Driving with Rust - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

diesel don · #1 05-07-2007, 07:55 AM

I'm always surprised by the rules in various states. Some have inspections and don't allow for any rust, while in Michigan, we can drive til the engine falls out.

What about Tennessee? My son is headed there for college with a very dependable, but rusty 300dt (manual conversion)????

Thanks

Diesel Don

Ken300D · #2 05-07-2007, 09:27 AM

As long as he is a full-time student and maintains "official" residency in Michigan, he should not be required to transfer the vehicle to Tennessee. Just keep the Michigan plates on it and drive - no Tennessee registration, plates, or inspection required.

Your mileage may vary, as state laws vary. But that's what students can do who come to school in Virginia.

Ken300D

Jadavis · #3 05-07-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken300D

...no Tennessee registration, plates, or inspection required.
Ken300D

But depending on the county you may WANT to get Tennessee plates. I pay $27 per year for my registration. No inspection ever. Where is he going to go to school at?

-Jim

odie · #4 05-07-2007, 09:33 AM

rust is an inspection item? just how bad is the rust? Is the frame collapsing or something like that? I can't see any other senario where an inspection station would care about rust.

diesel don · #5 05-07-2007, 09:39 AM

I know that in some of the Eastern states it is an issue. The frame is solid, just surface/ugly stuff.

Thanks for all the info here. Much appreciated.

dd

diesel don · #6 05-07-2007, 09:39 AM

Ooops...

Lee University, Cleveland, TN

dd

Ken300D · #7 05-07-2007, 11:28 AM

If you change the registration state, you may also find yourself having to get another insurance policy. Not sure about that - but keep that in mind too.

You may be able to find out more information on what TN allows students to do by going to their Motor Vehicle Department's web site.

I would expect most states consider out-of-state students to be transient visitors, and not residents.

Ken300D

Jadavis · #8 05-07-2007, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diesel don

Ooops...

Lee University, Cleveland, TN

dd

Bradley County Tennessee. Regstration $24 + $1 if you mail it in. No personal property taxes on vehicles in Tennessee.

No emissions testing unless he lives in Hamilton County (Chattanooga). No vehicle inspections.

-Jim

diesel don · #9 05-07-2007, 12:37 PM

Wow. Thanks for the help along the way !!

SwampYankee · #10 05-07-2007, 12:50 PM

CT-visible body rot will prevent you from passing inspection. Currently they are only doing inspections on 1980 or older vehicles that were either unregistered or out-of-state. Mechanical inspection is only done once for the life of the vehicle unless it is cited for a mechanical defect. The initial inspection is a PITA. I had a 1990 Ford F350 that I registered back in '97 that failed inspection because the high-beam indicator lamp on the dash didn't work (it was previously registered in MA). OTOH-My '80 TD was not inspected because it was currently registered in CT at the time of sale.

ME (where my uncle lives)-yearly safety inspections. Condition of the body in unimportant unless it endangers the driver/public.

It would seem to me that checking the mechanical safety every year would be far more important than some rotted fenders.

asnowsquall · #11 05-07-2007, 06:09 PM

The problem with rotting fenders that are starting to hang out or come off is they usually have jaggered edges and if by chance you hit a pedestrian you could basically hack and arm or leg off, well a heck of a cut anyways instead of just bouncing off. You wanna see tough inspections go to Germany and see a TUV inspection. Back when I was there in 1983 they would put the vehicle on a drum like device and measure the break performance. No rust allowed either.

odie · #12 05-07-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asnowsquall

The problem with rotting fenders that are starting to hang out or come off is they usually have jaggered edges and if by chance you hit a pedestrian you could basically hack and arm or leg off, well a heck of a cut anyways instead of just bouncing off. You wanna see tough inspections go to Germany and see a TUV inspection. Back when I was there in 1983 they would put the vehicle on a drum like device and measure the break performance. No rust allowed either.

Yeah, the Germans are serious...but that's why the old Mercs are so well built. Their driving tests and vehicle inspections are tough too. But with the open borders in Europe, all kinda POS from other countries are running around too I bet. I lived in Greece for a couple years. Lots of crappy beaters there.

Lycoming-8 · #13 05-08-2007, 01:32 AM

Years and years ago the City of Cincinnati had a Safety Inspection program and a dedicated building run by the city to perform vehicle inspections. It had about 6 lanes of traffic going thru it all day five days a week. All of the inspections were mechanical in nature, such as headlight alignment, front end alignment, horn function, and light function. There was a drum or such device, as mentioned in a post below, to measure brake function and balance. System was set in motion sometime in the thirties and residents were required to pass twice a year. Only out of state cars from Ky or Ind would ever be seen with burnt out headlites or ones that pointed off to the moon.

At least two of the lanes were dedicated to trucks and had larger equipment to handle the larger physics. And, yes, the city practiced what it preached. The gas and diesel city trucks had to go thru the lane as well. Thankfully back then there was no emissions krap to contend with. Only bad thing was that the car was hooked to a moving chain at the entry and was drug thru the lane and if memory serves me correctly with the engine off. Neither power steering nor power brakes was much in vogue at the time, so that didn't matter. However if your vehicle, like my '29 Ford coupe, was hard to start after a hot shutdown, there were problems. To comply I took my car to a neighboring town whose inspection sticker was accepted, but where they had the owner drive thru and the car had to remain running. The car had rust issues in the trunk and the WOOD floorboard had a piece broken out, but those were not issues! Had to endure the wrath of new car owners when mine passed inspection and theirs didn't, as my 'A' was not pretty just ran like a top.

Ken300D · #14 05-08-2007, 08:30 AM

I'm old enough to remember when Virginia had a 6-month safety inspection validity. I wasn't driving then but can remember the sticker changes.

Most people had more time back then, and everyone had a friend in the garage business who would just slap a sticker on the windshield and take the money.

I also can remember when Virginia changed the physical license plates (front and back in this state) on a yearly basis. White one year, black the next. That sure was resource intensive, but the cops could pick out the expired plates fairly easily.

Ken300D

jnc19610 · #15 05-08-2007, 09:58 AM

PA doesn't allow rust holes. So, some people just goober some body filler over it.

I think that most 'state inspections' are mostly for the garages. I liked the Indiana system. If your car breaks down, it's your own fault. Too many people in PA rely on the inspection process, to be their annual service (and it ends up that is all that they do. Like, how safe is that).