I'd be interested to know their reasoning for this.� Do they know the front track of the vehicle and fail for any deviation from that?� Virginia used to require state inspection twice a year but went to annual quite a while back, and it still a challenge every time you go.� I've been failed for something that had been in place and passed previous times.� 

Stephen

--- On Wed, 5/2/12, J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET> wrote:

From: J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Interesting Safety Inspection Failure-Virginia
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 6:52 PM

I have antique tags on my '85 Westy, and "restrictions" come with these, i.e. vehicle is only to be driven to shows and after working on it,yada, yada, yada. I have driven the van all over the place (just took it to Newport News VA, and back) with no issues and have never been stopped/questioned by the cops. With the antique tags the vehicle is exempt from Virginia's annual safety inspection. But I've been thinking of going back to regular tags, so I took it in today to get inspected-it failed. It failed because I am running 15" Mercedes wheels that require spacers up front. I was surprised. A buddy of mine runs spacers on his Eurovan and has never had a problem. So, not a big issue, tomorrow, I am slapping two 14" steel rims/tires back on it and going back to the inspection station where the inspector has already told me he will pass it. Then I come home and slap my 15 inchers back on. BTW, even the inspector said the wheels make the van!

Jeff Stewart