OT: The new "tuner" law, Anyone know any details on this? Cops.. Options

[Andyrew]

My dad and i are leary of this new law that allows the cops to pull over any car that is "modified".

Does anyone know any details? or can someone post the actual law?

My dad thinks they can impound my car and crush it and i'll never get it back...

This is on the basis that they pull me over for no apparent reason.

ALSO, knowing that I will never street race, what if they catch me get on it a little, or throw some tire smoke..


Anyways, Im 19, and here are some obvious facts about my car (and soon to be car)

It will have subtle flares, but it will have 18x10's on the back with a lot of rubber.
Brakes look stock, fronts are painted red.
Fiberglass front and rear bumpers w/ (soon to be) lexan rear spoiler
Lights are stock
Front trunk has louvers, not entirely noticable, in body paint color.
Body is factory phoenix red (orange)
Mirrors un decided, but will have left and right.
License plate on both front and rear bumper.
Engine lid stock, can see chrome air filter cover (will paint) obvious sbc
Exhaust is dual, side exit w/ 2 mufflers, should be relatively quiet under normal driving.
Racing seats
Racing harness's
momo wheel, factory guages
Small tubes no higher than stomach (while sitting down) for long to door pillar bracing (follows seat lines)
Black carpet

Thats about all they can see..
Car is a 73, does not need smog...

What can they do to me?

Andrew

[kart54]

Andrew,
You asked a very specific question. Let me give you a specific response. I practice law but this is not to be construed as legal advice of any kind.

They cannot seize and crush your car for being modified. If you have modifications that are outside of the law (which does not appear to be the case from what you have written). They will give you a fix it ticket on a first stop.

They may stop you more often because of the modifications just to check you out. They cannot look under the hood or in your trunk without probable cause that a crime is being committed. They will usually say "It's OK if we look in your trunk and under the hood right?" You are free to say no although they may try and put additional pressure on you at that point.

A clear violation of the law on most BMW's, Merecedes and Porsche's that I have seen is window tint in front of the driver's seat (Driver and passenger side front windows on 4 door cars and SUV's). alot of people do it and know that they are asking to be stopped. They will remove it once given a fix-it ticket and then put it back on once the ticket is resolved. Another is excessively dark tinting. The police must be able to see inside your vehicle from any angle if you have windows. but alot of people do that too.

I also don't know of one street legal Harley. Exhaust louder than stock and handle bars raised above the driver's shoulders are illegal in California but there are plenty of them around including Jay Leno's and Arnold's. Again, fix-it ticket if stopped.

Mueller gave you the reasons they can seize and impound your vehicle (not crush). Don't street race, don't go to street races, don't have any illegal drugs inside your vehicle (although that is a gray area I won't go into here) don't pick up hookers and don't rob banks or get in gang fights. Your young, if you give them an excuse or pretext they will pull you over.

Crushing is actually very rarely done. Instead the vehicle, in certain situations, becomes police property and is usually sold at a police auction. (Until a couple of large lawsuits came along this was a common revenue raising tactic by many local police departments in California. They would encourage someone selling pot or something similar to step into the seller's vehicle to complete the transaction or to smoke a joint, generally at a party, and then bust them and seize the vehicle.). This fellout of favor after the aforemnetioned lawsuits and the realization by departments that big drug dealers had caught on and were leasing their vehicles at full value which had to be paid off prior to the department making anything.

The above is not to be construed as legal advice, simply a statement of current law. No attorney-client relationship has been created or is implied by these comments.

Randy,
Ventura, CA