Well, just remember to vote someone in to replace those who appoint 'these govt types' in the next election cycle. As a republic, we have an opportunity to replace them quite often. If we judge them by their actions and not their promises then most of them will become unemployed.
You DO of course realize that this 'breaking news interview' is 4 years old, right? From May 12 of 2007?
Find the origin of the laws and regulations. Someone put up the money ( Reps., lobbyist, special interest groups) to enact these laws for a reason. The do not work for free. Follow the money/campaign trail. Save your energy. do not flame the enforcers.
on the point about welding on a vehicle, i tried to find out what ticket you need to be able to weld on a vehicle here in Canada, i called the Canadian Welding buro, their reply was there is none, i asked the vehicle inspection folks what they required from a welder to approve the welds done on a vehicle, their reply was you needed to be a certified welder, i asked what certification, they didnt know and had no answer.
That is easy, you need a Journeyman certification. Whenever they talk certification anywhere in Canada that is it. Of course that comes after the required apprenticeship and practical training + work hours of experience over a 3 year period. Different provinces have different training and requirements but the bottom line is the Journeyman Certificate and as well the Red Seal certification allows you to work in any province.
Okay, this is probably my least favorite subject to post on, but it's a necessary one to be aware of, and prepared for. The legality and safety of 'Hot Rods' has been a sore spot with various state governments for as many decades as most of us have been alive, let alone building. There is only one successful position, and that is through organization and "good will." One needs only to look at old promotional films made mainly in California in the '50s to see the answer. We the enthusiasts, albeit considerably older now, know that the cost in both dollars and time precludes us from taking our hobby lightly. None of us want to risk our 'babies' when we have so much invested in them. Unfortunately, the general public needs on-going reenforcement of this concept. Organized club activities have always been the way to win the hearts and respect of the 'public.' Someone on one of the past posts I read mentioned that the major Automobile companies were 5 or 6 years behind Hot Rodders and Customizers, and it's true! Innovators have always started in back yards or small garages. It's sad that we have to look to lobbyists to protect our sport, but that's a fact also, along with the organization and good will that each one of us promotes to the public everytime and everywhere they see us. We can't convince each one to visit this site to get an idea of how much forethought, planning, and talent goes into the average 'build' but how we conduct ourselves goes a long way. As far as Certified welding goes, that's not asking any more of us than various Safety Boards are asking of Body Repair/ Collision Shops. If a vehicle is involved in a fatal accident, the first thing they look for is recent repairs, and God help the shop that 's responsible for inferior, uncertified, or undocumented work. This may be a hobby that started under a tree for most of us, but if we take it lightly how can we expect anyone else to take it seriously. I'll step down now, and take my "Candy Apple Red" face with me.
This thread is almost a year old but it's worth commenting on. In the last couple weeks I have been either on the phone or emailing with the people that head up research and specialty cases in Madison for the DMV. First off, the are really helpful and friendly people. They have also clearly identified a gap in the hobby plate law where items like T-Buckets get punished accidentally. I was told POINT BLANK that they would love to have this problem solved but it requires average citizens to follow through to make changes. They hate this mess more than we do. I went to the local State Patrol headquarters and talked to the officer in charge of inspections. He's a car guy as well as a builder of home built choppers. He also recognized the problem and said it needs to change. Change happens because you and I decide we are going to change it but if we can't get together and clearly identify the problem and it's solutions we are left with chaos. Just to give you an idea of how this works is the EAA. The Experimental Aircraft Association is a support group for home built airplanes. I have a home built airplane I built from scratch. I built it myself. If I can fly 200 mph across the country in something I built and had no issue getting it registered then surly we can build a T-Bucket. The EAA made this happen. The system has failed because we have let it fail. We need to organize for the sole purpose of protecting what we all love. I know a guy who has a T-Bucket with a 1958 Ford title. People like him ultimately end up ruining our hobby because eventually he gets caught, ends up in the news, and average folks see this and wont stand for it so they pass laws. I worked in politics for 2 years of my life and let me tell you anybody with motivation can jump right in. Plenty of room and opportunity. Butch
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