Jeff,

I am in total agreement with you about cops being nitpicky with cars. I have a friend here in Virginia Beach that has a car customized similar to your truck and he gets hasselled much the same way you do. It just ain't right. You and Olivia should come out and hang with my in Arizona where they have better things to do, like sit out at the pool and have a beer!

And that's the bottom line.

I guess I can't spell today...come hang with me!!!!

Looks like I've had one too many :).

sorry to hear Jeff... What's the tint level on your Taco? I don't remember what the minimum legal tint level is. I know mine is illegal but haven't been pulled over (Yet, knock on wood). Do you have amber bulbs in your turn signals? I had my inspection a while back and they passed my car even with the clear corner and bumper lenses.

My tint is 20% light transmittance. Legal on the front doors is 50%. I really don't want to just put 50% on them. But, it is a $60 fine.

Yes, I do have amber bulbs in the lights, but the officers said that the lenses themselves are not DOT approved, so they haven't been tested by DOT for durability (if a rock hits them), etc. I'm going to try to find some DOT-approved clears. :)

Let's just move to North Carolina

Welcome back to the world of minitruckin'. Back in high school, when I had my first mini, the local cops would sit outside the school and wait for me to pull out so they could bust me for some stupid little thing. Lisence plate covers, upsidedown licence plate, tint, blue dot tail lights, light covers, etc, etc. You name it, I got busted for it. The thing is, I would wait until last minute to pay my tickets, so they couldn't issue a second one until I paid them, so there would be this odd monthly cycle.

There's no possible way they could bust you for having a vehicle that's "too low"... what do they do, hand out citations to every Corvette that graces their precious highways. I always find little loopholes, tho I seldom have to use them (knock on wood)

My truck sits on the ground. Literally. I've never got any flack for being "too low". I have clear front lenses - and I have WHITE bulbs in them (because the amber bulb in a clear lens looks tacky). The law here in MO says "Amber to White" colored lights in front, so I went with white. I also have "strobe" turn signal blinkers. I actually have a letter from the HiPo office that says there is no law that regulates the frequency of a turn signal blinker and I carry that letter with me, along with a statement about the "white" lights.

I have gotten a ticket for tinted windows once with my Tacoma (for those of you who don't know who I am, my truck looks just like Jeff's) The HiPo gave me the ticket while cheerfully explaining to me that I could simply obtain a permit thru an eye doctor and the HiPo's would stop harassing me (yes, he actually said "harassing" LOL) He also proceeded to mention that I had a sharp truck. He never said anything about the blinkers, clears, or modified suspension which he could clearly see through the bed when he approached.

Sorry for the long essay, but as a fellow minitrucker, it's part of our heritage to share our experiences of run-in's with the law.

Have a good weekend, Jeff!

Virginia's laws on vehicles are really strict and you can only modify the height so much. It think this site covers the basics on Virginia's laws about vehicle alterations, if anyone's interested. :)

Hey, Jeff. Sorry to hear about your run-in with the cops. Seems like they should be more concerned with speeders and drug-runners.

We're writing from the Chamber of Commerce in Bethel on our last full day up here. They have a free computer, courtesy of the local internet access company to showcase their new Rocket DSL access. It was fast!

Jennifer called us in Bar Harbor 2 nights ago.

We're heading home tomorrow morning, stoppping in CT for the night. To B'water by 11 PM Saturday night. Hope we get to see you on Sunday afternoon?

Take care! Hi to Olivia and Gizmo!

Mr. and Mrs. Pollard, if it's okay with you, let's just put the cops on the drug-runners. There are a lot of things out there far worse than drivers who break an occasional speed zoning law. :)

Jeff, bad news. Sounds like you got off easier though...had that second cop not been there, you would have gotten the ol' cuffs from Cletus the slackjawed patrolman.

Either way, I hope you knew ahead of time that this was a consequence of your actions. Your truck looks great (can't wait to see it in person), but you fractured an occasional regulation to make it that way. I'd say keep things how they are on the truck if you still enjoy the modifications, but pay the fines and don't think about them again. (read: complain that it's the cops getting you down). After all, this was a conscious choice you made.

...optimistically, it could have been worse! I like "Miniac's" idea about delaying payment though...that might save you another one, should they decide to bust you again.

It can all add up quickly (and add up on your permanent record), so financially, you should weigh your options.

-- just be careful that you don't end up with the "truck you don't want to take on the roads" like your teal one ended up becoming! That would suck to make monthly payments on something you can't have fun in!! :)

You hate VA?

Really-- then get out.

And take your ghetto-white-boy-wanna-be-low-rider-craptastic-plastic-cheesy-ride with you.

Actually, Brian, all tint, clear corners, too low, etc. tickets are NOT moving violations in VA, and do NOT go on any kind of permenant record and do NOT add any points on your license. They're petty sh*t.

Thank you for your comments, Crusty. Now, take your closed-minded-prejudiced-holier-than-thou attitude and get the f*ck off of my website. Have a nice day.

