thank god i live in colorado!!!!!!!

 

Here was my experience with a SMOG Referee.

Note- this was many years ago, but I believe they have gotten stricter.

I did a V6 engine swap into a mini pick-up BEFORE the bi-annual SMOG checks and before all the mini truck manufacturers starting making V6 models. They were all four cylinder engines. (circa 1983ish)

The SWAP involved a Mercury V6 with headers, 4barrel carb, manifold, and a healthy cam. It was stripped of all SMOG parts. I put it in a Chevy Luv pick-up that ran incredible!!!

The Bi-annual SMOG checks started and being much younger and less experienced, I took the advice of a SMOG shop. He said he would have to fail it, send me to a referee.... then they would give me a "grandfather clause" exemption... I was an idiot!!!

The referee met me at the car with a fairly thick stack of books. He inspected the vehicle and engine referencing every vehicle and engine number he found. He then made the following decision;

The engine was newer than the car, so I had to meet ALL the SMOG requirements of the engine year.

The headers, carb, and manifold had to be returned to stock. (He missed the cam)

All applicable SMOG gear for that year (pumps, hoses, valves, etc) must be added to the engine.
The conversion kit moved engine accessories around on custom brackets. The referee said I would have to: move the alternator and power steering to the original positions to attached the appropriate SMOG pump, or I would have to pay a fabricator to custom fit & make custom brackets to add SMOG gear.

His investigation/decision was final. I could not get a current registration without a referee signing off on my work. AND, even back then, the car made it into a computer database......

The fix would have cost me way more than the truck was worth, if all that stuff could have been fit onto the engine at all......

Luckily I owned the truck and had a pink slip, so all I could do was sell it to a guy in Arizona. He had no problem registering the truck, but I took a big hit.

Bottom line: You will need to see a referee to conform with the ticket. The referee WILL check the books and know what is allowed with your car and what is not. You will HAVE to return it to stock, or at least any part the referee flags.

I believe it's too late to find a friendly SMOG shop, the Genie has left the bottle........ I understand your pain my friend.....

That is why I will not make a mod without a CARB EO# again.

If the car was sold to you in California, as a California registered car, you do have recourse against the prior owner. The vehicle code clearly states the SMOG cert. is the owners responsibilty when selling the car.

Good luck to you....

 

What a bunch of crap! I'm glad I'm in Oklahoma!

 

sorry to hear about your problem it just sounds like a huge pita good luck

 

Wow ... I thought living in "Tax Everything Moving New Jersey" was bad. Good luck......

 

 

Yes, I'd take out the headers, CAI then take it in.
The Nitrous is a maybe, probably a good idea though.

 

Sorry but I just have to say this!


You people out in CA have let the government get TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL! Get organized and take you state back from the enviro *****! If they try that crap here will fight like our lives depend on the outcome,,,,BECAUSE WITHOUT FREEDOM THERE IS NO LIFE WORTH LIVING!


Vettes are one of the most enviro friendly cars on the planet! That is a fact! Defend them!


Us Okies will not go down to this kind of crap without a fight the libs will soon forget!



LIBERALS FIRST,,,,,CANCER SECOND!



Man made globull warming, my A$$!

 

The headers, intake, and intake manifold will be an issue. The nitrous is as well.

The earlier post about the seller has to smog the car is correct. If the car is under 5 years old, then there is no requirement to smog. If the car is older, the seller HAS to smog it. I would not contact the seller about the modifications. Do your own research! Then, I would get some legal help on what to do next.


Also, you said "loud" Vette. Your car needs to be under 95dB.

 

You obviously never lived in a big city with tens of thousands of cars jamming the streets. Back in the 70s and 80s, before smog laws were as strict as they are, your eyes would literally sting as you drove through LA and other heavily populated areas. Cities in China and Mexico are currently worse than that because of their lack of smog controls. Today, I rarely see that thick yellow haze any more, so yes, I'd rather have to forgo the big cam, headers, and giant injectors if it means that my kids and generations who come after them won't have to die young from cancer-causing smog.

As I mentioned previously, superchargers are perfectly legal here and 500-600 RWHP out of a C5 is plenty of clean power for me.

And by the way, the average temperature here in San Diego is well over 60:
http://www.cityrating.com/cityweathe...city=San+Diego

and it often never rains at all between April and November, so before you knock California, come out and see what it's like. The weather far outweighs the minor inconveniences of swapping out an aftermarket intake every two years.

 

In Kalifornia , CARB requires that ALL aftermarket combustion related / emission components be CARB approved and have a CARB number displayed at the time of emission inspection and testing. Period!

