Stop Legislation That Threatens Your Hobby! SOURCE: Summit Racing
Equipment RELEASE DATE: January 30, 2002
<http://www.summitracing.com/media/gl/images/gl02_shim.gif> Akron, Ohio --
For years, the performance industry and enthusiasts like you have dealt with
government emissions and vehicle scrappage programs. They were intended to
help clean the air or improve fuel efficiency, but have often hurt our hobby
by restricting modifications or eliminating sources of parts. Thanks to
combined efforts by the industry and enthusiasts, many of these programs
have been successfully modified or repealed.
Now, new proposed U.S. government legislation threatens to take state
vehicle scrappage programs to the next level. U.S. Senate Bill S.1766
contains a provision (Section 803) that would allocate federal funds for
state scrappage programs for vehicles more than 15 years old.
Not only does that threaten the existence of 1960s and '70s era musclecars,
it also means Mustangs, Camaros, Grand Nationals, Corvettes, and other
performance vehicles made in the 1980s could also be fodder for the crusher.
What's worse, non-performance vehicles that are an invaluable resource for
engines, suspension components, and other parts would also be subject to the
program.
Summit Racing and others in the performance industry are working hard to
amend S.1766. But we can't do it without your help. Let your U.S. Senator
know how this legislation will directly affect you--print, sign, and mail
them a copy of our Legislator Letter . You can type in your Senator's name
and your name right on the letter. If you need the name and address of your
Senator, go to www.enjoythedrive.com for a list of legislators, plus
additional information on S.1766 and other legislation affecting our hobby.
Take a stand for your rights--write to your Senator today. Your hobby as you
know it may depend on it.
<http://www.summitracing.com/news/pr_archive/pr_images/aa_releasepage_graphi
c.gif>
This may not seem like much to some of you but it means a lot to me and a lot of others out there. This bill, if it were to pass, could eventually mean the end of all collector cars and even basic transportation of any automobile of 15 years of age or older. Finding cars and parts for collector cars of any type is already slowly becoming more and more difficult. With the approval of this bill it could mean the end of any further finds of rare, restoreable automobiles or parts cars. Many people out there are ignorant to the collector car hobby and the ultra-rare car they have tucked in their garage or out in their pasture may just be an old piece of junk in their eyes. With the approval of this bill it could give this person a gleam in their eye to turn this car over to be destroyed for some small bonus towards the purchase of a new car. The purpose of this bill and others like it would seem to be to lower polution levels by getting all the old worn out cars off the road but it will fail just like every other bill like it that has passed. The cars that are turned in for this bonus would not be ones that are out there being used but ones that are just sitting there waiting for some treasure-hunter to come across them and resurrect or recycle them. They are not creating any damage to the environment as they are. In fact, a bill like this could and probably would create more polution for the simple fact that used parts would be harder to find, causing an individual needing a certain parts to turn towards new parts. In some cases the individual would not perform the needed repairs for the increase in cost and therefore the vehicle would be driven as it was possibly creating more pollution. The individuals writing bills such as this surely have no idea how the real automotive world works or they would not do as they have done. Enforcing the laws already in place and updating such laws are the best way to accomplish this task. I have heard numerous accounts where an individual took their vehicle in for smog testing but failed from a smog part missing but passed for emissions. Upon re-installing the said part, the vehicle now passed the visual test for all parts being intact but now emitted more emissions but was passed because it met the requirements. As long as the emissions are below a level, what does it matter which parts are there and which are missing? The passing of section 803 of S.1766 would also allow the government that "foot in the door" they've been looking for and would lead the way for eventual extermination of any vehicle of the 15 year age they have set out as target. The fact is that a good many of these vehicles put out less emissions than the vehicles manufactured today. I have heard of numerous cars 20 and 30 years old passing emissions testing for a vehicle of less than 10 years old and yet it is considered a gas guzzler because of its age. Please, Please, Please, pass this on to everyone you know, print off copies and post them where you can, contact your senators and lets get this stopped before it gets ugly. Kyle Osterholt
Equipment RELEASE DATE: January 30, 2002
<http://www.summitracing.com/media/gl/images/gl02_shim.gif> Akron, Ohio --
For years, the performance industry and enthusiasts like you have dealt with
government emissions and vehicle scrappage programs. They were intended to
help clean the air or improve fuel efficiency, but have often hurt our hobby
by restricting modifications or eliminating sources of parts. Thanks to
combined efforts by the industry and enthusiasts, many of these programs
have been successfully modified or repealed.
