New Mississippi law could take the squatting out of Scrapin’. Car enthusiasts are divided
A soon to take effect law will change Scrapin’ the Coast by making the operation of a popular type of vehicle illegal in the Magnolia State.
House Bill 349 makes the operation of a “squatted vehicle,” defined as a vehicle whose front fender is raised four inches higher than its rear, a misdemeanor. It was signed into law by Gov. Tate Reeves in May and goes into effect on July 1.
The new law makes this year’s event the last time squatted vehicles can legally drive to the automotive show.
Squatted trucks arrived in droves this weekend for Scrapin’ the Coast. A slow-moving and heavily police-patrolled U.S. 90 bore witness to hundreds of hot rods, lowriders and muscle cars, but most prominently spectators said, squatted trucks.
Some anti-squat Scrapin’ enthusiasts said the law was a good thing. The squat makes the windshields of those vehicles point up, thus significantly inhibiting the road visibility of the driver and amplifying a blindspot.
“Those guys are looking at the sky,” said Pass Christian resident Colton Ladner, who has been attending Scrapin’ for years.
Ladner said he doesn’t understand the draw or style of squatted trucks and believes that the new law will force Scrapin’ the Coast to return to being a show of classic cars and lowriders. Banning the trendier truck mods might actually boost the event’s attendance, he said, because lots of people are deterred by squatted vehicles.
Ladner brought his 1978 Ford F-150, which is lifted 20 inches and boasts 24-inch tires, to the event. It’s been an ongoing project of his for years that he said he’s poured well over $100,000 into. Lots of squatted vehicles are already lifted, he explained, which further exacerbates the blind spot problem. Drivers of lifted vehicles should already be aware of how far off the ground they are.
Many out-of-state visitors were unaware of the law that’s soon to go into effect.
Trey Barnerd from Mobile said he wasn’t aware of the new law that’s going into effect prior to the event. It was his first time attending Scrapin’ the Coast. He said he’s not deterred from coming back again next year in his squatted, kitted and modern Ford F-150. He values the squat job at around $10,000.
“I respect cops and the law and all that,” Barnerd said. “But I don’t really get this law on squatting.”
Some drivers of squatted vehicles said they’d take the risk of getting a ticket the next time they attend Scrapin’ the Coast. They said critics have no business in telling them how to outfit their vehicles.
According to the bill text, the first 180 days of the law specifies that law enforcement are to issue warnings.
Beyond the warning period, first offenses will cost drivers $100, second offenses will cost $200 and third and subsequent offenses will cost $300 and result in the suspension of the driver’s license.
