datsunaholic Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Driving home from the Museum I volunteer at 12:30AM, was almost home (3 blocks) and saw a police cruiser pull in behind me after I made the turn off the main arterial onto the feeder arterial. He pulled up real quick, so I was positive I was gonna get a lightshow and sure enough on went the lights less than half a block later. Fortunately the engine idled down... the exhaust on my '76 KC has a loose clamp that makes a racket from rattling, but it behaved (the exhaust itself is complete and not leaky, just the loose muffler clamp). Was trying to think why I got pulled over, I signalled the turn, wasn't speeding at all, I was positive I didn't run the previous light and besides I never even SAW the cop until I had made the turn, so where he came from I have no idea. Only thing I could think was maybe my taillights were misbehaving. Saw a deputy at the passenger window with a flashlight so rolled down the window, he told me to talk to his partner on the other side. So rolled down the driver's window. 1st Question: Is this your truck? Yes... (Of note, this truck had been evidence in a double-homicide less than a year ago, but it was released and I have clear title, plus I got new plates with different numbers when I registered it) 2nd question was license... I dug that out, was expecting to be asked for insurance but he wanted the registration... odd, I haven't been asked for registration in years. He spent quite a but of time comparing my license to the registration, which have the same address. Handed the registration back, then took my license back to the cruiser. Never asked for insurance. By now I'm hearing something sinister under the hood... growling knock sound, and my temperature gauge is rising... Deputy comes back, says I need to rig up a light for the license plate. I gave me best "Oh, is it burned out?" question... he didn't think it even HAD one (the plate is in the stock holder, which has a light, which sure enough upon inspection has gone to light bulb heaven). Says they needed to stop me because they couldn't read the plate with no light and that they needed to check to see if it was stolen. Then sent me on my merry way. So 2 1/2 blocks later I'm home, pop the hood, and my water pump has tossed it's bearing, and the fan is wobbling all over the place. I'm probably getting very close to setting a record for consecutive times being pulled over without getting a ticket. They easily could have given me a ticket for the plate light, which was out, and not having a rear bumper. Well, I'll have to rectify both those (and fix the water pump). Of course now I'll probably need to add license plate lights to the 2 vehicles I have that don't have (and never had, being ex-military trucks) plate lights, being that they never had plates originally. Quote Link to comment
sssr20det510 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 you could get the lights that are bolts to hold on the plate Quote Link to comment
inline4 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 damn. maybe im superstitious but I wouldnt knowingly buy cars with bad juju Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 you could get the lights that are bolts to hold on the plate I was going to say, "but mine need to be 24V" but the first set of LED ones I saw are rated 12/24V. Hmmm... Quote Link to comment
Enjride Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 put the biggest brightest lights on you can find :D Quote Link to comment
datto510 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 It must be your dashing good looks that keep getting you out of those tickets. :blink: Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 You left the engine running while you were stopped? Good way to get guns drawn on you in Cali :P Quote Link to comment
lynchfourtwenty Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 and this is why mines ghetto rigged the way it is lol, its just good enough to light up the plate.. but it looks like dog shit.. heh Quote Link to comment
bonvo Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 You left the engine running while you were stopped? Good way to get guns drawn on you in Cali :P x2 Quote Link to comment
lynchfourtwenty Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 anytime i've ever been pulled over or with someone bein pulled over.. the car must be off.. if they gotta ask u its not gonna be nice lol Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 Really? It's never been an issue for me. Is there a law that says you have to turn off your car? Quote Link to comment
sick620 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 put the biggest brightest lights on you can find :D X2 Quote Link to comment
FoxyRoadster Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 sounds like you have my luck.. every time I get pulled over something breaks... but I get no ticket.. in the last 6 months I've been pulled over 7 times for no apparent reason. Last time I had to argue with one about stepping out of the car, so he doesn't have to stand in the rain. I have no emergency brake and putting it in gear wont help in my vdub. Quote Link to comment
bonvo Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 2eDeYe' date='28 January 2010 - 07:22 AM' timestamp='1264692171' post='260270']Really? It's never been an issue for me. Is there a law that says you have to turn off your car? in cali they feel that if the car is running your likly to run Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 There's no law about shutting off the engine but there is a law about doing what the police tell you to do. Good to know about Kalifornia though. If I ever go there, not, I'll remember to shut her down. Sheeesh, you'd think driving a Datsun would be proof enough that you have no intention or chance of running.:lol: Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 in cali they feel that if the car is running your likly to run ;) not like thats ever happened here... :lol: not the law. but better than having to lay spread eagle on the ground ... trying to explain "it wont restart unless you give me a jump start... assholes" :huh: Quote Link to comment
dat521gatherer Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 last time i got pulled over on river road i wasn't asked for insurance either. and i'm usually the first to pipe up and say i dont have insurance before they even ask. but last time i just kept my mouth shut and he didn't ask. he must have been hiding in a damn good spot for you not to see him but saw your plate light out. Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted January 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I don't think he was hiding... I think he just came up from a couple block back, seeing no plate reflection. Or he was in the church parking lot across the street. Dunno. I've never been asked to shut the engine off. I have in the past, particularly on ones with questionable (blown out) mufflers, shut it off before the cop even gets his door open. Well, checked my other running truck... plate lights are nonexistent. Step bumper- can see where they're SUPPOSED to be, the lens in there, but no socket. Well, need to fix that too. The big 5/4 ton Chevy and the Deuce-and-a-Half are gonna be an issue... Neither have plate mounts as neither were designed to have plates period (ex military). Guess the bolt lights might be the answer there. Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Guess the bolt lights might be the answer there. cheap and easy! (liteNbolts) Quote Link to comment
