> The most onerous portion of the new bill is the statement "The motor
> vehicle complies with the exhaust emissions standards for that motor
> vehicle's class and model year as prescribed by the department".
> This does
> not mean that your classic car has to meet the standards that
> were in effect
> when it was new. Rather, it means that it has to meet whatever standards
> the "Department" decides it wants to impose on your vehicle's "class and
> model year". There is nothing in the law to stop the State from
> deciding to
> enact standards that are impossible to attain.
I think that's just a bit overstated, Hugh ... after all, that portion also
states that those cars do NOT get tested for tailpipe emissions. It pretty
much had to be worded the way it was, because for many of those cars there
was no emissions standard in effect when it was new. And when you include
the clause about not testing these cars, the only remaining possibility is
that the CARB could require some additional emissions equipment to be
installed. (This was the case for a 1967 Plymouth Valiant that I used to
own, the additional equipment was effectively a vacuum leak with a filter on
it.)
> There are a couple of other things that a non-PRC resident may not
> be aware of:
> 1) Any mechanic in CA has the right to not smog check your car for any
> reason whatsoever (including the fact that he may be unfamiliar with you
> make/model/year of car). In some areas of CA, it's often hard to find
> mechanics that are familiar with old British cars. It's the
> owner's problem
> (not the state's) to find someone to smog their car.
This is no longer the case. If you cannot find someone to smog your car,
you can contact the local smog referee, and they will direct you to a
station in your area that *will* inspect your car. If they are unable to do
so, you get a "pass" on inspection for the year.
The state will also assist you in finding replacement emissions parts (like
EGR valves and such). If they are unable to locate the part at a reasonable
price, you get a "pass" on the sniffer test.
I'll also say that the local inspection station I generally use will inspect
anything with wheels, whether they're familiar with it or not. When my
motorhome first became subject to smog inspection, I took it to them and it
was the first motorhome they had ever done. After about 3 trips trying to
get it clean enough (needed new plugs, then plug wires, then I leaned the
carb just a bit), the technician discovered that he was using the wrong
specifications ! Turns out his printed book did not list my application ...
but the computer in the (state mandated) test machine did. When we ran the
official test (rather than the pre-test that I always ask for), the higher
numbers came up and it passed with flying colors.
> Generally, our migrant population does not register or insure their
> cars (due to the cost)
I think this is a gross exaggeration. The state is very aggressive about
identifying cars without currect CA registration tags ... if the
registration is over 1 year out of date the car will be impounded on the
spot. Certainly there is some tag fraud ... but if you are stopped for any
other reason, they will check the DMV's database for current registration,
and false tags is another reason for impounding.
> 3) California's large numbers of farm equipment are completely exempt from
> ANY emissions requirements,
That's actually no longer true. SB700 was signed into law last year, and it
requires CARB to start enforcing smog standards against many classes of farm
equipment in 2005.
Randall
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