Nebraska
Rod & Custom AssociationPO Box 182
Doniphan Nebraska 68832
Nebraska
Rod & Custom Association
Testimony in favor of LB 663
Transportation and Telecommunications Committee hearing
February 22, 2005
By: Gary Hedman
President
Nebraska Rod and Custom Association Inc.
Testimony
Chairman Baker, members of the committee, my name is Gary Hedman, (spell name) and I am president of the Nebraska Rod and Custom Association. We are here today to testify in support of LB 663 and to also add our opinions as to how it could be improved for the automotive hobbyist.
The Nebraska Rod and Custom Association or NRCA was formed in 1988 to provide a statewide network of individuals who have special vehicle interests. We define a special vehicle as an antique, classic, customized, or modified vehicle which is vintage in age. We have 1,050 members currently who have varied interests. They all share the same love for American automobiles and work hard to preserve their special interest vehicle.
We have members who will benefit from the provisions of LB 663 as I read it. They will be able to purchase a parts vehicle and assemble a complete original vehicle and then get a title for that vehicle as of the year of manufacture. This is important as the only other completely legal title they can now get is an assembled vehicle title. This would be as much of a blemish in their restoration as an imperfection in an otherwise perfect paint job. We also believe these vehicles should be able to qualify for historical license plates.
But, we have many members who also need a title for a similar vehicle constructed from parts but is not totally original in nature. They will use their vehicle more, driving it to local and national events. I know because I have driven my 1937 Ford over 65,000 miles throughout the Midwest. I have attended events with over 10,000 vehicles entered. These people will want to modify their vehicle for better performance in the way it handles, rides, steers and stops. They will include modern drive train for which they easily get parts. They may want items of comfort such as better seats, air conditioning, a heater and sound systems. When completed, this vehicle will be much safer on the roads of Nebraska than the completely original vehicle that LB 663 as written will allow the owner to get an original title for.
Completing any vehicle restoration and rebuild is a labor of love taking a lot of money and time. An assemble vehicle title, as I understand it -- will have the current year on it. So my 1937 Ford for instance becomes a 2005 Ford. The other option, which I hesitate to admit, ---- but does happen is that the builder will buy a title from someone who found it. Most likely this title was kept in a safe place, but the vehicle was ultimately junked. If it is a Nebraska title then there is no inspection to get it registered. If it is an out of state title, it requires inspection, but the vehicle identification number for the cars made in the 30’s and 40’s in particular are not hard to reproduce. Some are just numbers stamped on the frame as it is for my 1937 Ford. Our current system encourages this activity even though we know it is not right.
I recently purchased a 1940 Ford pickup – just the cab and doors.
I have 1940 Ford frame from another vehicle I can use, front fenders and a vintage flat bed. I am looking for a hood, and hope to find one. They make a lot of reproduction parts for this vehicle which will help a lot. I do not have a title. If I were to finish it off totally original, under LB 663 as written, I could get an original 1940 title. But, it would not be capable of intestate highway speeds nor would it be safe in the kind of traffic we have in major cities. My use of this vehicle would be limited. I could go through all that work get an original year title and then start over and revamping everything. We at NRCA have identified the inability to get a title for the year of manufacturer as our biggest problem. We feel that if a vehicle looks like a 1940 Ford pickup then that is what the title should say and not “assembled 2005 Ford pickup”.
I would offer the following suggestions to be considered in an amendment to LB 663. Or, you may want to consider an interim study resolution to fully analyze these issues. We would like to see the following:
A title for original year of manufacture can be obtained when assembled from parts with:
(1) A bill of sale for 3 major components
(2) Verification by a qualified agency, organization of the year the vehicle is representative of.
(3) It passes a safety inspection, for which the owner must pay the cost of
(4) Original year of manufacture is at least 50 years from current year
In conclusion a rusty body and parts restored as original or in somewhat modified nature really should not make any difference in the ability to get a title. If it looks like a 1940 Ford pickup, and it was assembled from parts, then why not allow the hobbyist who has spent all that time and money have a year of manufacture title. Why should it make any difference if it is original or updated?
We thank the committee for their time and would be willing to answer any questions you might have.
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Testimony in favor of LB 63 Provided by: Nebraska Rod and Custom Association
Gary Hedman, President
Testimony
Chairman Baker, members of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, my name is Gary Hedman and I am the current President of the Nebraska Rod and Custom Association. We are a hobbyist group of 1,050 members all across Nebraska with varied interests in what we call specialized vehicles. A further definition would include classic restored or un-restored cars and trucks, customized vehicles, street rods, antiques and replica vehicles resembling early vintage American vehicles.
We have a two fold personal interest in Nebraska changing to a one license plate system. First our members will often work for years to restore and create their vintage vehicle. It becomes a statement of their personal taste – similar to an artist painting a picture. The classic lines of these cars is often ruined by the inclusion of a front license plate. Often the brackets for attaching a license plate on the front are missing. We look through the publications that follow our sport/hobby and most of the pictures we see are of the front of the vehicle. Rarely does that picture include a license plate. Many of our members knowing take the chance of getting a ticket for no front license plate, yet it is not a comfortable feeling knowing that we are in violation of the law.
Our second reason is that of cost. Senator Schmidt from Ord introduced a similar bill for us about 6 years ago. We were astounded by the cost savings and quite frankly astounded that in recent years our legislative body with all the budget issues you have and continue to address, would not capitalize on this savings. We were equally astounded in subsequent bills introduced to see that somehow, it was construed in the fisical statement that going from two plates to one would actually increase costs. The public, your constituents and our association simply cannot buy that. Our members in general are mature adults with enough disposable income to be able to afford the vehicles we have. That means they pay more than the average in sales and property taxes. They are concerned about the cost of state government and we want you to know that.
We have heard the proponents of a two license plate system come from the law enforcement area. We would not advocate a reduction of the fees, but rather a reduction in the expense of the second plate, creating revenue that could be allocated to law enforcement upgrades. Our members travel throughout the Midwest to many states that do not require a front license plate. Nebraska’s population of roughly 1.6 million people is far less than other states. We feel it is time for our law enforcement officials to be relieved of writing tickets for no front license plate and concentrate their efforts of the enforcement of issues that are affecting the quality of life in our state. We would contend that nobody feels safer in our state because we have what has often been described as an “ugly” license plate on the front of their vehicle
We thank you for the opportunity to express our views and urge you to advance this bill out of committee.