Rich Mickol

My 07 is due for a state inspection in September. With the new rules in place,(no more mechanical), has anyone had any lucky at the State Inspection Centers without a front plate. I always have it with me, just not mounted.

The closest center for me is Manahawkin.

If anybody in the area has a local place that willl pass it, send me a PM.

Thanks

95jersey

You will NOT pass, no way.

I have a front plate and actually like it better with the plate than without. Go check out Top Flight Corvette and you will see what I mean. You get the matching color outer rim and I think it improves the look of the car.

Ol'55

To the best of my knowledge and experiences you WILL get the pass sticker as long as the check engine light isn't on as they are only inspecting emissions at the state inspection stations. Cars prior to OBD1 get the tailpipe sniffer, OBD1 and 2 cars get the BCM read and that's it. I've not heard of anyone failing for anything other than emissions in the state of New Jersey. I'd go to Manahawkin and report back here what you experienced. It's free, and I believe you will get your 2 year sticker. If you don't THEN search out a friendly private garage (that will charge you half an hours labor to do the same thing).

Humanoid 2.0

JerzeyJoe

The only reason you will fail is because of emissions, nothing else. Assuming your check engine light is not lit, that is an automatic failure.

LMB-C6

Wait a minute. Are you saying that NJ no longer checks the car over mechanically (ball joints. brakes, etc.) as part of an inspection but only checks to make sure that you pass emissions?

DRM500RUBYZR-1

correct!

LMB-C6

So, it's OK for me to be driving down the NJ turnpike at 80MPH with no brakes, on a car with bald tires whose ball joints and tie-rods have 1/2" of play - but as long as the air is clean for the Spotted Owl - I'm good.

Only in America

Ralphyboy

Yep, you can't fix stupid. We spent millions of taxpayer dollars on the inspection stations, and now we don't really use them. Your car can be falling apart, but as long as the tailpipe isn't smoking, you pass the test. Friggen unbelievable.

DRM500RUBYZR-1

AND......
to make it even better, if you keep the mileage under 3,000 miles a year, can demonstrate that your odometer works, and you have collectors insurance, you are able to register any car less than 25 years old, up to brand new, as a collector vehicle for a small extra fee.
Collector vehicles are presented to the inspection station office (not the line), where they look at the odometer, then send you around the block so that it shows one mile more, they look at your insurance card and the vin.
You then are given a two year sticker and nothing at all is checked, so even those spotted owls would now be in trouble.Cats? Cats?
Collector vehicles have no restrictions other than the 3,000 annual miles, unlike Antique or QQ (25 yrs+), which theoretically must be driven only during the day to parades or for "educational" purposes.
New Jersey has become collector car friendly!
Imagine that!

Marty
1FUNZR1

nj02vette

Yes we spent millions of dollars for inspection stations. But we spend far more than that on keeping those inspectors employed, year over year.

Over 99% of cars pass inspection not related to emissions. In no reasonable sanity is it worth keeping the sort of payroll (paid by taxpayers) and general inconvienence of long lines for the less than 1% of cars on the road. Police are still able to stop a car at any time and issue a ticket.

By switching to emmissions only, they were able to reduce payroll signifigantly and improve wait times at inspection stations by fourfold.

Win-Win in my book and great decision.

gbvette62

Many states don't have any form of vehicle inspection (safety or emission), and never have. Somehow they've all survived with cars riding on bald tires, and falling apart on their roads.

We didn't spent millions on inspection stations to perform safety inspections, NJ's had facilities to do that since the 50's. The millions were spent to renovate the stations we had, to equip them with emission testing dynos, to meet a Federal law that never went into effect.

I've always been suspect of our so called safety inspections any way. I worked at a gas station in the 70's, that was right across from a State inspection station. Every week a few cars would come in that had failed inspection, and that we could find nothing wrong with. It was usually things like headlight alignment, emissions and parking brakes. We'd check everything over and tell the owner to just wait a couple days, and then go back to inspection (this was before you could take a car to a garage for inspection, and even before the state allowed garages to re-inspect cars). We came to the conclusion that the inspectors just randomly failed people, depending on their mode, for "fun", or for what ever.

In theory, the OP should be able to go through inspection without a front tag, but besides emissions, the driver's license, insurance and registration are also checked. I wonder if having a front tag, is considered part of being legally registered?

Personally, I don't know why anyone would even take the chance. How big a deal would it be to buy a $1.00 roll of double sided tape, stick the tag on, roll through inspection, and then pull the thing back off.

It's funny how much time people spend on this Forum worrying about front tags, complaining about them and whining about getting tickets for not having one. Maybe I'm just to old to let something so inconsequential, as a license plate, upset me!

JerzeyJoe

You will not fail if your front plate is not attached.

Eppieguy

Dave S

I had my '05 inspected at the Wayne station couple of weeks ago.....headers, hi-flo cats & Corsa exhaust....no problem. I used a couple of nylon tie-wraps to attach the front plate to the grill & cut it off soon as I got out of the station. And yes....the whole NJ MV inspection program is a joke!

Rich Mickol

Thanks to all who resonded. I found a local private station who said just bring the plate with me. I have not changed or modified the car in any way, it's bone stock. This guy's a vette owner. He'll give me time to shoot a little Windex in there before he put's on the new sticker. I'm going to cover the HUD opening so none of the old sticker winds up in there.
I'm sure I won't get a chance at the State Inspection Station.

And yes, as stupid as it may be, no more mechanical inspections.

I got a brother in Florida. He told me they have no inspections at all. Keeping all your service records is probably a good thing down there.

Thanks again

JerzeyJoe

Are you going to pay for something that you can get done for free?
Scrape off the sticker yourself, clean the windshield. Keep the sticker to show the guy the month. Tell him you replaced the windshield that's why you took off the sticker.
You do realize that you DO NOT need a plate to pass inspection.

Your money.

Eppieguy

Pay for something that NJ actually give you for no charge?? I don't get it, oh well not my money.

I always gently take off my inspection sticker and lay it on the dash before I go to inspection so so I can clean the windshield before the new sticker gets slapped on there.

ED77KATR

I was in line getting my DD inspected.[passed by the way] Behind me was a Ratty 94 ish??? Taurus with the rear smashed, bald tires and a cracked header panel. Was a nasty looking thing............. They passed!!! The inspetor told me it just MUST pass \emission!!

Rich Mickol

Thanks I'm gonna give it a try.