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Originally Posted by Dex  im sure they will let me know with the blue lights. maybe ill have to post some pix, but i think they are in my profile??? |
We have gone though this in most states with the antique and classic cars we have at the shop...
Usually around 50 cars at any given time out to several states in the spring/summer/fall, so we have been inspected and ticketed for the most stupid things you can imagine!
Our guys are out at SEMA right now, and one got a ticket today for 'Distracted Driving' for having the radio turned up loud enough the cops could hear it more than 100 feet away from the vehicle...
Last year we took TWO tickets for having bumpers lower than the factory specifications...
It's an AIR SUSPENION COMPANY!
We specialize in Low, Smooth..... Cool.
One of the bumper tickets was accompanied with a ticket for having the head lights below state minimum height.
So TRUST ME, I've researched this quite throughly!
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Federal DOT law says you need
brakes on all wheels that the vehicle came out with from the factory,
And vehicles that are operated on federal interstate highways must have brakes on all wheels regardless of production year.
Seat belts if equipped from the factory, Federal interstate travel requires seat belts for all occupants.
Most states have seat belt laws that DO NOT exempt vehicles made before the seat belt laws... Unless you have the proper antique registration and insurance for that particular vehicle...
You are required to have TWO of the following,
Drivers side outside mirror on all vehicles,
BUT,
If you can see out the back window, then you can get away with having just the inside rear view mirror with the drivers side outside mirror.
If you can't see out the back window, then you are required to have TWO outside mirrors, one on both sides.
Some states require you have the interior rear view mirror if your vehicle came with one, no matter if you have the back window blocked and have an outside mirror on the passenger side.... Stupid law, but it's out there.
Federal DOT law (interstate travel) requires you not only to have drivers outside mirror and passenger outside mirror,
but requires you have 'Blind Spot' coverage also.
That's where those funky 'Objects Are Closer Than They Appear' mirrors came from!
Trying to get one mirror to do two jobs, and we all know how that turned out!...
Tail lights are required, two for federal interstate travel,
And turn signals if equipped from the factory, Required for federal interstate travel,
At least one stop light, two or more for federal interstate travel,
(Hence those old magnetic stick on lights we used to see on the older vehicles as kids, so the guys with old single stop light cars could use the interstates)
One primary SET of driving lights in the front (head lights),
And one set of 'Secondary' white lights for most states highways and all federal interstate travel,
Park/Turn if equipped from the factory, Required for federal interstate travel,
Windscreen or eye protection, windscreens required for any vehicles with 3 or more wheels on federal interstates,
Wind screen has to be laminated safety glass in all 50 states, and the only way around that law is with antique or classic car registration with specialized insurance.
Feds REQUIRE anti-spalling/safety glass windows all around on any federally controlled interstate highway.
They don't care how old the vehicle is, no exceptions.
Windscreen wipers for state roads in all 50 states, Required for all federal interstates.
DOT rated tires and wheels, many of the wheels off roaders use are NOT DOT rated,
So called 'Bead Locks' are NOT allowed on any Federal interstate, and many states have them listed as 'Illegal'...
(Since there is no DOT rated factory bead lock rim.)
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That's why you don't see Model 'T' and other 'Vintage' cars on interstates for the cross country 'Races'...
It's technically 'Illegal' for many of them to operate on interstate highways.
Many states have rules on how wide finder flairs can be off the side of the 'Common Body And/Or Passenger Compartment',
Rules on how much tire can stick out from under the body of the vehicle or the fender flair,
Bumper height laws, distance from the ground on headlights (max. and min.)
Not to mention that most interstates have Minimum Speed laws that the crawler guys can't hope to maintain for very long, if they can get up to minimum speed at all...
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And this isn't even for the FEDERAL DOT CONTROLLED VEHICLES LIKE BIG TRUCKS!
Regulations for big trucks (DOT CONTROLLED VEHICLES) is much more stringent than for passenger cars.
Things like first aid kits, fire extinguishers, Jacks and replacment tires, Highway signaling flairs and/or reflectors, stringent vehicle inspections, special licensing, ect. are REQUIRED for any DOT vehicle...
On duty or not!
We are required to have 'HazMat' (hazardous materials) placards and HazMat licensing of the driver, specal inspections of the truck/trailer on our racing trailer because we transport more than 60 gallons of racing fuel in the trailer,
And they DO include the fuel tanks of the race cars!
And that is REQUIRED even if it's not Nitro-Methane or other potential explosive fuel, just plain old high octane racing gasoline! ('Blue Gas' for you racer types!)
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Just out of curiosity,
Do any of the old farts remember the cars with a single rear stop light, larger than the signal lights,
That actually had the word 'STOP' printed on the lens?
Sometimes the printing on the lens would actually look like a stop sign with the word STOP in the middle!
Why did they usually put that light on the PASSENGER side of the vehicle? Does anyone know?
I've always wondered that, but no one in 40 years has been able to tell me why the passenger side and not the drivers side where it would do the most good...
That is one of those questions I've always wondered about but never got a logical answer to it...
when is a '75-'76 cj5 not streetable 
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