Win Some, Lose Some @ Texas DOT (1 Viewer)

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Sep 26, 2021
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Location
Houston
Well, I made it to one of the neighborhood TXDOT approved inspection stations (a gas station) which took my $15 to "inspect" the '96 Cruiser I just bought before registering it. The dude is shakin' his head looking at his computer and then he hands me a form and says "must be exempt" I guess because it is now 25 years old......so that's cool. Then I mosey over to the title agent lady and pay her $75 to skip the line, facemask police, and "wonderful public servants" at that sh*thole. The nice lady plugs in the VIN number on the old Lexus and says, I hope you did not pay more than $1475 for that thing. I asked her why and she says, that is the "Texas Standard Presumptive Value" for that make and model, so you owe the governor $92.19 for the used car sales tax at 6.25%. I said "are you sure?" And she says, "well that's what the state says it's worth so you're just gonna have to pay it." Well OK, ma'am, here's your money.

The same title agent lady charged me $596 to register a 42 year old motorcycle last week so it looks like it was my lucky day at the title agent this week but you never seem to know what you're gonna get with them revenuers.
 
Cool, I have a 97, so another year.… the title office in fort bend is actually pretty decent. I had some fun trying to register a couple of assembled vehicles, and they got to know me pretty well. When I bought the LC it was from a trust, so some more paperwork was needed. And they guided me through it fairly easily.
 
Wow. And here I thought Texas was a tax haven. Thats a lot more than we pay in New Mexico. I've been told Texas has sky high property taxes too. I guess the state has to get their money somehow.
 
Pffffffffffffffffttt here it is 120 for the first title inspection and registration and every 2 years
 
Damn, that's cheap. Here I pay $1200 per annum for registration and Stamp Duty on purchase of a vehicle is 3%
 
Wow. And here I thought Texas was a tax haven. Thats a lot more than we pay in New Mexico. I've been told Texas has sky high property taxes too. I guess the state has to get their money somehow.
Actually, $92.19 sales tax on a used vehicle is a steal. Texas determines the value of used vehicles using their own published table formula so that’s pretty lucky that they determined the value of my ‘96 LX450 at a total of $1475 In today’s market. Let’s just say I place a slightly higher value on it than the Governor does.

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If you really want to be mad, when this rig makes it to my place in Wisconsin, it will never again be inspected and it will be titled as a collector car (greater than 20 years old). That gets a permanent blue collector license plate for the price of 2 years registration. So for a total of $150 this rig will receive a lifetime blue license plate which never needs renewal, never expires, and is never subject to re-inspection. Wisconsin allows this for collector cars and motorcycles older than 20 years. It‘s a bargain and a great convenience. Texas‘ annual inspection is a pain in the arse and a money grab since my vehicles are exempt by age but I still have to go and attempt to get it done every year before I can renew the tags even for cars older than 25 years.

example below, 1986 VW Syncro 4wd with lifetime collector plate.

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If you really want to be mad, when this rig makes it to my place in Wisconsin, it will never again be inspected and it will be titled as a collector car (greater than 20 years old). That gets a permanent blue collector license plate for the price of 2 years registration. So for a total of $150 this rig will receive a lifetime blue license plate which never needs renewal, never expires, and is never subject to re-inspection. Wisconsin allows this for collector cars and motorcycles older than 20 years. It‘s a bargain and a great convenience. Texas‘ annual inspection is a pain in the arse and a money grab since my vehicles are exempt by age but I still have to go and attempt to get it done every year before I can renew the tags even for cars older than 25 years.

example below, 1986 VW Syncro 4wd with lifetime collector plate.

View attachment 2815875

Is there any limitations on your usage with collector plates?
 
Is there any limitations on your usage with collector plates?
Here‘s some of the main rules on collector plates in Wisconsin for you: Not sure how they came up with these, but they cause me no real difficulty and prevent having to manage annual re-registrations for my little collection of cars and motorcycles once the blue plates are installed. The newest vehicle I own is a 2002 pickup truck so it will get its blue plate next year when it turns 20. I am also required to keep 1 “regular license plate” in the state to qualify as a collector.

“The current law for collector license plates in Wisconsin states a vintage vehicle is eligible for collector license plates if it is “at least 20 years old” and “is being preserved because of its historical interest.”

“Collector registration does not expire for as long as you own the vehicle. However, Collector license plates are not valid to operate during the month of January.“

“Not valid to operate during the month of January.” So for those of you not familiar with Wisconsin winter weather, there Is a very good chance that the outside temperature will be getting down to a high of about 0 degrees Fahrenheit about that time of the year. Coincidentally, the state, counties, and towns use road salt to melt the snow on roads and this destroys cars by systematically coating the underside of anything driven over it with salt. I do not operate any of my vehicles passed about November 1 (in Wisconsin) and they remain hidden away until about May 1st. So sadly, it’s about time to treat the fuel for storage, plug in the battery maintainers, and tuck them in for the long winter. This is always a bummer, but it also allows me a few months for travel and chasing more cars and bikes down in Texas where I spend my winters. This winter, the ‘96 LX450 will keep me company in Houston while I am busy looking for what’s next.

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Registration for my 97 lx450 was about $130 up here in Montana. That's for permanent registration. No emissions, no sales tax, no one from the government will ever look at this thing again. No trips to an emissions place ever again. Custom plates added another 300 to the total but to date for 4 permanently registered vehicles I've paid less than a grand to the state of Montana to register and get plates for vehicles. I'd say this is winning
 
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Registration for my 97 lx450 was about $130 up here in Montana. That's for permanent registration. No emissions, no sales tax, no one from the government will ever look at this thing again. No trips to an emissions place ever again. Custom plates added another 300 to the total but to date for 4 permanently registered vehicles I've paid less than a grand to the state of Montana to register and get plates for vehicles.
Montana sounds like one of the few remaining good places left. Texas seems to be under attack from California transplants due to Tesla, Oracle, HP, Joe Rogan, and who knows how many others fleeing their California to start their lives in the Lone Star nation.
 
If you really want to be mad, when this rig makes it to my place in Wisconsin, it will never again be inspected and it will be titled as a collector car (greater than 20 years old). That gets a permanent blue collector license plate for the price of 2 years registration. So for a total of $150 this rig will receive a lifetime blue license plate which never needs renewal, never expires, and is never subject to re-inspection. Wisconsin allows this for collector cars and motorcycles older than 20 years. It‘s a bargain and a great convenience. Texas‘ annual inspection is a pain in the arse and a money grab since my vehicles are exempt by age but I still have to go and attempt to get it done every year before I can renew the tags even for cars older than 25 years.

example below, 1986 VW Syncro 4wd with lifetime collector plate.

View attachment 2815875
My ‘85 Westy has collector plates here in KS, and the FZJ80 will soon, as well. One time registrations, virtually no restrictions.

My uncle lives in Chippewa Falls and has a Westy (non syncro) that looks almost identical to yours!
 

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