it and say "Yuppers, that is how they were back in the day and others won't know the difference if you do it right and h***les are avoided.
Good suggestion. I will have to check out those books. I actually do have a set of fenders that used to be on the car but got broken along the way. I'll have to get them welded back on. Probably the easiest solution at this point.
Look at the bottom of the page you posted...Source, 1992, 214:3 eff. Jan. 1, 1993...The NH SEMA legislation of January 2007 changed all the relevant DMV laws and syas the car is registered and inspected as what it represents (a kit of a 32 ford is inspected as such...and only requires what was on the car from the factory. The language in the page you posted is actually the NH DMV language for Custom Vehicles, not street rods. You have to research on the NH DMV's site, not secondhand data like JUSTIA. See N.H. Rev. Stat. § 266:115 Equipment Required of Custom Vehicles This is the current definition and criteria for Street Rod registrations - Street Rod. A vehicle, the body and frame of which were manufactured prior to the year 1949 and which has been modified for safe road use, or a replica thereof which has also been modified for safe road use. For purposes of this section, the word “modified” means, but is not limited to, a substantial and material alteration or replacement of the engine, drive-train, suspension or brake system or alteration of the body which may be chopped, channeled, sectioned, filled or otherwise changed dimensionally from the original manufactured body. Any such modification may be made only if said modification equals, improves or enhances the safety aspects of the original equipment so modified. For purposes of this section, the word “replica” means a body or frame manufactured after the year 1949 and which resembles that of the original vehicle and which retains the basic style and dimensions as originally manufactured and whose major components such as grill shell, hood, or doors are readily interchangeable with the original pre-1949 component.
Takes balls to put something that ugly in a retro car. I lived in California for over a decade and got used to CA style rods - NE stuff sometimes looks bizarre to me, trying to get used to it. BUT, I will say - the NE hot rod crowd is much more fun and has way better soul.
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