[Silly Little Cars] 1996 GO-4 Van

Sun May 13 16:43:12 PDT 2012

Alec,
I'm in NC.
The inspector even printed out the statue, stapled his card to it and said "Carry this with you and when, not if, you get stopped , show it to the officer. Tell him to call me if he/she has any questions."
I have several copies that stay in my GO-4s.
I too have another GO-4 that always been listed as a motorcycle. My other 2 are "Mailster" type and are both listed as trucks but they are considered "Horseless Carriages" due to thier age and don't even have to be inspected, just tagged. Funny part is they all showed up under my name, as they should have, which only helped.
As you called them, the all mystical beings at DMV headquarters figured "hell he owns four or five of these strange things, maybe he does know what he's talking about." Better let him have his title or we may REALLY have to explain to the all knowing OZ (DMV commisioner).
As far as all 3 wheelers being motorcycles, well not in NC.
I have a Trimuter I built in the early 80's that listed as a "CUSTOM BUILD" (car) and only has three wheels.
So it has a lot to do with the laws in effect at the time and who/how the laws are interpreted.
Then, there is a catagory for something that is called just a "motorized conveyance for public streets".
I'm sure that only GOD knows what that is and how you'd get a title for it. I'll just stay far far away from that, whatever it is, and hope I never see one for fear of my eyes being burned from thier sockets.
Later folks,
 ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alec Bennett 
  To: Silly Little Email List 
  Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 1:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [Silly Little Cars] 1996 GO-4 Van

  "Just keep plugging away", good advice. I should say that the people at the DMV were great with me too. And this was San Francisco DMV, so they definitely could have given me a lot less attention. And as you say, the battles weren't being fought in the DMV itself, they were with some mysterious entity always spoken with defeat and awe in their voices named "Sacramento"... They'd send each new bit of evidence off to "Sacramento" and we'd wait 3 weeks for the answer. Of course it takes lots of fees to get answers from this "Sacramento"...

  And a funny sidenote is that I own two identical (1999) go-4's. You'd think showing the other title clearly marked "motorcycle" would have sped things up, but alas. 

  Out of curiosity what state are you in?

    It was a local inspector that pointed out the  statue for me that explains why I don't have to wear a helmet and have a motorcycle endorsement on my drivers license. Has to do with not sitting on a saddle, straddling a frame and/or engine and the fact it has no handlebars for stearing. 

  That's interesting, but doesn't explain why it's a motorcycle to begin with? Are all three wheeled vehicles motorcycles? But if that's the case we wouldn't have such hard battles proving that they're motorcycles?

  A cop once told me that you don't need motorcycle licenses for these things because if you did, being a metermaid would be skilled labor and they'd have to pay them more. I love that story. 

  ------
  Sent from my gizmo. 

  On May 13, 2012, at 8:22 AM, "Mike Warren" <bugnut at windstream.net> wrote:

    Sorry, Jonny, it's staying with me for awhile.
    Steve, mirrors have no electrics. They were on it when I got it. They were also used on mid 80's from Rangers, so any parts store show have them. Usually show up a lot on Ebay too.
    And thanks to all for the kind words.
    As far as paint or wrap that may be awhile, but I'm thinking red, white, and blue like and old mid 60's Mailster with all the markings.
    Sorry for the long winded post that follows but .....
    I should note that the local DMV folks were very helpful and fought the battle more that I.
    They're the ones who had to explain to the unknowning and didn't want to knows at the DMV head offices.
    It was a local inspector that pointed out the statue for me that explains why I don't have to wear a helmet and have a motorcycle endorsement on my drivers license. Has to do with not sitting on a saddle, straddling a frame and/or engine and the fact it has no handlebars for stearing. They also help me get the original title that had it listed as a truck. That's why it was parked 8 years ago. The state went to plugging in all OBD-II (96 and above) cars and trucks for ommission part of the yearly safety inspection. It didn't have a plug so it would pass, so the college parked it. When I bought it at auction I was told it didn't have a title. But being the stubborn SOB I am, I went to DMV to ask why a vehicle that didn't have a title and was owned by the state had an inspection sticker and registration card from 2002.
    The lady at the license office ("Well sure it had a title.") and called the DMV inspector office and they came out. If it was inspected then it had to have a title. The battle has begun. The next thing we (they) discovered was the DMV's own database had them (others all over the state) listed as motorcycles and trucks both in the DMV system. More head banging. "We had best just get a title first." said my new best friends at the local inspector office. They went to work and saw to it that the state issued a title without me having to post a bond since the state was the original owner as they bought it new. That was part of the problem, the MSO had the style listed a "POLICE". At the main office they didn't have a clue and even said they were not sure I should be in pocession of the thing to start with. Whole different battle and way to long for this post.
    Title came in with it listed as a truck, so it still needed to be changed to motorcycle. Back to my friends at DMV. Out they came , took picture of VIN plate, filled out report, called head office and my newly titled GO-4 MOTORCYCLE was ready to be inspected and tagged. Battle WON !
    But it worked out just fine, plus made some new friends at DMV and have great "war stories" to tell.
    Just keep plugging away. And remember, some folks with the DMV really do want to help and DO !
    Later.

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