The CARB referee will not grant an exemption cert for adding/ replacing or tampering with any of the engine, engine controls or emission devices.http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/replace.htm


In Kalifornia the seller is required to provide a smog cert at the time of sale. Did you see the smog cert when you bought this car? There are many ways pass the visual inspection and emission testing , all of which are illegal but done none the less to unsuspecting buyers. If you have the last smog receipt , take the car to that shop. Or if you were told that the modified car was smog legal , you have cause for a civil lawsuit base on possible illegal smog cert and non disclosure by the seller.


EDITORIAL; Dave68 is correct in pointing out why there is a need for pollution control devices on vheicles , particularly in heavly populated areas. Being 57 y/o and living in the San Fransico Bay area most of my life , I recall smog alert days where it was advised to stay in doors because of the heavy pollution. I recall no being able to see our local mountain ( Mt Diablo 3200 ft elevation ) from ten miles away.

Emission controls have made life better since 1966 and we have spent BILLIONS of dollars to make vehicles 98.9% pollution free, but CARB and the EPA have lost their minds as they continue to spend BILLIONS to get that last 1.1%. It is not cost effective ( look at the latest 100 BILLION dollar mandate placed on the US auto mfg'er's by congress to produce a 'green' car).

 

In reading your comments it is apparent you fully understand the impact of runaway government and it's thirst for more and more regulation. Logic, which is in short supply in Kalifornia, should indicate the true compliance test of a vehicle should be what exits the exhaust -- meeting the emissions limits regardless of modifications should be all that matters especially in a two-mode dynamic test. The CARB is currently attempting to get authority to snoop into our ECU and determine if ANY modification has been made to the original programming. Good grief, little rain and a warm climate don't justify too much government intervention of any type...that is just Kalifornia lunacy. Apology to the OP for off-topic.

Back to the OP, Dieseldave56 is correct in stating that the referee will not grant an exemption for non-CARB certified components installed on the vehicle that remains registered for street use. The previous owner had to provide an emissions test that indicated passing current vehicle requirements for both visual equipment and exhaust emissions in order for the OP to re-register in his name. Attacking the emissions test station and the previous owner may prove an uphill battle as both can indicate the car was OK prior to the OPs ownership. Besides, I find it chilling that anyone here would advise the OP to consider finger pointing after the fact as the OP was no doubt a bit pleased to have the modifications...all too convenient. The CARB would appreciate nothing more than justification to encourage more CHP underhood checks to start a feeding frenzy against "friendly" testing facilities.

The CHP heavy hand now implicates the current owner as the one who made the modifications thus he is responsible for correcting the problem. The OP may do well to locate a local Corvette shop that will probably have OEM components in storage and work out a swap (temporary or permanent). Yes, it will cost money for labor but that will satisfy the referee and cease additional demands. What the OP does from that point is only limited by his willingness to risk getting caught and going through this all over again. Perhaps if he tames down the after-cat exhaust (OP indicated "loud" vette) he might not draw the attention of the CHP.

Kinda funny how the CHP has not had too much concern enforcing emissions equipment violations until the warm and sunny State once again falls into dire financial conditions. The largest portion of the CHP budget comes from vehicle registration fees and vehicle citations. It is only going to get worse as the Feds add strength to States to enforce forthcoming air quality regulations related to the myth of "global warming" and it's attendent fears. Yeah, it just never ends...

A1

 

I am not disagreeing with you, but you might want to switch to decaf.

 

That is true about a car less than 5 years old, but you are also required to have a smog check whenever you change title.

 

If shipping was not an issue, I would take you up on that offer.

The smog hassle is not worth the 5rwhp gain.

 

That REALLY sucks!

 

Actually, it's more like a 10+ RWHP gain, but this is why I warn Californians about installing any smog-illegal component/subassembly that takes many hours to swap out when smog testing is due. I specifically chose an intake filter system that can be removed in 30 minutes or less. It increased my RWHP by 12 and with some one-time modification, is now a true CAI system.

Headers are nice, but a smog-legal supercharger is far nicer when it comes to increasing HP.

 

That's interesting. The dyno charts I've come across actaully had less than 5 rwhp increase for that product (averaged over 3 tests). The manufacturer will claim otherwise. Knowing that actual results can and will vary, I would be interested in anyone posting before and after results (dyno charts) for any of the aftermarket intakes. Quite often the manufacturer will grossly exagerate the estimated hp gain.

 

This is why I'll install shorties.....

 

There are more modfiied, custom, and exotic cars in our state than most of the other states combined. We some of the best tracks in the country, the best driving roads, and easily the some of the best weather. I have A&A not more than 10 miles away from me so there is NO shortage of good shops around, nor shortage of high HP cars. Hell, it seems like a majority of the performance vendors are here is well.

We are the center of car-culture of the US despite our strict emission laws. Everyone drives here, so our reality is not the same as most of you in the rest of the country.

I'm not really happy with CARB rules either, but seriously this CA bashing is just stupid and childish.