Jimmy James

I see on: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/insp...classsubmit=Go

That it lists: "10. Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)" as part of the inspection. If i have dual exhaust w/ cats on my 1980 C3 minus all other Emissions equipment under the hood, would it still will be ok , and pass inspection?

Anyone who could shed some light on this with me, that has experience in TX with a 1980, would be appreciated.

Thanks Guys!

wnmech

Your exhaust system will pass our emmissions but you have to at least have everything under the hood still factory installed to pass our inspection. They wont sniff the car or even care if any of the stuff works it has just got to be there.

johnt365

Not sure how much you drive the car or for what. However, If you get an antique registration, you don't have to get an inspection OR emissions test and its good for 5 years for a much lower price.

There is always a car show somewhere when you have a Corvette.

baxsom

Where are you getting inspected at? Some areas sniff others dont. In San Antonio both my 68 Mustang and my 72 Vette would pass every year with all the smog stuff removed and headers. They only opened the hood once in the last 5 years.

zwede

It should not pass a TX inspection, although in reality it probably will. It's over 25 years old so it will only be subject to a safety inspection, no sniffer. But a visual check of emissions equipment is part of the safety inspection. They're supposed to check the cat (you'd fail as you're only supposed to have one), PCV, EGR, smog pump, etc.

So when you get it inspected, look for a young kid that doesn't know anything about anything older than a 1995 Honda Civic and you should be OK.

Steve439

At one of my inspections the guys were arguing about whether my '74 is really a big block while looking at the engine.

2TS-73

what part of Texas are you moving to? that will be the deciding outcome of how hard they look at the car. Looks like that everone that replied to you live in the city, but out here in the sticks its a little different.

Jimmy James

Im not moving to TX, rather trying to see if its worth registering my Vette with TX plates using my fathers address instead of CO plates. CO laws are all F'd up now regarding collector plates. As in... Now Only 1975 and older vehicles qualify for collector plates. Now the real kicker here is because my Vette is older than 82 it does not require the OBDII testing and only the two speed idle test, however any car that only has the two speed idle test, has to get it done every year. So not every other year like newer vehicles or every 5 years as collector vehicles do, or even exempt like some brand new vehicles. So basically I fall into the 1976-1981 year range that has to get it done every year and will have to have all the existing emissions equipment intact, whether or not it passes from the tail pipes or not.

Now after hearing more details about the TX inspection, it sounds a lot of the same crap, except I can get classic car or antique plates in TX and avoid getting an inspection done anually. Either way I have to get the emissions equipment back on.... or at least have it on and appear to be in workign order.

My plan is running cats on the dual exhaust but that will be where the functioning emissions equipment ends. Anything else will be faux equipment in order to pass a visual. Regardless of the emissions equipment I will make sure it passes the tail pipe sniffer. Besides isnt that really all that matters... The end result, how much emissions are actually being emmitted. Plus this is CO, I wont be driving this car year round and it still wont be a DD when the weather is nicer. So the truth of it is, I will be putting out less emissions per year than anyones new car used as a daily driver, including hybrids with my Vette. My 2-4k miles a year with a passing tail pipe test will be emmiting less than a 10-20k year new "exempt" vehicle....

Sometimes it seems Common sense escapes those who create and enforce the laws...

This could all be avoided if Colorado would just qualify my car for a collector plate! LOL

johnt365

Antique plates in Texas do NOT require ANY inspection. NONE. I do not have any stickers on my window. No registration sticker and no inspection sticker. I have one plate in the back of the car. So if you go this route then you do not have to touch your system. Its not a matter of sniffer or no sniffer or missing equipment. You are exempt from it all.

chstitans42

Sadly thats true, but who knows, he might run into a kid that does know what he is looking at. Ask me how I know lol

beachcomber

LOL too funny!!

blitz10

I had my 67 inspected several years ago. The woman doing the drive said my seat belt was jammed or broke, that being the outboard side. I looked in and told her if she took the other half it would reach. She said the car was older than she was, how was I supposed to know.

Rebelrob

I am in the DFW area and just went thru this last wknd.
I finished a build and have dual exhaust, headers, no cats. They only do a safety inspection.
I had my E brake disconnected and they sent me home so I hooked that back up.
They check under the hood for brake fluid level and power steering fluid level and that is it.
If its over 25 yrs safety check only. I plan on going the antique registration to avoid this in the future.

Crash80

That is my yearly battle. The E-brake didn't work from the factory in 1980, yet I still have to screw with it for it to pass.

DaveL82

Just get it inspected and see where you stand. Don't asy anything just let them come back to you with questions or comments. Also try to make it less obvious by making sure hoses that are plugged are not in plain site (hide the plugged end) and what ever else you can do to hide the that it may not be perfect. Most don't give it good look.

Yeah the parking brake test is the killer. Mine works after doing a stainless rebuild a few years back. I tighten it up for the test only.

Mashman

The thing with antique plates is that there are restrictions on when you can drive your car. But if you are going to have it in CO, who would know? Are there restrictions on driving with antique plates in CO? I would assume that maybe law enforcement might expect them to be the same.

talltxin

I agree with Johnt, just register it as an antique and you wont need an inspection as far as the limitations on driving I am always on the way home from a show, club meeting, or have just worked on my car and road testing it. What can they say, no your not WTF

73, Dark Blue 454

If you're registering an out-of-state vehicle in TX for the first time, yes, it will need to pass a safety inspection once, unless you apply for a "Title Only" registration for a car that isn't driven on the streets.

The initial out-of-state registration requires a 'blue sheet' provided by the inspection station. Whether or not it requires a sniff test is determined by what county you live. Here in Austin (Travis County) it's required. In the county next door, Williamson, it's not. Cars older than 25 years (actual build date; not model years) are exempt from the sniff test.

As stated above. It's best to register your rig as an antique and be done with inspections, and you'll reduce the registration process from a yearly PITA to once every five years. 2013 is the next time we'll all have to renew our antique registrations, then 2018, 2023, etc. Technically, with antique plates, you're driving is to be limited to parades, car shows, and 'routine maintenance'.

No cop in TX to my knowledge, has ever cited an antique car for driving outside those guidelines.

If you're ever pulled over, simply state that you're out getting air for your tires or looking for a place that can align the front end of your 79 Corvette, or whatever. I own a bunch of classics, all with TX antique plates, and never had a problem whatsoever.

Good luck!

milo30

Just take it in and get it inspected. They have never opened the hood or looked under it before. They check lights, e brake and tires basically then put a sticker on it. When they have to sniff it the state gets the info showing that it passed on the computer. When they don't sniff the state just gets a record of the sticker number so the testers don't get too far into it. Take it to a small station and see what kind of attitude the tester has.

L88Plus

I've never had 'em put anything on a lift to check for cats, etc. and I sure can't tell on a 'vette, too low for me to see anything under the car.
With the kids that work in these stations now, they'll be awed by Batman's car and forget what they're supposed to check. Horn, lights and brakes, you're good to go.
73 is right with regards to transferring the title to Texas, it'll have to have a detailed safety inspection plus all the fun paperwork. I tried to do a title only transfer last year, they wouldn't do it with an out-of-state title, but it's definitely possible with a vehicle already registered in Texas.
I just can't get used to the idea of a C-3 carrying an antique plate....they still look modern, IMHO.