Question on 1979 corvette
Would they actually look at the engine stamp pad? the stickers can be changed but would they go that far to determine if it was a California engine? just curious.
Last edited by BKarol; May 29, 2015 at 08:38 AM.
All 1979 Corvettes came with a catalytic converter.
Your 79 may also have had an Air Injector Reaction System (A.I.R.), depending on which engine it has, and where it was sold new. 79 L-48's delivered to California, and certain High Altitude areas, came with A.I.R., as did all L-82's. Federal Emissions L-48's, didn't require the A.I.R.
Other forms of emission controls installed on 79 Corvettes included the Evaporative Control System (ECS) which contained fuel vapors, Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve (PCV), Early Fuel Evaporation system (EFE) which provides heat to the intake system during engine warm up, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) which routes exhaust gases into the induction system to reduce nitrogen levels, and a Thermostatic Air Cleaner (THERMAC) which controlled the amount of pre-heated air going to the carb.
79 L-48's also had a Transmission Controlled Spark system (TCS), controlled by a thermo switch in the water outlet, and cars with automatic transmission and air conditioning, had an idle solenoid installed on the carb.
You can determine which emission system the car originally came with, by the emission label installed on the left underside of the hood (if it's still there). There will be a 2 letter code on the label, identifying the engine, and whether it had Federal, California or High Altitude emissions. The codes are as follows.
CA - L-48 w/Federal Emissions (used through about VIN 10,000)
X6 - L-48 w/Federal Emissions (used after VIN 10,000)
CJ - L-82 all
CM - L-48 w/High Altitude Emissions
CR - L-48 w/California Emissions
Last edited by gbvette62; May 29, 2015 at 09:07 AM.