Now, new proposed U.S. government legislation threatens to take state
vehicle scrappage programs to the next level. U.S. Senate Bill S.1766
contains a provision (Section 803) that would allocate federal funds for
state scrappage programs for vehicles more than 15 years old.
Not only does that threaten the existence of 1960s and '70s era musclecars,
it also means Mustangs, Camaros, Grand Nationals, Corvettes, and other
performance vehicles made in the 1980s could also be fodder for the crusher.
What's worse, non-performance vehicles that are an invaluable resource for
engines, suspension components, and other parts would also be subject to the
program.
Summit Racing and others in the performance industry are working hard to
amend S.1766. But we can't do it without your help. Let your U.S. Senator
know how this legislation will directly affect you--print, sign, and mail
them a copy of our Legislator Letter . You can type in your Senator's name
and your name right on the letter. If you need the name and address of your
Senator, go to www.enjoythedrive.com for a list of legislators, plus
additional information on S.1766 and other legislation affecting our hobby.
Take a stand for your rights--write to your Senator today. Your hobby as you
know it may depend on it.
<http://www.summitracing.com/news/pr_archive/pr_images/aa_releasepage_graphi
c.gif>
This may not seem like much to some of you but it means a lot to me and a lot of others out there. This bill, if it were to pass, could eventually mean the end of all collector cars and even basic transportation of any automobile of 15 years of age or older. Finding cars and parts for collector cars of any type is already slowly becoming more and more difficult. With the approval of this bill it could mean the end of any further finds of rare, restoreable automobiles or parts cars. Many people out there are ignorant to the collector car hobby and the ultra-rare car they have tucked in their garage or out in their pasture may just be an old piece of junk in their eyes. With the approval of this bill it could give this person a gleam in their eye to turn this car over to be destroyed for some small bonus towards the purchase of a new car. The purpose of this bill and others like it would seem to be to lower polution levels by getting all the old worn out cars off the road but it will fail just like every other bill like it that has passed. The cars that are turned in for this bonus would not be ones that are out there being used but ones that are just sitting there waiting for some treasure-hunter to come across them and resurrect or recycle them. They are not creating any damage to the environment as they are. In fact, a bill like this could and probably would create more polution for the simple fact that used parts would be harder to find, causing an individual needing a certain parts to turn towards new parts. In some cases the individual would not perform the needed repairs for the increase in cost and therefore the vehicle would be driven as it was possibly creating more pollution. The individuals writing bills such as this surely have no idea how the real automotive world works or they would not do as they have done. Enforcing the laws already in place and updating such laws are the best way to accomplish this task. I have heard numerous accounts where an individual took their vehicle in for smog testing but failed from a smog part missing but passed for emissions. Upon re-installing the said part, the vehicle now passed the visual test for all parts being intact but now emitted more emissions but was passed because it met the requirements. As long as the emissions are below a level, what does it matter which parts are there and which are missing? The passing of section 803 of S.1766 would also allow the government that "foot in the door" they've been looking for and would lead the way for eventual extermination of any vehicle of the 15 year age they have set out as target. The fact is that a good many of these vehicles put out less emissions than the vehicles manufactured today. I have heard of numerous cars 20 and 30 years old passing emissions testing for a vehicle of less than 10 years old and yet it is considered a gas guzzler because of its age. Please, Please, Please, pass this on to everyone you know, print off copies and post them where you can, contact your senators and lets get this stopped before it gets ugly. Kyle Osterholt
