Hot Rods UNFENDERED LAWS IN MINNESOTA

I think carrying a copy of the law that applies is smart & can avoid a headache. Often people including officers may think they know what the law is or have been told what it is versus having learned the actual act or regulation. I worked in a large oil refinery site as a contractor lead and was constantly being beat or saving my guys from getting beat up for not following their safe work standards by people who thought they knew the site standards that applied to the work. I call it campfire mentality where everyone learns from one another in a group with know one actually in possession of the actual facts. Have the sites standards available could respectfully resolve issues with those of a different mind.

I had copies of all the safety standards for the various groups and tasks on my computer & could point out the actual facts versus what the sites supervisors thought the standards gave. I think having the information available and calmly sharing it with an officer is smart & if a person has an opportunity to share it then it may save someone else from the same conversation.. Most officers are usually decent folk. My son & nephew were on the local fire department & like the police they are all at accident scenes trying to rescue & keep people alive. I have been at the scene of an industrial fatality and have great respect for the officers that encounter horrific car accidents more frequently than the average person should. They see the consequences of unsafe people or unsafe vehicles. Showing them patience & respect can go a long way.

Carrying the regulation that applies to a fenderless hot rod is a simple stress free precaution.

 

As an ex Firefighter I certainly understand your logic.
Just don't argue with the old farts, if you get stopped, maybe the judge will understand the law better before he rules on it.. If it goes to court.
I realize the younger Police Officers are just interested. I was stopped by a man of the law, and ask me if MY COE was a dune buggy. I said well I am just not sure, I have info in the glove box if I can get it: License, insurance, registration, laws pertaining to my ride. He said you have done this before, I said Yep most of my life, so far. He was congenial and I went on my way..

 

Yes.

 

Many years ago, I had a cop pull me over in my off topic musclecar. He said my muffler was too loud, it was a small block with 2.5" flowmaster system, and exited out of the rear wheel well, like stock..he looked the car over and asked about seatbelts, I said they were an option this year, he said he was pretty sure they were standard equip for a '65 Mustang...I was driving a '67 Camaro..that about sums it up.

 

Padded dash & seat belts were an option in 56 Fords, but no body thought passenger safety was a big deal

 

Well, if you drive a Hot Rod without fenders, YOU should know the State vehicle code on fenders because you can bet not every cop will. You have to be prepared to protect yourself if/when the need arises.
Now that you know the vehicle codes, the next time a surly cop poses that type of hollow threat. You can come back with "are you referring to 169.734"? "doesn't apply to my Street Rod plates as specified in code blah, blah, blah"...

 

My experience is that if a cop will pull you over for fenders, he's got a bone to pick anyway. I've sold cars to friends who've never been pulled over, cars that I sold because they were heat scores for me. It's my looks, cops can't stand good looking older dudes, seriously, I think it is my looks, I refuse to change my appearance to please cops.
But, I do carry a copy of our motor vehicle act pertaining to fenders, after the last go round with a young cop who told me he shouldn't see the tire looking straight down from above. Asked him where he got the info, showed him the act, (supposed to have mudguards here), meaning mudflaps like semi's, got a ticket for......no mudguards. I was nice, but he was looking for something, sometimes you can't win.

 

Just goes to show how the law serves the OEMs' interests.

My idea of heaven on earth is having a hot rod or three for fun, but being able to walk pretty much everywhere I need to go day-to-day. And a huge part of the appeal of that is boycotting the OEMs.

 

That's why I like living here in east T.N. the local police are very easy going on the old cars here. I always get a smile , thumbs up or a nod from the local police when they pass my olds wagon, or it could be the Bush ,Regan sticker I have on the back window. LOL. Bruce.

 

If you quote statutes and prove to them their ignorance, well be prepared. It's not now nor ever gonna be like it used to be. As I recall there was a federal highway standard where weight was the key issue. Something that got smoothed out during the prolific T Bucket years. Anything over 2,XXX lbs had to have some form of fender...?

 

I believe if it had it from the factory they can get you for not having it now. I'm sure your pickup had fenders when new. Horn? yes, Windshield wiper? yes, seat belts? no, (You get the idea) If it becomes a street rod then things change sometimes. They can make you have seat belts because now you altered it (made it into a street rod) and the can make you have seat belts and high beam headlight indicators and stuff like that. I've done a little research in the state of Iowa and that's how it reads here. That also goes for the guy who has to get a bonded title. (that opens a new can of worms) When he gets it inspected it has to have safety equipment installed like seat belts and wipers etc. etc. even if it didn't have it from the factory. That's why it's best to buy a car with a title so you don't have to jump through those hoops later on.

