Date:         Tue, 28 Sep 2004 12:55:54 -0700
Reply-To:     Larry Edson <sonofed@KARMANNGHIA.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Larry Edson <sonofed@KARMANNGHIA.ORG>
In-Reply-To:  <200409281933.i8SJXR8l027916@shell3.tdl.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

There's another twist to this new law that hasn't been highly publicized.
Wording has been placed into it referring to the older vehicles as
collector cars. Then it tells you to go look up the definition elsewhere.
It turns out that the definition includes wording referencing collector
car insurance and by the time the legislators are done with their
gobbledegook language it appears that one might not be able to register an
older car as a daily driver anymore. I'm waiting nervously to find out how
this all plays out with DMV as my '85 Vanagon is the only car in the
household that doesn't fall under this definition.

Larry
sonofed@karmannghia.org
www.ghiatwins.homestead.com
 O o\ /o O

> Date:    Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:17:01 -0700
> From:    Jim Thompson <jim@KARMANNGHIA.COM>
> Subject: Re: new CA emissions standards
>
> The article in Boston.com News is a bit inaccurate as it reads:
>
> "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill requiring that cars 30 years
> and older be tested under California's strict smog regulations, closing a
> loophole over the protests of classic car collectors, including "Tonight
> Show" host Jay Leno."
>
> Actually, what was signed into law was this:
>
> Vehicles from the 1976 model year forward to present day are and will always
> be subjected to an emissions test on an every two-year basis (at the time of
> re-registration) (except for certain rural counties where it will be
> required only when the vehicle is sold).  Vehicles manufactured thru the
> 1975 model year are not subject to any emissions test either during
> re-registration or when the vehicle is sold.
>
> There is a catch to this - if ANY YEAR vehicle is found to be a Gross
> Polluter (as set forth in the Bureau of Automotive (BAR) and/or California
> Air Resources Board (CARB) standards), it is subject to be cited, repaired
> and tested before the vehicle is allowed to be used on the street.  How can
> they determine that a pre-76 vehicle is a Gross Polluter?  California has
> special portable sensors set up in not so obvious locations to take sample
> emissions from vehicles traveling by and they are capable of having taken a
> picture of the license plate of the suspect vehicle.  If they think your
> vehicle is polluting more than what their sensor is set up for, they contact
> you to have your vehicle tested, regardless of the year.  So, if your 69
> "Belchfire" is blowing smoke at the time you pass one of these sensors, you
> have to have it tested, inspected to make sure that all of the smog
> components originally installed at the factory are still present on that
> vehicle and these components still have to be functional as well.  A "sniff"
> test by itself won't clear the vehicle, everything else has to be there and
> working as well or the vehicle will not be allowed on the street.
>
> Some people ask how can you test a pre-76 vehicle (such as a 69 or whatever)
> if you don't have testing standards?  Well, up until the previous law was
> effective in the early 90s, vehicles back to 67 were subject to a sniff and
> visual test and the BAR still has those testing standards in their records
> to utilize.  66 and earlier vehicles may present some problem, but I'm sure
> the wicked wizards in Sacramento will devise some sort of testing standards.
>
> The previous law allowed a "rolling" year cut-off for requirements of having
> the vehicle tested or not, 1975 being the latest year just before this new
> law was signed.
>
> In some respects, the law is not as bad as some make it out to be.  At least
> the 73 Ghia I have won't be subject to smog tests and a greater portion of
> "classic hot rods" are before the 1976 model year.  OTOH, those portable
> sensors I mentioned previously can present a problem if you don't keep your
> "classic" in tune.
>
> Jim Thompson
> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> oldvolkshome@earthlink.net
> jim@karmannghia.com
> http://www.oldvolkshome.com
> ***********************