> The latest vandals with that attitude are in our Oklahoma State
> Legislature; I was advised yesterday morning that they are
> developing a
> secret plan to require emissions tests on all vehicles
> starting in 2005.
All vehicles, or just those in Tulsa and/or OKC?
> The citizens of the State demanded a while back that the Oklahoma
> "safety check" be abandoned, so they no longer require it. It was a
> bogus deal anyway. Now it seems they plan to bring it back, but with
> California-style enviro-wacky fascist rules based on bad "science."
I can't say that I dislike safety inspections. Yes, they provide room
for the shop to abuse people, and there is plenty of ways to get your
approval without the car ever being looked at. But for the population
at large, it makes sure that the car gets a going-over on a regular
basis. However, the way it was done in OK was a bit silly. A
Jiffy-Lube is hardly equipped to do a proper vehicle inspection.
While I was living in Tulsa, there were frequent non-attainment days for
pollution levels. If these continued, it would mean things like an
emissions inspection program. So this shouldn't have been a big shock.
I can't imagine them having this program in anything but the
metropolitan areas. For example, in Missouri, we have emissions testing
for the St. Louis area, but the rest of the state, including Kansas
City, doesn't. (KC tends to always have air moving, so they don't get
the high smog levels building up.)
> The person who told me this is very well informed and also
> said that so
> far there's no exemption provision for classic cars and
> collector cars.
Probably not one explicity stated, but chances are there will be a
cutoff year. For example, in our program, no vehicle earlier than 1971
is tested at all. Newer cars do a dyno test. Cars like my 79 B do an
idle test.
A local club member has been working with a state legislator on getting
the cutoff year changed from the fixed 1971 date to a rolling date 25
years before the current model year. Currently, cars over 25 years old
are eligible for 'collector car' plates, and if fitted with them don't
require the inspection, although you're theoretically limited in use of
the vehicle. State DNR, who administers the clean air program, has
agreed to back the change.
So definitely talk to your state rep, ask them what they know, and see
if they can introduce amendments to be sure your cars will be exempt.
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