 

MN law: No law requiring any particular equipment or specifying any standards to be met by motor vehicles shall apply to pioneer, classic, collector vehicles, collector military vehicles, or street rods unless it specifically so states. STREET ROD LICENSED CARS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW STANDARDS SET BY PRODUCTION CARS!!

 

Milner: Oh, shit, Holsteen!!!
Holsteen: Where you going, Milner??
Milner: Uh, home sir.

 

1927 graham, yesterday we had the roadster out for what could be the last nice day for awhile, we stopped at Rochester for lunch, as I was parking I spotted 3 highway patrol there. I never gave not having fenders a thought till you started this thread. Instantly I was paranoid, but went in to eat anyway. We ended up sitting across from their table, and my car was right in front of the window they where sitting at. (what luck) As we finished and got up to leave, one of them said "enjoy the day"--I said we sure well. So I think I'm not going to worry about fenders. Bob

 

I'm not going to argue with you on MN laws. I clearly stated what the Iowa rules read. Now if you drive your car only in MN your fine but when you cross state lines you can become a target. My car is fender less and I have not been stopped yet but that doesn't mean they can't write me a ticket for it if they want to. Just because your plates say Street Rod means nothing in another state.


I have a friend who was pulled over for speeding in his 1934 Ford hot rod. The officer let him go for the speeding ticket but wrote him up one for not wearing a seatbelt. My friend was wearing a lap belt at the time and showed the officer. The officer didn't believe he was wearing the seat belt when he was pulled over and wrote the ticket anyway. At the time a seat belt ticket was $48 and it wasn't worth the time or hassle to fight it. It was also cheaper than what the speeding ticket would have been. This is a bunch of crap for two reasons. The first being that car originally did not have seatbelts and second he really did have the lap belt on.

 

I always take the ticket, and then fight the ticket. I was taught early on that a judge wouldn't go ballistic and beat or shoot you, or take your car. I have been doing this since I got my license, even when they had me dead-to-rights. Fought probably 30 speeding tickets, all fully guilty, only had to pay two, the rest dismissed. I got reckless driving, driving in excess of 100-mph, and engaging in pursuit (they didn't catch me until 6-months later) reduced to a $165 fine, and a 30-day license suspension (yes, you are allowed to cross-examine a cop). This was long enough ago that I just went to the adjacent state for college, and got a license there.

I was once asked by the cop who was responsible for writing about 10 of those tickets why I kept doing this, I answered that even if I lost he could not write anyone else a single ticket that day.

He never pulled me over again.

FTF!

 

This is not related to the OP's question about fenders in MN. But I want to set this statement straight since the information is not correct. I have 1st hand experience with this. In Iowa in the past 2 years I've bonded 2 vehicles, a 32 Ford and a 34 Ford. Both were incomplete with broken glass, no lights, no floors, no engines, bare rims, etc, etc, etc. They were obviously completely not road worthy. I had no problem getting a title and plates for them. My brother did the same with a 26 T about 4 years ago that was no more than a pile of parts. So unless we have been super lucky, I think your info is all wrong.

BTW, I've driven my fenderless Model A PU in MN many times with out ever getting pulled over and I have out of state non-collector plates on it.

 

Maybe your avatar name should be amended to SOMETIMES BULL. I have seen your '46 when it was being worked on in San Antonio, and I liked it. The yellow '37 Plymouth 2-dr presently at Kris's house is especially cool looking and will make a fine streetrod. However, I have to take exception with your "claim" about anything but a '6' is just a passing fad. Being from Yoakum, you might not be aware of the S B C, SMALL-BLOCK CHEVY. It has been around in some way, shape, or form since '55. The six-banger is a great mill and has been used for eons as a drag engine, but the PROPER engine for a long-distance, all-prupose streetrod is, you guessed it, the venerable S B C. I am anxious to meet you at Austin or maybe a REVOLUTION and chew the fat with you. I am retired from old S.P. R.R. since '07. We probably know several of the same people, like Leroy Menning Sr., some of the Taylor clan, Carl Yawes, Dennis Wenske ? Please don't hold my associations against me. HaHa.

 

I think that Texas lawmen don't care about streetrods,etc. unless you violate what's known as "moving-violation" ordinances. Just stay straight while they are around and you should be fine. I was once pulled over because the patrolman just wanted to see my '40 coupe. Good thing I wasn't drinking at the time. Age also helps when stopped by young runners. They seem to think that I won't live much longer so they let the old man go. Hell yes ! !

 

Sorry for saying this, but it is SO like those worthless leaders in Illinois politics to allow corruption on a wholesale basis, yet regulate what a person can haul in his privately-owned vehicle. Move to Texas, but install a Vintage Air a/c-heat unit before Summer rears its ugly head.

