Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Topic: Now the Thunderbird is officially old (Read 2640 times) previous topic - next topic

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

January 04, 2013, 04:07:42 PM

I went to the DMV the other day and picked up some antique plates for the Thunderbird. Once a vehicle hits 25 years old in Illinois you can get antique plates for it, if it's not your daily driver and you own another car. I've owned the Thunderbird for over ten years and I was a little over two years old when it was built in September of 1987. I feel old now :eek:.

I haven't decided if I'm going to keep the kind of py looking brown antique vehicle plates or run a set of 80's triple blue Illinois plates. I have a set I just need to get a local printer to make me a September 88 expiration decal.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #1 – January 04, 2013, 04:13:10 PM

I just realized yesterday that mine is 30...and it's my newest car.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #2 – January 04, 2013, 04:34:11 PM

Yea to bad in CA they all still need smog and those things called catiletic converters lol

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #3 – January 04, 2013, 04:50:07 PM

They've gotta be 30 here before they're considered antiques... makes it a lot cheaper to own, once they are. Registration is $15 per year, insurance is under $100 for full coverage...

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #4 – January 04, 2013, 06:29:11 PM

Quote from: STANG8U;406201

Yea to bad in CA they all still need smog and those things called catiletic converters lol

No emissions testing for cars from 1995 and down as we don't have dyno rollers. They just plug in the OBD-II cars and that's it. I haven't had to go to an emissions test with the Thunderbird since about 2004.

Quote from: Thunder Chicken;406202

They've gotta be 30 here before they're considered antiques... makes it a lot cheaper to own, once they are. Registration is $15 per year, insurance is under $100 for full coverage...

$15 a year for registration? Even in corrupt arse Illinois it's only $39 for four years, so $10ish a year. You pay $39 when you get the plates and then $39 every 4 years.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #5 – January 04, 2013, 06:50:42 PM

I really need to leave CA I don't even want to know what you guys pay for gas

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #6 – January 04, 2013, 07:21:59 PM

STANG8U: More than you do, I'll bet. It's $4.94/gallon here... Only good thing from an auto enthusiast point of view is that we don't have any emissions testing. At all. Not even on brand new vehicles. Our provincial law only states that a catalytic converter must be present on 1991 and newer vehicles. Doesn't have to work, it just has to be there...

Thunderjat302: I live in the most expensive, most heavily taxed province in Canada, which itself is generally more expensive and higher taxed than the USA. How's 15% sales tax on everything sound? $8/gallon for milk? $14 for two chicken from the grocery store? I would say the good thing is we don't have to buy health insurance, but Nova Scotia has the highest taxes and worst health care in the country, while oil-rich Alberta has the lowest taxes and best care.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #7 – January 04, 2013, 07:35:20 PM

We can use period plates....the plates that were issued when the car was new.

the vert is slowly creeping up to 30

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #8 – January 04, 2013, 08:10:27 PM

Canada make CA seem like a dream lol

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #9 – January 04, 2013, 08:54:28 PM

Has to be 30 years old to get Antique plates here as well. No emissions testing whatsoever here for anything pre-95, just the standard joke of a safety inspection, which even a rusted-out deathtrap could pass.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #10 – January 04, 2013, 09:25:53 PM

in kansas they have to be 35 years old, and its just about time to do my 79 bird :)

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #11 – January 04, 2013, 11:45:57 PM

Quote from: Thunder Chicken;406212

Thunderjat302: I live in the most expensive, most heavily taxed province in Canada, which itself is generally more expensive and higher taxed than the USA. How's 15% sales tax on everything sound? $8/gallon for milk? $14 for two chicken from the grocery store? I would say the good thing is we don't have to buy health insurance, but Nova Scotia has the highest taxes and worst health care in the country, while oil-rich Alberta has the lowest taxes and best care.

I guess we should stop bitching about the 10% sales tax in Cook County:hick:. With how much you guys are paying $15 a year for plates isn't bad.

I guess Illinois is kind of in the middle as far as antique plates are concerned. Some states have it at 20 years and some are up to 35. I've noticed the further south you are the longer you have to wait for antique plates. Probably because the tin worm doesn't have as much of an influence the further south you go.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #12 – January 05, 2013, 07:41:27 AM

Here in Europe, it's 30 years for all countries (because of some FIA regulation). It was 25 years untill May 2012. Then we have 2 options, one is for the cars with valid registration and the second is for cars without registration.

The cars with the registration can do the "club testing", which is cheap, you keep the black on white license plates and you will pay 1/12 of the standard insurance fee. You have to visit a historic inspection once a year and it costs about $15. The result is, that you can use your car as you want and you can save up to $500 on insurance fee every year. The only thing is, that you have to visit standard roadworthiness inspection every 2 years.

The second option is the "region testing". It's for the cars without registration. It's more expensive, you have to be a member of some historic cars club and you have to pay the club fee about $250 per year. After you pass the first testing, you will get the green on white license plates. The insurance fee is 1/12 as well. It's not the cost saving option, but you don't have a choice. There is no other option to register an antique car. You have to visit the historic inspection once a year as well. You don't have to visit any roadworthiness test.

PS: We don't have to update the registration every year as someone mentioned. We pay the regitration fee once when the car is registered to our name and that's all. It's about $40.

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #13 – January 05, 2013, 10:02:06 AM

In Connecticut, it's 25 years for historic plates. It's a -little- cheaper than standard plates, same price for everything else. Vehicles older than 25 years are exempt from emissions testing, registered as an antique or otherwise. I've got antique plates on mine, and all the emissions stuff is gone :D

Now the Thunderbird is officially old

Reply #14 – January 05, 2013, 08:29:09 PM

We pay taxes and registration fee's every year. Think it was about $70 last time I did it.

Antique plates in 25 years if manufacturer is no longer around, and 30 if it is. Still have to pass saftey and emissions every year, as well as having cats. Every car older then 95 has to do a dyno test, except pre 1967. Only had one car fail emissions though, reguardless of how well it was taken care of.