fadingrockstar

Well it's that bi-annual time of the year smog check inspection! I have a 1982 Corvette that I bought from my mother-in-law six years ago when my father-in-law died in a plane crash. Long story trying to help out. I did a major restoration at that time, all kinds of stuff, new paint, interior, mechanical including paying big bucks to put back ALL of the smog crap. It was very difficult to find those parts, but I wanted the car to be stock and I didn't want any problems with the smog check.

The state keeps tightening the screws on what will pass so every time I take the car in it's an adjustment here an adjustment there, i.e. costs my some $$$.
It was time again this year so I took the car down to a smog station that my mechanic recommended as he was doing some work on the car and I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. The new thing now is the catalytic converter has to have a carb stamp on it or the car will fail. I was told mine didn't have the stamp so it failed. I told him that I replaced all of the exhaust 6 years ago with STOCK items. He said sorry no stamp no pass.
I went back to my mechanic and told him about it. He did a little looking on line and confirmed the story. It would appear as if the exhaust was original then I would have been ok but since it was replaced even though it's stock it doesn't pass. The cost for a new catalytic convert with the stamp $400! I don't believe my mechanic was trying to get some dollars out of me as he doesn't work that way.
The smog guy never took my registration so as far as I knew he did not send anything to the DMV. I decided to go back to my normal smog guy and say NOTHING! He took 45 minutes but the car PASSED, not one word about the catalytic converter stamp.
It will be interesting to see what happens in two years. I hate California smog checks!

Varmit

Peoples Republik of

mike100

They have to grandfather in previously legal repairs. Replacement parts on post law-change repairs have to have the number etc.

Obviously the first smog guy was interpreting the law incorrectly.

ScottMA64

Has to be the only state in the country that would smog a car that old!

Z06ster

It's gotten really bad in the last few years and I don't know why. At the present time, for really low-to-the-ground cars like ours, they will actually take mirrors and long rods with lights and look underneath the car to find CARB stickers.

I have an idea that I think our politicians should consider...why not allow certain cars, like our American made performance ones, to have a special exclusion for a tax (kind of like the present gas-guzzler tax on low MPG cars). Don't get me wrong, I HATE taxes. But, if would mean being able to legally pass a smog check, then I could at least entertain the thought and the state gets some revenue out of the deal. If you don't want to pay the tax, then stay stock and just legally pass the smog check.

john8642

You might be able to appeal to a BAR Referee. They have some leeway (depending on who you get, of course), to give exemptions. Wasn't there talk about raising the cutoff year for inspections from 1975 to 1985? Not sure if it passed or was just proposed.

john8642

Here's some info about the referee process:
Copied from this BAR website

http://smogcheck.ca.gov/80_BARResour...ns_Part_2.html

Q: Is the Smog Check program biased against older vehicles?

A: No. While California law requires the Smog Check program to focus on high-polluting vehicles, it does not discriminate based on vehicle age or a specific vehicle make or model. All types and model years of vehicles can be a high emitter, which is based on a comparison of each vehicle with similar makes, models and years. Furthermore, Smog Check does not require owners of "classic" or "older" vehicles to retrofit these vehicles to meet newer standards. BAR's emissions take into consideration the age, make and model of each vehicle. No vehicle is held to a more stringent standard than the standard which applied when the vehicle was new.

Q: I am not sure that my smog test was done properly. Who do I call ?

A: Call the Referee Scheduling Center at 1-800-622-7733 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to make an appointment. The Referee system assists consumers with concerns about smog test procedures and vehicle emission equipment requirements. In addition, Referees can issue limited parts exemptions and repair cost waivers, inspect vehicles incompatible with testing at smog stations and perform inspections for some Vehicle Code Violations.

Q: My vehicle continues to fail inspection after repairs. What can I do?

A: California law limits the amount of money required to be spent on repairs needed to pass a biennial Smog Check inspection to $450 minimum. If you have spent at least $450 on repairs at a Smog Check station and your vehicle continues to fail inspection, you may qualify for a Repair Cost Waiver. A Repair Cost Waiver postpones the certificate requirement and allows you to complete the vehicle registration renewal. The Repair Cost Waiver can only be issued by the State Referee. Please note that the repair cost limit only applies to the biennial Smog Check requirement and does not apply to the repair of tampered emission controls. A vehicle receiving a waiver must be fully repaired by the next Smog Check requirement. A waiver may only be issued once to an owner of a particular vehicle and may not be issued if a waiver was issued during the previous biennial inspection.

The Consumer Assistance Program provides excellent repair options for low income motorists and motorists whose vehicle are directed to Test-Only stations for inspection. For more information, see the Consumer Assistance Program fact sheet.

Q: How do I contact a Referee?

A: Call the Referee Scheduling Center at 1-800-622-7733 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to make an appointment. Mondays are typically the busiest days. Some Referee Centers are also open on Saturdays.

It seems to me that if the cats were listed as OEM spec for that vette, it shouldn't matter if it has a CARB #. You might be able to convince the referee that you do have the correct part installed. On the other hand, if the cats have been in and running for six years, depending on the tune, they may not be working well enough to pass.
Summit has a CA legal magnaflow for $212.00 each
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mp...model/corvette

Snoopysvet

fadingrockstar

Six months before the next smog is due go to the DMV site and look for counties exempt from biannual smogs in your area

Drive to that city and get a PO BOX

Send in the change of address form on the registration for your vette to that post office

When the registration comes pay the fee

Close the PO BOX for another 18 months

b_pappy

Can anybody find any reference if vehicles with Historic plates still get smogged? I get different answers every time someone reads the section.
Bruce

StatenZ51

I would like to know the correct answer to this as well

Frank_Nesta

It is my understanding in California that 1976 and prior do not need smog checks.

john8642

The dmv page lists which counties require smog tests. If your legal residence is in one you might not need the test. The model year cutoff is 1975 or older.
This is from the DMV website:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm#BM2535

cv67

Bummer with historic plates is getting gas parades etc only.
Number of restrictions on them

CHP catch you cruising outside 30 mi of your residence they will get ya.
Too many ifs with those plates so I passed.

bar20

Has the state offered to buy back your car for $2,000? I had a beat up 84 El Camino that needed some bodywork and a full restoration and they offered me $2k so they could crush it.
I moved to the Oregon Coast a year ago. No smog check, registration that's good for two years and fees that are 1/4 of what Calif. charges. $100 smog checks every two years? No thanks, California.