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Date:         Thu, 4 Sep 2008 01:01:29 -0400
Reply-To:     Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Subject:      Re: John Wessels Glori's Import offering Zetec & Subie engine
              conversions
Comments: To: Jeffrey Vickers <jeff@vickersdesign.com>
In-Reply-To:  <DC930B8B-A8A6-4121-9EF5-E82493D5020D@vickersdesign.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

No, unfortunately it's not possible to obtain an EO for swaps from anything 96(OBDII) and newer simply because the CARB refuses to look at it(a soft policy decision it seems). The zone III loophole and potentially a case by case BAR sticker(we're working on an attempt) are the only options in CA that aren't illegal outright, and things are getting much worse for CA folks faster by the minute. Not only did they roll out the LPFET(Low pressure Fuel Evaporative Test) and not grandfather anything, they are quickly approaching new legislation that is looking more an more like Japanese and German efforts to legally force fleet overturn(which they really need in CA), but the problem is even people that are trying to help are going to get caught in the wave and pressed out. It'll be exceedingly difficult to own a vanagon in coming years I would imagine.

The new legislation for catalytic converters just went into effect in July making it impossible to buy a used certified catalytic converter(which can be read big OEM bucks if you need a new cat, esp since no aftermarket SULEV cats have gotten CARB certification either which will start to matter for early 00 vehicles getting older), and they dumped all CAP(consumer assistance program) funding repair assistance, if it's done and you can't spring for it, you're done and you have to buy another car which presumably you can't since you can't afford to repair the old one. Jan 1, 2010 the new diesel emissions testing for GVWR<12,000lbs starts as well, so if you have pie in the sky dreams of a newer TDI in your vanagon that won't be able to happen anymore either since there is no way you're going to be able to maintain the full emissions system in a vanagon conversion with the tdi. I always thought it was completely backwards that the diesel conversions(which tend to be gross polluters by gas standards) were a loophole, and you could convert to diesel from gas and not need a smog check.. especially where they are so utterly consumed with particulate emissions now.... but that's been taken care of and will stop in just over a year.

Slowly and surely they are sewing up the loopholes, and getting more cutthroat in their aim to remove old cars from the road... I can see where they are coming from since the percent of cars over 100k miles registered in CA jumped from 17% to 41% in only five years(95-00) and caused a nice push for the legislation that is coming on-line today... it is a perfect storm of popular cause, misinformation, doing the right thing, and not caring(odd combo but it's working)... but unfortunately as they try to reach the big goal, folks like us are going to get crushed in the melee. It makes no difference that the conversion is demonstrably WAY cleaner than not only the original engine, but also the ej22 conversion which IS still legal. It also makes no difference that we can make a light truck(vanagon) into an SULEV in two days... they don't want a clean vanagon, they want a clean new car. A clean vanagon doesn't put any money into the pockets of the people they need help and understanding from(the car companies and EPA, which is effectively the car companies again) to pass the most aggressive mobile source emissions legislation in the world. They are doing the right thing, and doing it for the right reasons, but it still ticks me off since there is zero room to account for any scope other than the fleet itself it seems. I would think there will be a backlash at some point, but there seems to be no slowdown, and things are picking up speed in the other direction still. I'm glad I don't live in CA, I would feel ignored and betrayed while torn since it is actually the right approach given the circumstances. We'll see what happens when we get to a BAR ref when the time comes, but even then there will never be a guarantee for the next guy... and it'll add about $1500 to the cost of conversion. I still haven't given up, and we will eventually find a solution that works for die-hard owners, but not many will likely be left around by then it would seem.

*sigh*

Jim Akiba

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 7:34 PM, Jeffrey Vickers <jeff@vickersdesign.com> wrote: > Did Zetec get a a CA CARB exemption? > > Jeff > > > > On Sep 3, 2008, at 3:50 PM, Automatic digest processor wrote: > >> Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:45:42 -0700 >> From: Dave Mari <vw4x41987@YAHOO.COM> >> Subject: John Wessels Glori's Import offering Zetec & Subie engine >> conversions >> >> John Wessels Glori's Import shop is now offering Zetec & Subie >> engine conve= >> rsions, see below:) >> =A0 >> >> >> --- On Wed, 9/3/08, euromog@aol.com <euromog@aol.com> wrote: >> >> From: euromog@aol.com <euromog@aol.com> >> Subject: [syncro.org] Now offering engine conversions >> To: Syncro@yahoogroups.com, syncrolist@yahoogroups.com >> Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 3:34 PM >


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