Date:         Thu, 28 Mar 1996 11:51:10 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Schwarze <des@teleport.com>
Subject:      Re: what year did california get it's own bus?

Ron Lussier writes:
> 
> >The good news is, you don't have to add CA smog equipment to your non-
> >CA car once you pay the fine. Law here simply says that the car must have
> >all its original-type smog equipment for the time and place it was first
> >sold as new. Smog inspection stations here, have lists of both CA and
> >non-CA equipment. Keep a copy of your present registration, so later you
> >can prove to them that yours is a non-CA car (if there aren't already
> >stickers in the engine compartment saying so).
> 
> This isn't true, actually.  When I moved here (in 1990), I was not required
> to pay any fee for my 1987 Golf.  It may only be true for cars that emit
> excessive pollutants.  (If this is the case, GOOD!  Polluters should be
> fined.)

The above paragraph written by S. Maher is completely true.  My camper
is a non-California car that is not required to have all of the
emissions goodies that '73 California busses had.  Suprising, since
my camper was outfitted in California.

The way I understand it is this:  There is a special sticker under the
hood of a car which proves that the car meets California emissions
standards for that year.  If you have the sticker, you can register the
car in California for the normal fee.  If you don't have the sticker
(like my camper) you have to pay the surcharge, but thereafter you only
have to meet the more lenient federal emission equipment standard.

It may be that newer cars that are "50 state legal" all have this
sticker, and therefore can be brought in from out of state without
penalty.  That's my guess.

As for excessive pollutants, doesn't it depend on your definition of
excessive?  My bus pollutes hundreds of times more than a new EV, but it
is 100% smog legal and in tune.  Should I be fined?

-David

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David Schwarze                   '73 VW Safare Custom Camper       (Da Boat)
San Diego, California, USA       '73 Capri GT 2800                (Da Beast)
e-mail: des@teleport.com         '87 Mustang Lx 5.0          (13.986@100.81)
http://www.teleport.com/~des     '93 Weber WG-50                  (Da Piano)
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