One of the worst feelings in the world is that sinking feeling you get upon seeing the rollers of a police cruiser in your rear view mirror. I saw a set of lights on my 86 a minute after entering a local town’s city limits. The offense? No front license plate on my zenki bumper. The bolt holes for a US plate differ from those of a Japanese number plate so I simply left it off. Luckily, I always roll with a trunk full of tools, so I zip-tied the plate on and got off with a warning.
Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Do you wave at other JNC drivers?“
Last week, we asked how you acknowledged other JNC drivers on the road. Some let the car do the waving, a la pop-up headlights like Ant. Others, like our own Ryan Senensky, did it even when the fellow traveler was a confused old lady. We liked the anything-goes attitude of Ruined9s when it comes to dishing out a friendly acknowledgement:
I give thumbs up to any driver rocking an old vehicle. Even the gardeners rocking a Hilux with a rusted door panel.
Omedetou! Your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop.
Thankfully, no, as my cars are up to code, I don’t engage in spirited driving in urban areas or when other traffic is present, and I religiously keep alert for potential speed traps at the usual places (hills,on ramps, overpasses, etc.) when I do, but I’ve probably been lucky more than once with regard to that last point, especially since I don’t bother with a radar detector. However, there are a lot of times I probably should have been, almost all on weekend drives. What’s the point in having a weekend toy if you don’t play? Am I right?
😉
I’ve had a similar thing occur in my Bluebird 910 as I had my front plate mounted to one side and an officer pulled me over as he didn’t see it and just didn’t think it had one. The second time I got pulled over in it, I wasn’t so lucky. The highway patrol officers were actually checking for speeders and although I wasn’t speeding, 30 seconds after I passed them staring at me, the flashing red and blue lights were in my rear view.
Apparently my suspension looked ‘very stiff’ and it looked ‘uncomfortable to drive’, this resulted in a full check over and several defect and roadworthy items written down which had to be fixed, before they got a more important call over the radio and had to take off. That was the last time that particular car saw the road. It isn’t all bad though as it forced me to bite the bullet and it’s now currently undergoing a full rebuild.
I got pulled over once for running an open header in my 78 datsun 280Z. the cop said to me “do you know why I pulled you over? it sounded like you were running 16,000 rpm through that intersection.” he let me go with a warning.
and amazingly my street 1991 suzuki carry has gotten absolutely zero attention from the police in the 13 months I have driven.
Driving through an affluent city just cruising and trying not to be loud with the exhaust. Police car going the opposite direction sees my lowered AE86 Corolla. Police car did a quick U-turn to tail and follow me until I left this city. I’m just glad I didn’t get stopped for something.
In college I was cornering my lowered RA65 Celica fast though an S-turn freeway on-ramp. On the freeway (not speeding) I saw the flashing Highway Patrol lights. After getting pulled over the officer told me to flip-up my pop-up lights, measured the headlight height with his billy club, then let me go. I’m lucky the Celica pop-up lights are high.
My money says he was one of those “anti-youth” type cops… There was a County cop at a local park I’d cruise. He pulled me over and asked us what we yelled out the window at him… It was a Cheech ‘n’ Chong tape… He proceeded to give the car a look-over, and admonish me that my exhaust might not be legal.
I went home and called the PA DMV about the regulation. As long as the exhaust exits beyond the edge of the body, it’s legal. I could run it out my front bumper if I was so inclined.
Went back to the park, and continued cruising – right past him.
I’m just glad the tape wasn’t at the section where Chong asked the cops: “Hey, can you pigs give us a push?” 🙂 (At least ONE of you HAS that tape! 🙂 )
I have had several friendly pull overs in my RL411 They were all car buffs who all asked “What the hell is that and where did you get it?”
No but i did get pulled over for drag racing a cop in an old Maserati Indy, which had a Peter Brock race engine fitted to it, i beat the cop car by a mile. The Holden 4.9 engine was highly modified and was a real Brock motor fitted by the previous owner (it cost him $13,000!) This engine would happily rev at 5000 rpm all day, a few times on the open road i forgot i was in third and saw the tacho sitting on 5000 rpm amazing. Anyway the cop loved the car said he would tell his son about it and let me off, i was totally dumbstruck!
