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Old May 29, 2015 | 07:09 AM
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I have imported a 1979 corvette into Australia, and i need the car to be roadworthy to be able to drive it here in Aus. I have been told that this model car had anti pollution gear factory fitted and i need that to get a roadworthy/have the car engineered to Aus. standards(needs to be as it came from GM factory) so my Question, did all 1979 corvette's have this anti pollution fitted or just some models? Any help will be appreciated.
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Old May 29, 2015 | 07:44 AM
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Originally Posted by grumpyonetwo
...did all 1979 corvette's have this anti pollution fitted...
Yes. AIR, PCV, fuel vapor, etc. The 1979 assembly instruction manual (AIM) shows the emissions equipment installed and lists the orginal GM part numbers for the various widgets and gadgets.

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Old May 29, 2015 | 08:33 AM
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Check the emissions sticker on the driver's side firewall because I believe the inspectors will be looking at that. The top left will have 2 characters CA,x6,cj,cm,cr. To the right it will show the emissions requirement. If I remember correctly L48, non California or hi alt. did not require the air pump and all L82s did. But the label should show you what you are in for.

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.
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Old May 29, 2015 | 09:04 AM
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All cars sold in the US after 1967, had some kind of emission control system installed on them. By 1979, there was quite a bit of emission controls required, to meet the various Federal and California emission regulations.

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.
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