For the first time in many years, Federal legislation (S. 1766) threatening the vehicle hobby industry has been introduced. S. 1766 includes a provision (Section 803) that would federally fund state scrappage programs for vehicles more than 15 years old -- that means popular vehicles ranging from '60s-era muscle cars up through later-model vehicles such as the Buick T-Types and Grand Nationals, Mustang SVOs and GTs, Z-28 Camaros, and Corvettes. Low-performance "sister" vehicles, like Buick Regals with interchangeable parts to GM Grand Nationals, would certainly be destroyed. The street rod industry will not be immune either, as late-model engines, suspension equipment, and accessories (such as the suspension parts found on Ford Mustang IIs) often used to modernize these popular vehicles will also be lost to the crusher. SEMA members are strongly urged to take action to defeat S. 1766. Here are a few simple things members and their employees can do to help: Send a letter on your company letterhead to your U.S. Senators opposing Section 803 of S. 1766. The letter need not be long. Simply express how S. 1766 will affect you, your company, and the automotive hobby. For more tips on writing your legislators, consult the SEMA document "How to Lobby Elected Officials." This guide is available at http://www.enjoythedrive.com/san To find out who your U.S. Senators are, call the SEMA Washington, D.C., office at 202/783-6007, or visit
http://www.enjoythedrive.com/legisla...legislator.asp

Personal letters from employees of SEMA-member companies to their U.S. Senators opposing Section 803 of S. 1766 are encouraged. Again, letters can-- and should -- be brief (see notes in item above) and include personal reasons why the bill would affect their lives and careers. Contact the SEMA
Washington, D.C., office at (202) 783-6007 for help or information.

Share the alert on S. 1766 found at http://www.sema.org/fedleg/fedredhot/scrappage1201.html with as many people as possible, including your customers. Communicate with them the potential harm Section 803 of S. 1766 could have on the vehicle hobby, and urge them to get involved by writing letters as well. The SEMA Washington, D.C., staff is monitoring and actively lobbying S. 1766 on Capitol Hill. SEMA members are asked to send copies of their letters to the SEMA Washington, D.C., office for their records. Members are also encouraged to contact the staff if they have any questions or need assistance in their efforts to oppose this legislation. SEMA's Washington, D.C., staff can be reached at (202) 783-6007; fax (202)783-6024.

The SEMA has a pretty cool breakdown of section 803.

 

Stupid government. Supposed to be there to protect us, not bend us over and stick it.

 

I'm no attorney (or political scientist), but it seems pretty benign to me.

there's nothing in the bill requiring anyone (except, perhaps, the secretary of energy) or any state to participate in the scrapping program.

 

yeah, to me it just says that there will be funding to help with the cost of destroying all these older cars as they live out the end of their life cycles....

 

As much as I love those older cars...they shouldn't go this far...but they should restrict these cars to show status or race status...and not be allowed to drive all over the place...

 

I agree.... But I have to add the weekend driver. Someone who doesn't necessarily race, or show. But has rebuilt it from the chassis up and takes better care of it then some of us do our CL's.

I don't mind some of the beaterz getting of the street. But these cars should not just be scraped. It's getting harder and harder to find original parts as it is. If they are allowed to scrap any old car, you may be destroying a fender, windshield or chrome bumper someone else desperately needs to finish their "baby."

 

True...they should just make people turn it in to recycling places..and the weekend guy is alright...it just drives me crazy when you see some guy with a pre-72 car driving it as a daily driver and spitting shit all over my car..

 

Why doesn't the government look at how Europe keeps unsafe cars off their roads, and do something like that here? It is about safety, right?