I agree with you Jeff...Virginia sucks

i think that your gay

Has anyone ever thought that if we paid more attention to what is legal and what is not, instead of just doing what we please, they could stop wasting time on us and go after the real criminals? You guys think Virginia is tough, try being into cars in Pennsylvania. I bought a copy of the Inspection Regulation to consult every time I want to do something. It sucks, but the rules be da rules.

~Pol

dear peter,

It's you're, not your....stupid.

not that ur gay or anything jeff...just felt like correcting him.

I am stuck on the legalities of all clear tail lenses. The break lights are red bulbs, the turn signal are amber. However, the lense IS totally clear. The car is primarily driven in Connecticut, but it is titled and liscenced in Wisconsin.

I THINK clear lenses are legal in wisconsin, but I am uncertain if I can drive this in Connecticut.

I have a 99 ranger that has euro tail lights, clear corners, 17" chrome rims, black lights, and the blue headlights. I haven't been messed w/yet, but you never know. I think its pretty fagtastic that a car can be 4" off the ground and trucks have to be 14-my truck might as well be a car-the engine sux-its small as crap-and if i want to drive around scraping the h*ll out of it on the ground then let me as long as nothing flies off or is dragging. well thats just my opinion! you can always see my truck at www.geocities.com/antihero7989 click "truck"

How about this......follow the laws of your state then maybe the police will not stop you. You make it sound as though they are just out to get you and your low riding buddies. That's their job....to enforce traffic and criminal laws....no matter how minor you may think they are.

i own a 95 subaru impreza, does anyone know where you can find out all the legalities on lights and stuff, i have clear corners, xenon headlights,xenon corners, strobe blinkers, clear front bumper/turning signal lights w/amber bulbs, blue liscence plate bulbs, and clear side indicators, it looks pretty sweet, hope , they're legal. . .

The problem isn't the cops. The problem is the legislators (the people we elect) who write and pass the chicken sh*t laws in the first place.

Does anybody know where i can find out the laws for nc????? i read on some website about ohio n thats really strict n i know nc isnt like that becuz amber bulbs n all that is legal.. but, if not.. does anybody know if neons on the inside like under the dash n on the cd player (blue ones) are illegal? or whut about the lights that go on the hood their called cybereyes they look like lil blue eyes? anybody know if their illegal? on that website it said they were? but that in ohio.. so somebody fill meeh in PLEASE.. thanks a bunch!

**** I got pulled over yesterday by a University of California Irvine Police. My damn own school police gave me a ticket. I was signaling to turn right. The damn guy was in the back of me. Then I saw a flashing. I pulled over and the guy didnt explain anything to me. After he wrote the ticket he told me that I had modified my blinker to white, which was not true. I bought my white and red tail light and replace it over the original. It still has the manufacture bulb. He put a check mark on No for Correctable viloation. Damn I hate school cops.

I just bought some clear tail lights for my 2002 Xtreme and now some people tell me that they are illegal in michigan and others tell me that as long as u have a red bulb in it ur fine. does anyone know the damn laws on these tail lights in michigan??

can anyone tell me if the blue tinted headlight bulbs are illegal in virginia? some of my friends have them and they havent go pulled for it yet?

Laws on after-market additions suck!

Yeah well i just got pulled over for the second time about 15 minutes ago. i have a body kit on my car and i put custom light blue lights in the rear for the tag lights...its gay cops in virginia and specifically SALEM virginia have **** to do and they will get u for the most petty ****...lets write congress

Ya... Euro Tail light laws are bullshit along with tha tint laws in michigan... last nite i got pulled over by a state trooper that told me he could confinscate me whole vehicle for having euro tail lights... and then tryed to tell me that i was color blind becuz i have have some windshield washer lighs on my hood that r white but kinda look blue.. he told me that he doesn't know if those r illegal but my tail lights are. I simply said that i didn't know tha law and he told me that n e euro tail light is illegal in michigan.. I was Like WTF is that .... he gave me till tha first to put my stock ones back on and told me if i do not and he catches me again he will impound my vehicle... DAMN COPS :(

It should be noted that police offciers enforce all laws they are sworn to enforce. Each law means something different but it seems as though people loose site of the fact that the enforcement of all laws, no matter how "petty" serves to protect the lives of every motorist on the road. For example, if your windows are too dark you may not be able to see clearly at night thus causing an accident, if your bumper is too high, when you have a rear end collision, your bumper could go through the rear glass of a smaller vehicle thus causeing a possible fatal accident. If you have tint over your taillights then motorists behind you may not notice you are braking. So you see, if you would stop to think about it, each action has some type of reaction. It goes for ther protection of the people sharing the roadways with you.

Thanks

OK GUYS, ABOUT ALL THIS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TROOPERS WASTING TIME ENFORCING THE CODE OF VIRGINIA IN REGARDS TO MOTOR VEHICLES, GET OVER IT. AS LONG AS IT IS IN THE CODE THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE IT. IF YOU WOULD THINK BEFORE YOU PUT ALL THAT SHIT ON YOUR CARS OR TRUCK THERE WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM WOULD THERE? THERE IS A REASON WHY THAT STUFF CANT GO ON A CAR OR TRUCK. SO I SAY COMPLY WITH LAW OR CONTINUE TO GET TICKETS. ITS THAT SIMPLE.