stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,834
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Meanwhile in Americastealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Jun 15, 2021 18:24:40 GMT
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Not seen any posts about this, followers of PFI speed on YouTube or similar may be familiar with it.
Basically the Environmental Protection Agency are clamping down on vehicle tuning that affects the factory exhaust emissions, by imposing huge fines and preventing the sale of aftermarket parts by the companies who have been "caught" by finding them in violation of the clean air act. They are applying this law to both road cars and road cars that are converted for racing only.
Its not a new law that they're acting on, it's been around since 1970,but I can't help that think that the rise in popularity (again) of modified for performance cars and the TV shows and YouTube channels that have followed has possibly shone a unwanted spotlight on the industry, especially as most of those shows are blatantly breaking the law.
SEMA et al are currently trying to get something called the RPM act through Congress that would allow vehicles to be modified for racing purposes only, but obviously that would have very limited scope as I would imagine pure race cars are a very small part of the overall tuning market.
Its certainly a interesting scenario. My usual thoughts on this are to know the law and either stick to it or keep it on the down low. Bit too late for that in this instance though.
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Jun 15, 2021 18:42:39 GMT
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I believe the Diesel Brothers fell foul of this and suffered a hefty fine. Have a disclaimer at the end of the programme now.
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Jun 15, 2021 18:42:47 GMT
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Sounds like the thin end of the dictatorship wedge.
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,834
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Meanwhile in Americastealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Jun 15, 2021 18:44:00 GMT
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I believe the Diesel Brothers fell foul of this and suffered a hefty fine. Have a disclaimer at the end of the programme now. According to what I've read a private environmental group rather than the EPA sued them after several vehicles rolled coal past one of their demonstrations.
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,834
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Meanwhile in Americastealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Jun 15, 2021 18:47:46 GMT
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Sounds like the thin end of the dictatorship wedge. This seems to be the standard response by most people, but it isn't really the case is it. People chose to either ignore or be ignorant of a decades old law. People used the same argument over here the other year when all the IVA stuff came up.
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,338
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Jun 15, 2021 18:51:18 GMT
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I believe the Diesel Brothers fell foul of this and suffered a hefty fine. Have a disclaimer at the end of the programme now. According to what I've read a private environmental group rather than the EPA sued them after several vehicles rolled coal past one of their demonstrations. Fair enough. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
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Meanwhile in Americaballbagbagins
@ballbagbagins
Club Retro Rides Member 164
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Jun 15, 2021 19:18:43 GMT
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I saw a chasing classic cars where a Ford gt was being auctioned and the auctioneer had to make a statement when the car came on the block that it couldn't be driven on the road in all states due to the smog laws that can vary between states.
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Jun 15, 2021 19:23:06 GMT
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rolling coal...rolling my eyes ..i personally would say that was your problem
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Meanwhile in AmericaDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Jun 15, 2021 19:35:45 GMT
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America has always been like it though hasn’t it? Land of the free, where you can do whatever you want with your property- as long as it doesn’t annoy anyone else as they’ll sue you to oblivion, and even if you win (which is unlikely given the state of their courts system) you’ll be so poor from defending it you’ll be living in a dumpster. You’ll still be free to enjoy that good old American made poverty though.
It’s like a real life game of snakes and ladders. Land on the wrong square and that’s it, irrespective of what’s happening next door.
I am genuinely surprised the EPA stuff is being held to account though, given the amount of other, arguably much more important American laws that are roundly ignored.
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Jun 15, 2021 20:05:59 GMT
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That's the thing though. We all watch these American Customizing/restomod/rat rod/etc shows and wonder how they get away with it all. I saw a youtube clip recently where someone drove Richard Petty's 1970 Nascar Superbird up the highway, slicks and all. And we all envy their freedom to create whatever they like and drive it when we are weighed down with govt restrictions (and Europe is even worse)
They get away with because nobody for decades has bothered to enforce the laws, just as DVLA didn't and truthfully, probably couldn't, enforce the IVA rules, until the internet age let them gather evidence at the click of a mouse.
Am I surprised? Not really! As for rolling coal, IMO, it's childish and idiotic. But our colonial cousins do love to raise a digit to authority, especially those they see as curtailing their constitutional freedoms. So they shouldn't be surprised when the sleeping dragon they have prodded so incautiously, wakes up and bites off said digit! At the armpit!
However, I will miss the shows and some of the stunning cars built on them, if the whole industry goes pear shaped. Can't see it happening though, there's too much money involved to upset such a lucrative industry in these troubled times
One thing I don't get, is why the GT40 should be kept off the road? If it's the real thing, it was built in the 60s when there weren't any smog rules, so it shouldn't be liable for any smog compliance now. The laws aren't applied retrospectively.
Steve
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Last Edit: Jun 15, 2021 21:31:56 GMT by carledo
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,834
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Meanwhile in Americastealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Jun 15, 2021 20:12:09 GMT
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That's the thing though. We all watch these American Customizing/restomod/rat rod/etc shows and wonder how they get away with it all. I saw a youtube clip recently where someone drove Richard Petty's 1970 Nascar Superbird up the highway, slicks and all. And we all envy their freedom to create whatever they like and drive it when we are weighed down with govt restrictions (and Europe is even worse) They get away with because nobody for decades has bothered to enforce the laws, just as DVLA didn't and truthfully, probably couldn't, enforce the IVA rules, until the internet age let them gather evidence at the click of a mouse. Am I surprised? Not really! As for rolling coal, IMO, it's childish and idiotic. But our colonial cousins do love to raise a digit to authority, especially those they see as curtailing their constitutional freedoms. So they shouldn't be surprised when the sleeping dragon they have prodded so incautiously, wakes up and bites off said digit! However, I will miss the shows and some of the stunning cars built on them, if the whole industry goes pear shaped. One thing I don't get, is why the GT40 should be kept off the road? If it's the real thing, it was built in the 60s when there weren't any smog rules, so it shouldn't be liable for any smog compliance now. The laws aren't applied retrospectively. Steve This is pretty much my view. The parts to build legal cars exist, the testing to have parts certified exists even, but most choose to not use them.
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