During my escapdes with the state of Virginia's Safety Inspection, the guy inspecting my car said it would be illegal to put true duals on my 76 Vette....even if I had cats on both pipes (at the time of inspection). Anyone know if this is true? Thanks

 

Unless the car was originally equipped that way (which it wasn't), it may not be legal even if you double up on the converters.

 

So if I have a cat on each exhasut pipe, it may not be illegal? What I was planning was to just get two cheap cats to through on when I get it inspected since it does not need to pass a smog test....

But this guy was convinced that it would be illegal

 

I'm not familiar with Virginia's requirements but if there is a visual inspection, dual cats may not pass.

It doesn't matter if a car blows daisies and butterflies out of the exhaust, many states will flunk a car just on a visual inspection. Go figure.

Smart thinking, huh?

 

This is based on a very ill-conceived law that states the car must have all its original emissions equipment in place. This includes a single cat/y-pipe configuration.

Doesn't matter if you have better, newer equipment and your car runs as clean as a whistle. The law is the law, no matter how bureaucratic in nature!!! :flag


[Modified by page62, 11:33 AM 8/8/2002]

 

6-7 years ago, that sort of thing is the main reason why I bought a '72....
no egr, no cats, ture duals,..L48 engine= no air pump....
the rest is easily faked....
course it's all modified and fuel injected these days, but still not a problem as no one is looking....
didn't in maryland either....too old....

GENE

 

You should not have any problems. See the VA DMV page on emission testing. It quotes:

"Certain motor vehicles are exempted from emissions inspections. This includes:

Any gasoline powered passenger or property carrying vehicle with a model year that is more than 25 model years old before January 1 of the current calendar year and with a manufacturer's designated gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less (i.e. on January 1, 2001, vehicles with a model year of 1976 are exempt from emissions; on January 1, 2002, vehicles with a model year of 1977 are exempt from emissions).
These vehicles also fall within the definition of "Antique Motor Vehicles". However, a vehicle that is twenty-five or more model years old does not have to display antique license plates to be exempt from emissions requirements."

You might want to look into antique plates and other benefits the antique status gives you including insurance.

Hope this helps.

 

Laws are rules, and we all know that C3 owners must occasionally break
the rules - if not always. :D

I have failed a visual inspection before - for similar reasons. I put a 302
in my 81 mustang - ! bam ! - failed because it was 1 of 2 years that never had the 302 available. "Sorry - but you'll have to put the old 4 cyl back in."
Yeah right !!

The solution : You must find an inspection station that would be likely
to overlook (or forgive) such superceding changes. Maybe NH is a bit more
laid-back than VA. My '75 passed each time WITHOUT cats - straight duals.
Last time around - the guy put the sticker on and then pointed out to me
that I was MISSING a rear body mount - no rubber - no bolt - nothing - but
it got a sticker !!!

Some shops are just more forgiving to a classic muscle car. Some shops stay
open late - just to re-read the "rule" book. :jester

:seeya

 

The guy is correct - true duals on ANY 76 corvette irrespective of how many cats you mount is illegal in every state of the union. This is a Federal law, it is not changed by whether or not your car is exempt under state emissions laws from testing, the federal law still applies.

This does not mean that people dont have these and that you cant get away with it. If there is no testing (or inspection like in VA) then do what you want , who's gonna know?

Virginias smog laws are weak (at least were when I lived in Roanoke) but the state inspection which includes visual inspection of the required componants is stiff and they are constantly running sting operations to catch guys passing non-compliant cars - I know a freind of mine was a licensed inspector and he passed a car in one of those stings - lost his license for a few years.

 

Yep, they are in fact illegal. Typical moronic bureaucrats. I'd rather have to pass a sniffer than deal with the visual. My ZZ4 in my camaro passed sniffer with flying colors, but the guy wouldn't pass the visual unless I bolted up an EGR valve. :mad

So, I just grabbed one out of the yard and bolted it up. Did it work? No. Did it pass emissions? Yes. Did it come off THAT NIGHT? You betcha.

Getting through the state inspection so far has been much easier than getting through the visual emissions test. I know plenty of places I can get the state done at. I don't know any crooked emissions shops.

I think this is typical of the idiotic mindset present in government--My 84 Camaro blows cleaner than my LS1, but it's techinically illegal because of no EGR valve and dual cats.

When it comes time to do the 'vette, I plan on doing true duals with dual converts and an H/X-pipe after the cats. It won't be an issue at ANY time except emissions, and I'll have the thing welded in such a way that I can unbolt and swap out the center section if it becomes an issue at inspection time.

Personally, I intend to obey the spirit of the law--clean exhaust. If I break the letter of the law in the process, well, to hell with 'em. The '79 has got about the stinkiest exhaust I've smelled in a LONG time, but it passes emissions. :rolleyes: There's nothing more short-sighted than a gubbermint bureacrat.

It's even techinically illegal to move the location of the cat at ALL from the factory spot. Any one with half a brain can see that positioning the cat closer to the motor helps emissions (in fact, that's been the trend with the OEMs--my 99 has the cat on one side bolted right to the manifold). Granted, you probably shouldn't move it farther back... All this crap could have been avoided if the laws had been worded properly, but as is typical, the lawmakers don't know their butt from a hole in the ground.


Here's the text directly from the Code of VA:

-------------------------------------------------------

§ 46.2-1048. Pollution control systems or devices.

No motor vehicle registered in the Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways in the Commonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system, device, or combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal laws and regulations.

It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, as herein described, on the highways in the Commonwealth with its pollution control system or device removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.

It shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways in the Commonwealth a motor vehicle, as described in this section, equipped with any emission control system or device unless it is of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use upon the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment.

No motor vehicle, as described in this section, shall be issued a safety inspection approval sticker unless it is equipped as provided under the foregoing provisions of this section or if it violates this section.

The provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments or replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of engines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or propane, so long as such action does not degrade the antipollution capabilities of the vehicle power system.

-----------------------------------------


[Modified by 84ZZ4, 1:48 PM 8/9/2002]

 

You should have your FAX by now. If I can be of any more assistance, just drop me a line.

 

Yes, as others have said, it is a violation of a Federal law. However, if you increase the diameter of your single pipe by 50%, you will double the pipe's area making it equal to the flow of a true dual system and still pass the visual. A 3" pipe flows the same as 2 2" pipes. If the 25 year rule applies, that is the best solution. If someone has a newer car, the larger pipe might make for a close alernative.

Chuck

 

I believe it's true. But...

I know a guy who did this...

He took his original exhaust off (including mufflers, cats, manifolds) because he knew that the muffler shops wouldn't remove cats because it's illegal. He replaced the manifolds with headers and drove down to a shop with open headers. I heard he had a lot of fun doing this on a Saturday AM at 7:00AM. The muffler shop then reinstalled true duel. To avoid getting caught at inspection, this sly fellow registered his Vette as an antique vehicle, which according to VA law, NEVER has to be inspected again. :D