Illegal to have only one tail light in NC?

The last time I had Avatar inspected the manager had me park it in line with the inspection bay.

"We'll pull it in and probably put it on the lift."

Which they did - but it was on the lift about 30 seconds.

Back down and out.

"So who do you have do the inspection? Somebody who knows the car?"

"Not exactly" he says. "I told him to reject it if on being lifted any rust fell onto the floor. I know you well enough to know that won't happen."

So they never really looked at it. A (then) $15 rubber stamp.

Joe K
 
We don’t have “safety” inspections here in the Golden State anymore, but we do have emissions testing. For most gasoline powered cars, including hybrids, it’s every two years after an initial period for new cars. Most cars nowadays it’s simply plug in a reader and check for codes. In and out in three minutes, and thankyouverymuch for your $90. You have to have that “inspection” done and automatically sent to DMV to get your annual tag. Older cars still require a run up on the dyno and a sniffer, but no test of any kind required if the car is pre-1975.

We did have “safety” inspections for a while (my r3collection was 1960’s?) but they were short-lived.

In my opinion we as a society would be better served in getting unsafe drivers off the road than concentrating on the vehicles.
 
N.H. has always required,as built.Some things just fly in the face of state law.Tailpipes must rout over the axle.Remember early-mid 70's Chevy's? May have been just the wagons,but they ran kind of a flattened pipe under the rear axles.Only XX amount of play in ball joints,but Mopar had lots more than that from the factory.When I first started doing stickers they were twice a year.April and October.But,registrations were done in April then too.Then registrations went to birth month,and inspections followed,but once yearly.Then antique inspections went to bi-anually,every two years.The problem there was that when you went to get a sticker that expired in two years they hadn't been printed yet.Then in 2009 they went to no stickers for pre-1949,and that cutoff would move up every year after that.If the inspections were still in effect you would not need a sticker for your 1966 car.I've been following the saga of the inspection law here pretty closely over the last couple of years.It's very interesting,with rules,laws,and judges contradicting each other.
 
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J Franklin said:
Agreed, Put the car on the lift and the driver on the breathalyzer!
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Well said!
Again from a different jurisdiction, when a car changes hands here, it must pass a roadworthy examination which is quite thorough. A driver can be pulled over any time, any place for a random breath and drug test. It is quite common to see the "booze bus" officers parked strategically pulling over every body as they pass. If a driver is found to have a blood alcohol concentration about the limit (0.05%) or an illicit drug in their system, they must either find another driver who is within limits to take over driving or the car stays right where it is. Next day, we OFTEN see cars parked at the side of the road. If there is a yellow sticker on the windscreen, it has also failed a basic safety check. An on the spot check of the driver's details can mean they are nabbed for an outstanding warrant, unpaid fines, expired or cancelled licence etc etc. Every police car is a mobile breath testing station and the officers can (if tests require it), do any of those things. There is none of that "probable cause" stuff!
In some other countries, a safety check on cars is done every 6 months.
 
Here in North Carolina there is no required safety check for old cars, like our beloved Model A's. So, everyone has to be their own safety officer. Every Model A must have working safety equipment, like horns, mirrors, and lights. But also things like the brakes, tires, and steering must be in top condition. It is my responsibility to have my car as safe as I can make it.

That reminds me to adjust the brakes tomorrow.
 
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Hello, in Pennsylvania they used to have inspection on antique cars,but since dropped that requirement, car had to have original lighting working, for year of manufacture, but didn’t have to be up to modern standards. This is where the incorrect belief that antique could not be driven at night, if lights were up to standards they can , and car that is 25 years or older can apply for antique tags . Pennsylvania may have been one of the first states to issue Antique plates, at that time they were referring to cars from the 1920,s on back .
 
I have driven Model A Fords in North Carolina for over 50 years. I have never driven one with two tail light and I never will, nor will I drive one with seat belts or turn signals. It has never been an issue.

With that being said, I seldom drive my model A after dark. I just don't like to do it, never have.
 
Understanding the comments as to legal or not, my thought is with the drivers on the road today and the rather bright taillights on modern cars that most are accustomed to seeing, even the brightness and location of two original Model A taillights are totally inadequate on todays roads.
 
desotoguy said:
Understanding the comments as to legal or not, my thought is with the drivers on the road today and the rather bright taillights on modern cars that most are accustomed to seeing, even the brightness and location of two original Model A taillights are totally inadequate on todays roads.
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I replaced both taillight electrics on my car with the LED inserts available from Snyder’s. Had to grind away a bit of the covers to get them to fit, but I’m totally happy with the result. I typically use my cowl lights as daytime running lamps so the taillights are lit also. I’ve had people behind me tell me they thought the brake lights were on - until I stepped on the brakes and they REALLY lit up.
 
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