Bleach Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I have a license plate frame that has built-in lights up top. I took it off my silver Z when the plate was mounted on the bumper. I knew these existed but have never seen one for sale in a store before. Quote Link to comment
Figbuck Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 About ten years ago, after driving my truck for twenty five years I got stopped about midnight, pulling into the driveway of my shop. I always put my hands up in front of me so they can see them and wait for them to come to the window. He ask me to roll down the window then shut the engine off. He said the reason he pulled me over was I had no license plate light. He ask for my license, reg and insurance. He went back ran it for wants and came back. He ask me if I had been drinking and I said I had a beer with my employees after we got done cleaning up after a remodel job. He got me out and gave me a field sobriety test, that I thought I passed no problem. He ask me how much sleep I got the night before. I said, about four hours and that I had worked about fourteen hours and was beat. WRONG ANSWERS! I should have said, No I don't drink and I got twelve hours sleep! He arrested me and booked me for DUII. It scared the crap out outta me. He said driving tired is as bad as driving drunk and he was doing me a favor taking me off the road! A month later I got a letter from the DA. It said the urine test was .04 and that they would not prosecute me at this time. I had never been arrested or in jail before. That didn't suck as bad as trying to get my license back from the DMV. That was a nightmare. The moral of the story is don't ever drink at all and drive, because dealing with the DMV is hell. Anyway, I looked at the 620 license plate frame and lo and behold there is a light. it was crusted over with exhaust soot and mud. I was surprise that there even was a light. I took it apart, cleaned it and stuck a bulb in it so there is one less thing to give cops probable cause. So here is a good story... yesterday I came out to get in the Datsun and looked at my work truck, and old Ranger. The front license plate was gone. The back one and the Datsun plates were still there. In Oregon both plates get a tag not like in California where you only get one for the rear plate. I just renewed the tags so they are good for two more years. I called the cops and in a few minutes an officer responded. He said, there is a big problem with illegal aliens ripping off plates for fresh tags. He said there are a lot of russians the are here illegally. He responded to a crash where a lady hit a Honda that was driver by a Russian guy with no insurance, license, or green card. The Honda was broken in half!. The deal was that the front of the car was stolen, the back of the car was a different car... stolen, and the engine was from another stolen car. The plates were different front to back and both stolen. The reason that the car broke in half was that the frame was held together with two 4x4s that snapped in the impact! Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted February 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 So anyway, the light turned out to be unplugged on my truck, and the plug was full of mud. Tdaaj cleaned it out while I was replacing the water pump (this was 2 weekends ago) but I didn't get antifreeze until tonight. Well, I get home tonight and notice the driver's side headlight is out on my Chevy. I know it was working 2 days ago. So I head out to Schucks because they're open until 10PM and it's 8:30. I get halfway there, it's IMMENSELY thick fog, window keeps misting up, can't hardly see the centerline on the road, I see a car off on the shoulder. I go to hit the wipers and hit the high beams instead- they're on the same stalk- dammit, it's a cop, and I just flashed him. With a truck with a burned out headlight. On my way to the parts store. He pulls out right behind me and sure enough, on comes the party lights. SoooOoo... As I'm handing him my license I tell him that I am aware the light is out, and I'm headed for the parts store. He said that's why he pulled me over. I apologized for giving him the high beams... He did look at my license, but didn't take it back to the car. Just said take care of it and let me on my way. Oh yeah, I didn't shut off the engine then either. At least he didn't say anything about not having any license plate lights... I bought 3 sets of LED plate bolt lights on Ebay today, so they should be in the mail (seller is local). Or say anything about the truck having "911 EMERGENCY" stenciled in 4" letters on the bed sides. Quote Link to comment
I'm BLUE Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 So anyway, the light turned out to be unplugged on my truck, and the plug was full of mud. Tdaaj cleaned it out while I was replacing the water pump (this was 2 weekends ago) but I didn't get antifreeze until tonight. Well, I get home tonight and notice the driver's side headlight is out on my Chevy. I know it was working 2 days ago. So I head out to Schucks because they're open until 10PM and it's 8:30. I get halfway there, it's IMMENSELY thick fog, window keeps misting up, can't hardly see the centerline on the road, I see a car off on the shoulder. I go to hit the wipers and hit the high beams instead- they're on the same stalk- dammit, it's a cop, and I just flashed him. With a truck with a burned out headlight. On my way to the parts store. He pulls out right behind me and sure enough, on comes the party lights. SoooOoo... As I'm handing him my license I tell him that I am aware the light is out, and I'm headed for the parts store. He said that's why he pulled me over. I apologized for giving him the high beams... He did look at my license, but didn't take it back to the car. Just said take care of it and let me on my way. Oh yeah, I didn't shut off the engine then either. At least he didn't say anything about not having any license plate lights... I bought 3 sets of LED plate bolt lights on Ebay today, so they should be in the mail (seller is local). Or say anything about the truck having "911 EMERGENCY" stenciled in 4" letters on the bed sides. I put 2 TRAILER TYPE License Plate Bulbs in my ranger bumper. ( you grind out a hole in your bumper , then stick them in and they are grounded ! Only power wire needed ) So my ranger is lit up like a Christmas tree in the rear. I actually bought 2 cheap ones , $3 for one made in China , $4 for the one made in Tawian , The Taiwan was replaced after 1 year , the Chinese made one is still going strong ;) :D Quote Link to comment
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