Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:03:43 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: My VanaJetta Conversion Passed Emissions!!
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well...................
new York Times is just reporting that Obama is taking steps to promote, or
insure high mileage cars being produced by US manufactures ...........
AND...........here's the really bad news......
the way is now cleared for California to set their own smog laws......
there was a big hullabaloo over this about a year or two ago........and
basically the EPA under the Bush Admin said that the Feds have say over what
the emissions laws are , and that California has to be in line with
that......
but NOW........
California is going to be able to do what THEY WANT with emissions
requirements.
now would be a really good time btw............to try to get a 'car
collector's clause' into the California state emissions laws.....
to allow 'well done, properly running, and sometimes with more modern
engines in them ' in older cars.
And a 80 something to 1991 Vangon is for sure an 'older car' to Ca.
They want all these cars off the road.
that's why they currently don't allow less polluting OBD-II engines in our
beloved vanagons in Ca.
Obviously............these more modern engines pollute less, and get better
fuel mileage.....
but in Ca ............whew.................take a deep breathe.......
it appears they want to drive the common person into new small
cars.........hybrids or electrics........
and ......man, what really gets me is.......it Appears that most legislative
houses, senates etc......the 'law makers' are ALL. ....pretty rich home
owners, driving pretty nice , expensive and newish cars......
like 'the common person' doesn't count, or is not who they wish to
encourage............they wish to encourage THEIR life style and hippies and
others less than wealthy can go somewhere else ...I guess.
On the Federal Level with Oboma I expect that factor to not be too
strong........that he was elected by common folk..........that he won't
forget them.
when I see George and Laura ..........I don't think they can even BEGIN to
relate to what the common person just trying to pay the bills goes through.
And it's a republican governor in California of course........
he's pushing to be a world leader in lowering greenhouse gases ........
fine.......but.......
it's reasonable that a few thousand vanagons owners, ....or a few ten
thousand can operate those cars , in good condition, with clean tail pipe
emissions.........for the foreseeable future.
I believe we should get going on a petition about this to the Ca
government......
I believe that.............we have one member here who was the liaison with
smog shops I think.......
so he already knows people in the Ca gov and the automotive emissions
world.........
now is an EXTRA good time to push for some 'car collector's Rights '
...........!
and I would say.........that should include the Right of Freedom FROM
draconian, non-logical, over zealous, emissions testing.
you know.........by golly, Ca should PAY people with Vanagons to put in 2000
and something engines with lower emissions.
if case anyone doesn't know.........
they are not logical about. Logic would say to check the tail pipe
emissions, the evap system etc.
but they are anal..........and into the silliest details........
Yes, individual smog refs can be reasonable at times for sure..........but
if you go strictly by the laws.........they can say ......
well, your SVX engine in your AWD syncro is not 'original configuration'
.........therefore you can't do it.
which is stupid.
And stop 'em here.........
cause many states, 5 already in the NE I believe............want to follow
California's lead.
I even predict............it could get this insane............states PAY
California to run their smog programs............now that would be
Sick.......but that's the Big Brother way we're headed............
we need to fight, now......
if we don't ............heck, in 15 years.......
there's a chance there won't even be driving as we know it now.
you might have to program your car on your computer when you want to go
somewhere, and you don't even drive........'the big brother computer
system' drives you car. It is heading that way, sure hope I'm wrong.....
but we need to fight for the common person and reasonable rights , and just
plan Reason in Emissions testing and laws.
and paradoxically.......going by land area.........at least 80 % of the US
is not covered by smog laws. Or some huge area.
So, out in the boonies, the cars are unsafe sometimes, never inspected or
checked by anyone........it's bad. some real wrecks running around.
At least when there are smog checks......the car has to be mostly
right.......and in some states of course there are yearly or bi-yearly
fairly rigorous safety inspections. ........thank goodness.
about no smog checks in remote areas.......
Take the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.....
they don't have an smog checks because whatever car emissions there are blow
inland and the air is pretty clean most of the time.
But you can drive a car getting 8 mpg there, and emitting 10 times the HC of
a regular well-running car.......
and nothing, absolutely nothing will ever come of it. Such drivers pollute
all they want, and heck.........they might not even KNOW .......kinda silly
aye...........make it crazy tough for people in the smog areas of Ca
............let people drive any polluting wreck out in the hinterlands.
I'm in favor of reasonable smog checks.....primarily what comes out of the
tail pipe, regardless of what engine is upstream of the tail pipe.
But we need to get a foot in the door in Ca about a Car Collector's
Clause......say for 20 year old cars that are still modern enough to be
viable. .........need to work on that now, before it's too late.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: My VanaJetta Conversion Passed Emissions!!
> Good deal, Neil. Glad to hear you're good with the State. It sounds like
> BC has at least a clue, when it comes to testing for emmissions. Run the
> rig and measure what comes out rather than going by all kinds of CARB
> rules. After all, isn't the whole reason we have vehicle emmissions
> standards to "limit vehicular air pollution"?
> I find it pretty stupid of our governments that they get
> so 'sidetracked' when it comes to vehicle laws. When I see a couple
> driving around in a 50' diesel pusher motorhome towing a Humvee...I have
> to wonder if that puts less crap into the air than say an "Illegal" 2.5L
> Subie powered vanagon..
> Or, here's one...My pal needed a new vehicle recently. He found through
> his accountant that if he bought one that weighed over 6000lbs, he could
> get a $25k tax break. So rather than buying the small station
> wagon/SUV..honda or something he was looking at(at almost 33mpg) he ended
> up shopping by weight! Got himself a GMC behomoth SUV at 6019lbs..Dealer
> price of $27...minus the tax rebate of $25k that was just $2 grand from
> his own pocket...Government subsidized air pollution....That really helps
> with the air quality, eh? He got about 18mpg on the highway on it's maiden
> voyage..
> Don Hanson