[Colin Frolick]

Originally Posted by Ken K

Don't forget the service stations charge you $1.00 so you can air your own tires up.

not true

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
SECTION 13650-13702

13651. (a) (1) On and after January 1, 2000, every service station
in this state shall provide, during operating hours, and make
available at no cost to customers who purchase motor vehicle fuel,
water, compressed air, and a gauge for measuring air pressure, to the
public for use in servicing any passenger vehicle, as defined in
Section 465 of the Vehicle Code, or any commercial vehicle, as
defined in Section 260 of the Vehicle Code, with an unladen weight of
6,000 pounds or less.

[INJUNTOM]

Originally Posted by formulabird428

If I put the 301 back in the car (still have it), do I have to literally make everything as-stock...even stuff like the air cleaner, plug wires, distributor, mechanical fuel pump and fuel lines?

Yes, everything just like it came from the factory unless it is a 50 state legal part engineered for and has a CARB E.O. number for that specific make, model, year, and engine.... and the decal with the E.O. number has to be present. In other words if the part is legal for the car and the decal is gone it's supposed to fail.

What people must remember, and this is where it gets cloudy with "he said/she said" type of conversation with people saying that their car passed with X item not correct, and/or some other thing that isn't quite right about the car -A lot of the info that the car would fail for is up to the technician to enter the visual and most functional results into the smog machine. There are times you may know the person and they overlook some things for example, or maybe the tech really doesn't know the vehicle and enters incorrect info, etc, but techically what I laid out above is the gist of the law.

[INJUNTOM]

Originally Posted by Ben M.

Yes. Air cleaner is the big one. Plug wires they likely won't care about, distributor only matters so far as initial timing is concerned.

True about the wires, but the distributor on the other hand falls into the category I laid out...and not only does it matter visually, but if it's more aggressive of a spark advance than stock it could fails for HC and/or NOx emissions.

Let's not forget that not only does the car have to visually and functionally be correct, but ever since the dyno came into play, these systems have to work like stock or they most likely won't get through the emissions portion of the test.

AND, let's keep in mind that on the emissions portion of the test, they have cut points for pass/fail and they show an average for that vehicle....guys like to fudge things to get the tailpipe readings lower than necessary to pass so that they can have higher scores through the BAR, and by doing that they cause the averages to go down and therefore the cut points which are constantly being adjusted accordingly.

[INJUNTOM]

Originally Posted by Colin Frolick

not true

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
SECTION 13650-13702

13651. (a) (1) On and after January 1, 2000, every service station
in this state shall provide, during operating hours, and make
available at no cost to customers who purchase motor vehicle fuel,
water, compressed air, and a gauge for measuring air pressure, to the
public for use in servicing any passenger vehicle, as defined in
Section 465 of the Vehicle Code, or any commercial vehicle, as
defined in Section 260 of the Vehicle Code, with an unladen weight of
6,000 pounds or less.

Yes, unfortunately not true. By law I have to check and adjust tire pressures at no cost for every car that rolls into the shop.

Pretty much on average it costs me $100 per hour per guy for my employees/overhead, and I'm forced to pay them to air up your tires for free. Add that up for the month...

[gregneun]

Just drop in one of these GM erod engines, everything will be just fine. Gotta be better than the 301.

http://www.chevroletperformance.com/erod/



Greg

[TheSilverBuick]

E-rod's are pretty good deals for the CA folk. IMO, if you have the original engine and was in decent running shape, and have the room for storage, I'd personally think it's worth the time to swap it every two years. You'll need an exhaust system with it though for the catalytic converter. Just be dang sure it passes first time, that can be tough for some one not used to the rules, but ask and pay for a "test" run that doesn't go to the state to see what it smogs at. If it passes make (and pay for) the certified test, if it fails go correct what needs to pass and do it again. If you get a gross polluter designation expect to be tested every year.

If I could make the same $$$ in So. Cal as I make here in Ely I'd move back there. My original build on the Skylark was going to be emission friendly and go through the referee stuff, and I would make the changes needed to get back to that plan if I moved back there.

[Ken K]

Maybe the service stations don't know the law. Ignorance of the law allows them to charge $1.00 for air. I was just there and the machine had a coin operated $1.00 for air. The service station was right across the street from one of those photo enforced trafffic lights. I hear the ticket for running that light is like $400.

[geeteeohguy]

I agree with InjunTom and b-man....I've been a licensed smog tech in CA since 1981, and the laws are tough. A '79 needs to be tested initially on registration to this state, and thereafter every two years. Not likely to change any time soon. Return your car to stock and sell it and use the proceedes and put your drivetrain in an older car.

[INJUNTOM]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

I agree with InjunTom and b-man....I've been a licensed smog tech in CA since 1981, and the laws are tough. A '79 needs to be tested initially on registration to this state, and thereafter every two years. Not likely to change any time soon. Return your car to stock and sell it and use the proceedes and put your drivetrain in an older car.

Curious, what's your EA number? I bet there's at least 2 zeros at the beginning.

[INJUNTOM]

Originally Posted by Ken K

Maybe the service stations don't know the law. Ignorance of the law allows them to charge $1.00 for air. I was just there and the machine had a coin operated $1.00 for air. The service station was right across the street from one of those photo enforced trafffic lights. I hear the ticket for running that light is like $400.

Actually there's a new law here ragarding shops. Gas stations are a different deal than us anyways

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by gregneun

Just drop in one of these GM erod engines, everything will be just fine. Gotta be better than the 301.

That's a $7700 engine! And it's not even counting install\fabrication costs. Just finding a rust-free chassis and transplanting his existing drivetrain will save $4-5k easily.

[formulabird428]

OK, so since I have a Moser 12-bolt installed with 3.90 gears, a TH-350 totally redone with a 10" 3600 stall converter, on and on and on...

It's obvious that I'd never redone everything back to stock after I got it exactly how I wanted it and took me 5 years to get there.


Next question, I was in Azusa and I saw a guy with a BBC w/blower in a 68 Camaro. So, how can he get away with that car?

Because, I'd seriously just buy another car (I love 68 Firebirds) and re-do it and put the Pontiac 428 in that car. I'd keep the other car back in Ohio in storage, or something.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by formulabird428

I was in Azusa and I saw a guy with a BBC w/blower in a 68 Camaro. So, how can he get away with that car?

1975 and OLDER cars are exempt from biennial smog checking, so you can really throw whatever you want into one and not worry about it. Being a 1968, he is exempt from smog checks and as has been said, unless he really makes a cop angry enough to pull him over and pop his hood, no one is going to care.

[gregneun]

Just get a 60's body car and put your engine in that. All you have to do is send in your registration every 2 years. Nobody looks at anything. I even got to keep the black CA plates, back before they changed the law. The request is sent to Sacramento and a board approves the old plate use. Now it is easier to keep or register old plates.

I had a DMV VIN check and they only looked at the VIN, not the secondary VIN. The DMV people have been helpful to me, with my POS 67 LeMans. Waived some fees and everything.

Greg