Ken.
I haven’t but my blacked out, midnight blue 240-Z got my parents into a few words with the law. I had a career change / move from Denver to Houston to Seattle in rapid succession. I was busy. They were 60+ & retired so they offered to move my car. On some desolate stretch in East Texas my parents were pulled over for 15+. It didn’t help my dad started cracking up with the sight if a befuddled cop staring at a couple of white haired speeders. He let them off with a warning.
I have takeyari pipes out the back, tires stretched to their max, its an inch off the ground yet every cop I have talked to think its just the bees knees. They seem to just enjoy the classicness, its all “I had a friend with one of those” or “we used to call them mini mustangs with them.
Its when people hear it that they start calling 911
I’ve went into collision with local police forces a lot of times with almost every car i’ve owned, including my Gray Daihatsu. But it’s more about me & my style, i’m kind of flashy person that likes to stand out of the crowd. My cars were always unique in my neighborhood and thus easy to spot & identyfiy.
My Daihatsu was actually personally involved in such a sticky situation only once. It was overall caused by my, after beeing thrown into darkness by a wonderfull girl I went a little rouge on the streets. A local cop (that didn’t like’d me personally by the way) cauth me redhanded during my mindless raid. It would proabobly end the usual way – a ticket & penalty points or some serious bribe. But the cop started to sniff around the car. It was quite unusual ’cause I’m known around to keep my cars in “ticket immune conditon”. And then i realized that it won’t end usualy this time. The day before i’ve equiped Haiiro (my car) with racing slicks. Completly falt, with zero tread. In my country the absolute minimum for tread depth is 1,6mm. The partol took my cars papers and grounded Him in the middle of the town ordering me to ether call a lorry or bring some road-legal tires. Yeah, sure…
After they went away i quickly drove to my workplace, that was happliy, nearby. I brouth the pinkslip back the next day from my local communication office, but kept the car on low profile for few weeks to let the dust fall. It was the first and only situation in witch my machines conditon was put into question by authorities.
Gracias compañeros. I’ll put them once I find a hilux
I was driving back from the MSA west coast nationals in ’07 in my Z, and was headed up I-17 through Coconinos National Forest towards Flagstaff and I-40 when I happened across a relatively new Porsche 911 turbo.
We played in the mountains on I-17 for about 20 miles before he got off to go his own way, and on the very next corner, an Arizona highway patrolman was cruising South.
I knew he had me dead to rights, as I was going about 90, so I pulled over and waited for him to turn around.
Because I had shown that simple courtesy, I got off with a warning, but I did neglect to tell him at the time that it was lucky he wasn’t around about 5 minutes before when I was going about 120.
Not yet, thank goodness. For 19 years, I’ve been saved by a combination of common sense re: likely speed traps, reaction time, and my beloved license plates, STYALRT and BE ALRT. I must be responsible at heart, right? I’ll soon be adding shiny wheels, which may change things.
Many times.
Driving a very noisy ported rotary in my youth
got a lot of attention from the boys in blue.
Sometimes it was warranted 😉
No, but I figure I’m bound to get pulled over in the S660 one of these days, even if it’s to answer – once again – the “How is this even here?!?” question.
PS: Thanks for the 逮捕しちゃうぞ lead-in pic!
The Suzuki Wagon R! Japan’s best selling kei car. This was the rise of the tall body slab sided box on wheels craze.
Month ago when i driving my Toyota Corona T141 (had been restoration ) going back my home, a police patrol is ahead in my driving position. After reach it, a young police officer stopping me , asking me to show him driving licence , then asking me straight away he interested to buy my car XD. Not a ” trouble in the LAW” but its seem interesting to see local police is interested on buying my car ;P (Anyway pls dont mind my english, i still try to improve it haha)