 

WOW!! You got a bonded title and plates when you didn't have a vehicle?
You said it was just a pile of parts? Yeah I'd say you were lucky and I wouldn't advertise
that over the internet. You should have been done with your project before you got it inspected but instead you just skipped all of that part. Every county in Iowa is different on how they do things even though the laws are written the same way. Don't ask me why this is it just is. So for you to say my information is wrong is just rude. You are obviously very uninformed.

 

Yep, you got me, I’m obviously uninformed. I’ve only done it twice in the past two years compared to your XXX times, so you must be right. Keep on building your car with no title, then explaining to your local COUNTY clerk how you ended up with a $20,000+ car with no title. Meanwhile, I’ll get a title at the beginning for my non-operating POS thru the obviously uninformed STATE DOT Office of Vehicle Services in Des Moines.
Sorry to the OP for the continued hijack of his fender thread.

 

Not to hi-jack further but I got into a confrontation with a lady at the CA dmv she said I needed a windshield headlights and a seat to make my roadster a "car" and she wouldn't verify my vin until it was a "car"... Took it to the next town 3 state patrols looked it over verified the vin sent me home with a title

It goes with the theme of the thread of people with small brains and no knowledge abusing power ....

Depending on how the state laws of what the car is registered to ....frame or body, you shouldn't need more than a frame and body to register a car sometimes just a frame with numbers ....the rest is just icing

Kit car / street rod / special const. = different rules, that is a NEW car and requires more hoops

 

The caveat on that may well be the first sentence. If that fender law has only been on the book since 1975, it would seem clear cut. Then again, I think they chose that vague language specifically. While it may not have been a "law" that your model A had to be sold with fenders, we all know that they were sold with fenders. Even the chassis units with just a cowl had front fenders.

I would imagine this vague language could be interpreted differently from judge to judge, if a leo gave you a ticket. Even if this could turn out in your favor, by no means would I get cocky about it.

 

Most cops are cool if you're cool with them. I've been pulled over a handful of times just because the officer wanted to make sure everything was 'safe', and to tell me about the cars he had when he was younger. I'm fine with that, but how do you tell the officers that pulled you over that you've got to go so you're not late for work?

 

Regarding the fender requirement for Collector/Historical/Antique/Street Rod/etc registered vehicles in Minnesota, the way Statute 168.10 Subdivision 1f is written does not specifically exempt you from needing them now if they were required when the vehicle was manufactured. You MN guys should go to a law library and dig out the 1932 (or whatever year your car was manufactured) motor vehicle equipment statutes.

Regarding the subject of titling in Iowa without a prior title, refer to Iowa Code Chapter 321.23, and for bonding Chapter 321.24 Subsection 10.

 

Wow, this is the first time in years I've heard of anyone being "reminded" about lack of fenders in MN.
I had some first-hand experience in 1975 shortly after that fender law supposedly went into effect. Was on the way to a weekend run in a T roadster about 20 miles from home and got pulled over by a MN trooper. No ticket, just gave me a warning and told me to take it home and park it until I got fenders on it. Never did put fenders on it and never got bothered again. The only other time I got pulled over in that car was by a city cop who ran the license plates. The registration came back as a "1974" so he thought I was running plates from a different car. I told him the car was titled as a "1974 Reconstructed Roadster" by the state of MN and once he verified that everything was cool. As has been said, there will always be a few people (in any profession, not just law enforcement) who like to express their authority.
I guess we have to realize that our cars are attention-getters, which may not always be a good thing....

 

Don't think I'll have a problem in the future, just makes you mad, I think there's more dangerous people to watch other than an old guy in a Model A!

 

You getting a title is correct when you start a project however you said you got plates too.
How can any DOT inspector say you car is roadworthy and safe when all you have is a pile of parts?
(You said pile of parts, these are your words)
No DOT I have ever dealt with would have given me plates to a car that's not built yet.
By built I mean road worthy with working lights, brakes, etc. etc.
He can issue you a title and suspend the plates until you get it built and then inspected.
Once you have had it inspected (and passed) they will issue you your plates.
It can really be a pain in the ass. I've been down this road just like you the only difference is I live in a different county and are the rules that I have to follow to get a bonded title and plates. I called you lucky and what I should of said was I wish my courthouse and DOT inspectors were that easy.

 

So if you buy a used car in Iowa with a title , do they just transfer title and send you on your way or do they inspect all cars upon sale?

Verification and issuing a title of ownership has nothing to do with if its roadworthy or not ... It's paperwork of ownership to a thing , yes in states that have inspection you would have to pass before getting plates to legally drive on roadway

You should probably start another thread so we don't hi-jack the Minnesota thread any longer