I have justg gone through the excercise of getting a new piece of paper
from the smog police to hand to the new buyer of my 67 B/GT. An
excercise in total idiocy, if there ever was one.
Took the car to the shop the shop that smogged it last year for my
annual registration for a "test sniff" knowing it wouldn't pass. Sure
enough, 2000 ppm - off the dial. Operator proudly annouced it a "gross
polluter" in the "you've just molested my child" tone of voice. I said
see you later, and headed for the MGB specialist. The following day, and
$261 poorer, I had my certificate to hand to the new owner. (He's not on
the list). Allowable emission, 600ppm, mine 149, emmitting like a Honda.
The B shop explained how it's done. He fusses with the ignition timing
and carburetion while testing with his own sniffer. Then, with the car
barely able to move, he goes down the street about 200 yards to the smog
shop. The test is of course, passed with flying colors, since it's
detuned to do so. The smogger knows perfectly well that it is the same
car that was yesterday's "gross polluter". The car then limps back to
the MG shop, first gear all the way of course, and is then retuned so it
runs fine. Of course, if it went back to the smog shop, it would have
been transformed, like Cinderella. back into a G/P. Is this crazy or
what?
There's another factor. I'm not sure that the B shop put in any 4 1/2
hours labor. They don't have to, they have a license to print money. If
you don't go through the detune/tune process, you don't pass. No pass,
no registration, no selling. Your car is worth zero. $261 to get rid of
the dog is not a bad price.
Incidentally, I have no idea how many B's there are in San Diego north
county, but there were about 20 of them in the MG shop. It tells you
something.
I'm still curious how the B's ever passed smog when they were newer,
like in the 70s. Have the ppm specs been upped over the car's original
emissions???
I also learned, as recent smogees know, that there is no smog
"certificate" anymore. The data is modemed out of the analyser directly
to DMV in Sacramento. Thus, if your car does not pass, I presume the
smog police know it almost before the owner. Is this part of Smog II?
Any other CA post-66 B owners having smog blues?
Bill Harkins
Fallbrook, CA
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