I may be moving to Arizona this year and if I uderstand correctly Arizona requires emission testing on all cars, except new ones, back to 1966. My car is a 1976 car but has the LT1 engine out of a 1995 Z28. The emissions part of the test I would think the car can pass. I worry about the "visual inspection". My car has no catalytic converter(s) and no mufflers. Considering the free flow of exhaust it is not so loud to make you think the mufflers are not there.

Any Diamondback fans out there that have experience with the emissions process in Arizona? Is it 50/50 whether the inspectors look under the car? Is it possible to pass the emissions test without catalytic converters? If I move to Arizona it will be to the Phoenix area.

Thanks in advance.

David

 

Try this:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/vei/tested.html

 

Boy oh boy do I know Arizona emissions.

First off -- YES, they do look under the car. Mufflers being gone is no problem, but you will need a cat on each pipe.
No, you will not pass with out them. Now the big question is will they look under the hood. I do think that they will in Phoenix, in Tucson they have lighter standards and would not. I don't know if they don't look under the hood of cars based on years or not. I know that 1967-1980 has 1 set of standards for testing. On my 1980 they put it on a "treadmill" / rollers and run it up to 30 MPH and test emissions at that speed. Then they idle for 1 minute and test the idle mixture. From there they look under the car for cats, open the hood and look for whatever their computer says the car should have based on the VIN number. If your car came with an AIR pump, EGR, PCV and charcoal canister they will look for all of those items.

With yours being a newer engine that may be a problem. The way I understand the testing is that they go based on the age of the chassis or the age of the engine, which ever is newer, to set the year for testing. A 1981 - 199? has a different and harder test to pass. The standards are higher and instead of just running at 30 mph they vary the speeds to simulate actual driving. At some point (199?) they use the OBDII test for the cars. That means they will check the computer for error codes, pressure test the fuel system and run the treadmill and do the visual inspection as well.

The best thing to do is to call the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and talk to someone live. Ask them what tests a 1976 Corvette has to pass in Phoenix. If they don't open the hood I would not mention that you had a motor swap. If they do, then I would ask them what testing is different due to the motor swap. That would be the best way to know what your up against. I would lay big money that they will open the hood and want to see what's up.

Currently there is House Bill 2357 that will hopefully be passed that will exempt all COLLECTOR cars 1980 and older from emissions testing. They are currently defining "collector" but one of the criteria is that you must have collector car insurance that limits you from daily driving the car and that you have a daily driver that is not the car in question. That hasn't passed yet, but there is hope for us in the future.

 

The model year and engine type of your vehicle determines which type of test your vehicle will receive. Brief descriptions of the tests follow.

IM 147: This is the enhanced test used for most 1981 through 1995 gasoline-powered vehicles in the metro Phoenix inspection program. In this test, the vehicle is driven on rollers (called a dynamometer) at varying speeds to simulate urban driving. The exhaust is continuously measured and the results are shown in grams per mile.


Steady State Loaded/Idle: This test is used for most 1967 through 1995 vehicles in Tucson and 1967 through 1980 models in Phoenix. The vehicle is tested at idle and (depending on vehicle class) at approximately 25 to 30 miles per hour. The results are shown in percent or parts per million.


On Board Diagnostics: The newest test to be used in Arizona is the on-board diagnostic test. Used on 1996 and newer light duty vehicles only, engine operating data is accessed by connecting directly to a computer in the vehicle that continuously monitors engine emission control systems operation. The on-board diagnostic test can identify problems before they lead to engine damage and emissions system failure.

 

Phoenix checks under the hood. If they find anything wrong, you fail. That's after the treadmill run. I have to do my 75 yearly.

 

They will look under the hood, from what I've experienced. And I believe they will check your gas cap and evap canister system with a vacuum test. Old leaky vacuum hoses can make you fail.

They use a mirror on a handle to look under the car for the cat. And They always seem to check under the hood for air pumps and EGRs.

Both my 81 and 82 have to go through the simulated driving dyno, but it's only every 2 years. I've considered building a spare engine and doing a swap every 2 years.

 

Hey there jd1a, Glendale and Arrowhead Ranch is where I think I will end up. Does your 75 have the emissions system intact?

David

 

pdjourno: My emissions system is intact, currently using dual cats and have had no complaints from the test facility.

 

A calculated attempt to pass would include having a scantily clad hottie driving the car through the testing facility. The art of distraction mulitplied by testosterone overload works in many instances. No undercard or underhood. March 2005. It was all there, they just didn't check....

~primum non nocere~