ICBC gives thumbs up to modified muscle cars

With spring in the air, many car enthusiasts can't wait to pull the covers off their second biggest love, that big heavy hunk of metal that has been oh, so lonely in the garage.

ICBC finally has some good news for you and your 1968 Camaro that boasts modern wheels, or one of Chevrolet's new engines. Starting March 30th, 2017, you can apply for collector plates on modified vehicles from 1974 or earlier, which includes the 'muscle car' era.

Classic and muscle car aficionados are now free to modify parts of the qualifying vehicle. This means that if you've got a 2005 engine in your 1968 corvette convertible, it's still considered a classic. Up until now, the cut-off for the program was vehicles built in 1958 or earlier.

"We want to see the collector car industry in B.C. continue to thrive and evolve with the times," said Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The Specialty Vehicle Association of BC (SVABC) asked the government to help make this happen with ICBC.

"A special thanks to Minister Stone for his willingness to listen to our proposal and for recognizing the importance of moving the collector plate program forward, and also to ICBC for working closely with us to implement the changes," said Bob Kelly, director of SVABC.

"It's a real passion for many people to customize their vehicles, so we're very pleased the expansion will allow us to offer the program to even more car enthusiasts," said Mark Blucher, ICBC's president and CEO

In 2017, there are approximately 26,000 collector vehicles actively licensed and insured in B.C. Starting March 30th, 2017 ICBC starts accepting applications for specialty cars and trucks up to 1974.

The collector program has also expanded to include replica (non-original) vehicles resembling production-built 1942 model years or earlier. Owners will be able to register the replica as it looks (for example, registering it as a 1937 Ford rather than 2014 Ubilt). Owners of actual 1942 and earlier vehicles will also be able to modifications their vehicles and still be eligible for the collector program.

To qualify for the collector vehicle program as a modified vehicle, it must meet the following requirements:

* Registered as a 1974 model or older,

* In excellent condition,

* Has been altered so that it resembles but is no longer identical in appearance to the original body,

* Has had one of the following components replaced or altered: chassis, engine and/or power train, suspension, steering and braking component.

To qualify for the collector vehicle program as a replica vehicle, it must meet the following requirements:

* Registered as a 1942 model or older,

* In excellent condition,

* Be identical to in appearance or resemble the original body by the original vehicle manufacturer

If you're approved, your plates will be sent to your Autoplan broker after June 30, 2017.

For more information visit ICBC.com.