Came that way from the factory.

 

You're like me. Make it last.

 

My truck will soon qualify as an antique....... But, I already do, so, there is that.

 

Perfect match.

Last time I went to get my state inspection they told me I no longer had to. 30 year old vehicles become exempt here in NC. No more getting inspections. No more $18 tail light bulbs or $47 windshield wiper replacements while they have you on their rack holding your inspection papers hostage.

 

There ARE advantages to driving older vehicles.

 

Oh yeah. People always complaining about their cars getting stolen. I always tell them the best way to prevent getting your car stolen is to own a car that no one wants to steal...like my 30 year old pickup truck. Or a stick shift.

 

Where I'm at, we don't have inspections. Unless it's patently unsafe, pay your taxes and drive it. Last summer was pretty uncomfortable but generally the climate here is pretty good. I'm far enough south the really brutal cold modifies before it gets here. The worst of the heat is south of here. Tornadoes happen at times but hurricanes are what we see on the news.

I did have a fix-it ticket that I had to fix. My muffler fell off my truck and a State Trooper behind me ran over it. He stopped by to check that I had fixed it. (Cherry bomb, but it's legal.)

 

Many states got rid of their annual vehicle inspections because shops were ripping people off selling them stuff they don't need or price gouging the stuff they do need. Enough people complained that the lawmakers finally listened and got rid of vehicle inspections. Kind of a shame because I'd like to think inspections catch unsafe cars (don't care about them so much but I do care about others on the road).

 

Back around 1978 or '79, Indiana dropped inspections. People were slipping station attendants $5 for a new sticker or just not having one. I had a truck fail and they removed my sticker. I drove it like that for a couple of years until it was dropped. We don't have emissions inspections either.

 

And therein lies the problem. Dishonest shops..... I had one shop claim they couldn't give me back my car, until it was repaired, as it was 'unsafe'.... (brakes were kinda worn) I wasn't going to pay them 500 bucks for a job I could do for 50..... (took it in for a tuneup, as I recall..... they did the "inspection" on their own.) I asked them if they would like to talk to my lawyer.... they hemmed and hawwed for a few minutes, then let me pay the bill, and take my car. Got it home, pulled the wheels, brakes were about 75%.... I took pictures of the brakes, the bill, and especially the note on it about the brakes being 'unsafe'..... Showed it to the guy that owned the shop.... He had nothing to say. Gave it to the local newspaper. They wrote an article. The shop went out of business a couple months later.

Unfortunately, that story is the exception, not the rule. Most folks AREN'T mechanics, (or as pig headed as I am....) so, they just accept what they are told, and pay the bill. For mandatory inspections/emissions testing, they REALLY have you over a barrel... and far too many take serious advantage of that.