Antique plate question

In CT our antique or "early american" plates limit the value of a car
to $500. There is no useage limit here.

Clearly limiting the value of a car to $500 makes insurance and tax
inexpensive as well, but am wondering what happens in case of an
accident:
Clearly, a love tap by a buick will total the bug.
Isn't that always the case anyway? Is a classic bug ever worth more to
the insurance company than book value (which can't be much)?

I am a ways away from registering, but was wondering about it after
someone told me about the plates.

Remco

Remco wrote:
> In CT our antique or "early american" plates limit the value of a car
> to $500. There is no useage limit here.
>
> Clearly limiting the value of a car to $500 makes insurance and tax
> inexpensive as well, but am wondering what happens in case of an
> accident:
> Clearly, a love tap by a buick will total the bug.
> Isn't that always the case anyway? Is a classic bug ever worth more to
> the insurance company than book value (which can't be much)?
>
> I am a ways away from registering, but was wondering about it after
> someone told me about the plates.
>
> Remco
>

Hi Remco

Over here (UK) we can get classic insurance with agreed value. Up to
around 2000 GBP 6 photo's will do - front, rear, each side, inside, and
engine bay. If its worth more, then an indipendant valuer gets
involved.- such as a known approved big VW club. ~Then it shows on your
insurance docs, the true value, and usually the option for salvage
rights if you get squished !

Rich

"Tricky" > wrote in message
...
> Remco wrote:
> > In CT our antique or "early american" plates limit the value of a car
> > to $500. There is no useage limit here.
> >
> > Clearly limiting the value of a car to $500 makes insurance and tax
> > inexpensive as well, but am wondering what happens in case of an
> > accident:
> > Clearly, a love tap by a buick will total the bug.
> > Isn't that always the case anyway? Is a classic bug ever worth more to
> > the insurance company than book value (which can't be much)?
> >
> > I am a ways away from registering, but was wondering about it after
> > someone told me about the plates.
> >
> > Remco
> >
>
> Hi Remco
>
> Over here (UK) we can get classic insurance with agreed value. Up to
> around 2000 GBP 6 photo's will do - front, rear, each side, inside, and
> engine bay. If its worth more, then an indipendant valuer gets
> involved.- such as a known approved big VW club. ~Then it shows on your
> insurance docs, the true value, and usually the option for salvage
> rights if you get squished !
>
> Rich

Hey Rich,

I see - that makes sense. It probably is the same here.
Not that I am looking to get into accidents, but was just curious about it.

Thanks!
Remco

In TX getting antique registration means you cannot drive it daily... only
to/from shows and on holidays. Us insurance companies also have "declared
value" policies, but you had better have LOTS of pictures and apprasals...
or you will get screwed if you try to cash in.

Good luck.
--
KWW
'65 Beetle (Jenny the IOC)
'64 Beetle (TBD the Blue Wave)
"remco" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Tricky" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Remco wrote:
>> > In CT our antique or "early american" plates limit the value of a car
>> > to $500. There is no useage limit here.
>> >
>> > Clearly limiting the value of a car to $500 makes insurance and tax
>> > inexpensive as well, but am wondering what happens in case of an
>> > accident:
>> > Clearly, a love tap by a buick will total the bug.
>> > Isn't that always the case anyway? Is a classic bug ever worth more to
>> > the insurance company than book value (which can't be much)?
>> >
>> > I am a ways away from registering, but was wondering about it after
>> > someone told me about the plates.
>> >
>> > Remco
>> >
>>
>> Hi Remco
>>
>> Over here (UK) we can get classic insurance with agreed value. Up to
>> around 2000 GBP 6 photo's will do - front, rear, each side, inside, and
>> engine bay. If its worth more, then an indipendant valuer gets
>> involved.- such as a known approved big VW club. ~Then it shows on your
>> insurance docs, the true value, and usually the option for salvage
>> rights if you get squished !
>>
>> Rich
>
> Hey Rich,
>
> I see - that makes sense. It probably is the same here.
> Not that I am looking to get into accidents, but was just curious about
> it.
>
> Thanks!
> Remco
>
>

On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 18:02:43 -0500, "KWW"
> scribbled this interesting note:

>In TX getting antique registration means you cannot drive it daily... only
>to/from shows and on holidays.

Mostly true. What the regulation actually says is this:

§ 504.502. CERTAIN EXHIBITION VEHICLES;
OFFENSE. (a) The department shall issue specialty license plates
for a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or former military vehicle
that:
(1) is at least 25 years old, if the vehicle is a
passenger car, truck, or motorcycle;
(2) is a collector's item;
(3) is used exclusively for exhibitions, club
activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and is
not used for regular transportation; and
(4) does not carry advertising.
(b) The license plates must include the words "Antique
Auto," "Antique Truck," "Antique Motorcycle," or "Military
Vehicle," as appropriate.
(c) A person eligible for the license plates may instead use
license plates issued by this state in the same year as the model
year of the vehicle and approved by the department, provided that a
passenger car must bear passenger car or truck license plates and a
truck must bear passenger car or truck license plates. The
department may require attachment of a registration insignia to the
license plate in a manner that does not affect the display of
information originally on the license plate.



By my reading of this, you may indeed drive your car more or less when
ever and where ever you like when registered under this statute in
Texas. You just can't do it on a regular basis, meaning things like to
work every day, etc. You have to occasionally drive your car just to
keep it in good working condition, which is something every police
officer and judge in the state should understand. After you work on
your car, you may need to assess its condition or check the gas
mileage, which may mean running a tank or two of fuel through the
system. There are countless reasons why you may drive your car under
this statute. Just don't take it out for "...regular transportation."

It took me a while to dig this up because they reorganized the
transportation code since the last time I looked it up. This section
used to be under Chapter 502. Now it is Chapter 504. There are some
other interesting tidbits under the Transportation Code as well. For
example, if your car was originally titled in 1936 or before, a title
isn't required for registration, and a car registered under section
504.502 is exempt from the State mandated annual safety inspection as
well.

Just goes to show, once you own an old car, it does not have to be
expensive to keep on the road.


--
John Willis

(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)