Car + Fake Guns = Illegal?

I'm getting an old Ford Festiva from a friend of my dad's, and me and my friends are going to deck it out. One thing we considered was grafting fake guns to the front, to make it look like a Deathrace 2000 car, but I'm not sure if it would be legal...

I want to add two "machine guns" to the side of the car. They wouldn't fire anything (obviously), they wouldn't make sounds, they wouldn't flash, or anything. They'd have absolutely no function whatsoever. They'd be 100% eye-candy. Just two sort of machine gun-type barrels sticking out from the sides of the car.

Is there any laws that say you can't put mock weaponry on your car? Very tacky, and cheezy weaponry?

What I was thinking of adding was something along these lines: http://www.sksparts.com/tec-9 plain.jpg

The end being the focus of this screenshot. It'd basically be two metal cylinders. The outter-most one having a series of holes drilled into it, and the second serving as the gun's barrel. These would stick on the side of the car, nearish to the headlights on the sides of the hood.

Is this legal? Or should I scrap this idea?

Keep in mind, they'd be very cheezy, and obviously serve no actual purpose beyond laughs.

 

Shades of the movie Deathrace 2000!

Just curious, do you like being hassled by the cops?

 

I imagine laws differ from state to state, you might check with your local highway or state patrol office, maybe motor vehicles. I have to go along with Bill in the fact you would be stopped (a lot) if nothing else then for them to see if the gun barrels were real or not.

 

Kids have been shot carrying toy guns, I don't think the cops even have to question any more. That's just a bad idea. Mounted to a car or not, they will "protect" first ask questions later.

 

I think you'd get arrested for trying that in the UK!

 

I can just imagine someone walking into the Local "Cop Shop", and asking, "Is it legal for me to mount fake machinegun barrels on my car?" Answer: "Errm - How about NO!!". Try it if you want, but I don't like your chances. rolleyes

 

In the US, that could theoretically get you in trouble for 'brandishing'. If someone states that they thought it was real and they felt threatened, you're done.

If you want to take on a project like that, check out the Star Wars Car here.

As I saw someone else write before me, in this "Post 9/11" era, people have their heads so far up their tookuses about security, that it may get you shot before anyone asks any questions.

~C

 

Like I said, this would be for laughs mostly. Also, it's to take a beat-up old car, something that would otherwise be unappealing, and unoriginal, and turning it into something special.

I've seen a lot of really good points, though. So, I'll make sure I head down to the local police department before I strap any "guns" onto my car. I was thinking about asking at the DMV as well, though I doubt they'd really know well enough to like... Make me confident about this.

Though, I have to ask. When it comes to that Starwars car -- is his street legal? Because his guns are about 100x more detailed than anything I was planning to mount on mine. Totally neat, though.

 

Yea I think it would be prudent to check with the Local Law, also to get it in "Writing" too. What they might consider Okay today maybe frowned on later. I would also have them check the car when you are finished, and sign off on it again in writing. Better to be Safe than sorry later..........Calltakers point is very valid about others than the Law, taking a dim view.

 

Yeah, after that 9/11 CIA mess, American's have become completely scared of their own shadows.

 

That's what the goverment and media want you to believe.

 

I think bordering is a little light. I'm pretty sure they've already jumped over the line. Probably starting with the 'Patriot Act'. And then with Homeland Security. Anyone else seeing connections?

But back to the topic, no, I don't think they'd look well on guns mounted to the car. Now, if it were something you intended for display at a car show, where the guns were removable for transport, that might fly.

 

Ah. I believe in Gunboat diplomacy.

 

You could stick some water pistols on I think you'd get away with them if they're made of green plastic,you could also hook them up to a windscreen wash pump so they could actually fire water,great for pedestrians if you aimed them slightly outwards