If you live in PA, your rights to own and customize a car is in serious jeopardy. In January, 2007, PENNDOT implemented a new "ENHANCED VEHICLE INSPECTION PROGRAM" known as EVIP. This program was developed and enacted without any public exposure, debate, input, or knowledge, just like the insideous midnight pay raise that they tried to foist upon us. Please read about what is going on, or you will soon be paying huge amounts in fines, and new procedures.
Basically, PENNDOT began to develop a program to regulate and identify problem cars, like reconstructions, flood damaged vehicles, etc. Unfortunately, as wilth eveything that the state decides to stick its nose into, it went awry, and some brilliant idiot decided to include any and all cars that are not absolute, 100% stock vehicles.
Here's how it goes. Once the plan gets fully implemented, there will be a network of special inspection stations across the state, and you will have to take your custom, collector, hotrod, streetrod, etc (Or any vehicle tagged by a state trooper as not being 100% stock) to one of these stations for inspection. Inspections may range in price from $100 up to $500, but that is still unknown. If your car passes inspection, you will be issued (And have to pay for) a new title, and the specifics of your vehicle will be entered into a data base.
Now here's where the fun comes in. A state trooper may pull you over at any time, even if you are legally licensed, inspected, etc, and doing absolutely nothing wrong. He will print out a list of specifics from the data base, and compare them to your vehicle. If ANYTHING has changed on your vehicle, he will fine you, declare that your title is now invalid, and force you to go through the expensive inspection and retitling process all over again, and you will not be able to use your car until you comply. Listen to what I said. ANY CHANGE IN YOUR VEHICLE can result in a fine, and costly reinspection and retitleing. So that means that if you change the size of your tires, put on different wheels, add air shocks, add a lift kit, add ground effects, ANYTHING, you are in trouble.
This will affect EVERY SINGLE CAR OWNER AND DRIVER IN THE STATE OF PA, NEW CARS AND OLD. If you buy a brand new truck and put bigger tires on it, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you buy a tuner and put ground effects on it, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you buy a motorcycle and put custom pipes on it, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you replace the engine in your cars with another size engine, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you repaint your car, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If your car develops rust, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you put headers on your car, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you change the exhaust on your car, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. If you change the air induction system on your car, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS. I repeat, anything that deviates from 100% stock, or changes your vehicle in any way from the last time it was titled, IS IN VIOLATION OF THE NEW LAWS.
This is a savage, and brutal attack on the drivers of PA, and especially the car enthusiasts in this state.
What can you do? If you are concerned (You should be FURIOUS!), there are things you can do. Groups are starting to form, but we need all of the help and support we can get from all of you. This is a battle that will depend on grassroots support. No one will fight for us or help us, unless we show that we will not take this sort of thing lying down. Car clubs are starting to rally, petitions are starting to be passed around. People are starting to complain to their elected officials. I urge every driver in PA to sign one of the petitions, and join one of the groups. Volunteer a little of your time and service, or it will untimately cost you much more. Call, email, or write to the state senators and representatives and tell them that you want this stopped. The people that are implementing this insideous program are appointed, but the politicians are elected, so tell them straight out that you are so mad, that if they don't do anything about this, you will not vote for them in the next election.
There has been almost no information about these new laws let out to the public. The state is trying to get inspection stations to sign a contract to become one of these enhanced inspection stations, so if you, or someone you know owns an inspections station, tell them to refuse to join up. If they read the fine print of the contract, they will find out that if they accept the terms of the contract, THEY WILL AGREE TO ACCEPT LIABILITY FOR ANY CURRENT AND FUTURE PROBLEMS RELATED TO OR CAUSED BY ANY VEHICLE THEY INSPECT.
A friend of mine, and longtime car enthusiast, Bob Pisaneschi is locally spearheading the fight against the new laws. He has already been in contact with State Representative Dan Surra, who was totally unaware of the extent of PENNDOTS plans. Mr Surra, a car enthusiast himself, was quick to promote the creation of a MOTORSPORTS CAUCUS in the state legislature, to protect the rights of car enthusiasts in the state of PA. Every driver in PA needs to contact MR. Surra (814-375-4688), and give him your support, and tell him that you don't agree with the new Enhanced Vehicle Inspection Program, and its impact on drivers, car owners, and car enthusiasts in the state of PA. Every driver should also contact his or her own State Representatives and Senators, and voice these same concerns to them. If you would like Bob Pisaneschi to talk to your group or car club, to learn the true extent and potential impact of these new laws, and to see how you can help, PM me, and I will put you in touch with him.
Please, I urge every driver and car owner in PA, and especially those of us who own custom, collector, streetrod, hotrod, or any other type of special vehicle, to get involved in the fight now, and not let the state of PA pull these Gestapo-like tactics on the law abiding drivers and car enthusaists of PA. If you don;t do it, no one else will, and you will have no one else to blame, but yourself, when collector and special interest vehicles become a thing of the past. This is truely a sad day in the history of this great state, when a decent, law-abiding interest and hobby like ours is targeted for destruction by a few self-serving, misinformed, beurocratic bozos like the ones who developed these new policies.
