Date:         Mon, 15 Jul 1996 10:05:37 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         natasha!kombi@adobe.mv.us.adobe.com
Subject:      Re: Emissions laws (was: VW Customer Relations & reality check) slim VW

> So SyncroHead@aol.com says:
> > 
> > The smog may not be gone and it may never be, but it's a LOT less smoggy than
> > it used to be.  
> 
> I sure do hear differing stories on this.  Now I'd be more inclined to believe
> someone that lives there rather than one that doesn't.  Do the rest of you that
> live in the LA basin agree with Jim on this?
> 
> Steven 
> Sacramento, CA
> sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com
> 
> 
I used to commute between Huntington Beach and Long Beach in 1973.  I remember
quite distictly the *first* time I saw Signal Hill, I was amazed.  I had been
driving literally right by this landmark for weeks without being able to see
it.  We're talking visibilities in the under-a-half-mile range here, IFR
weather for planes.  It is much improved from the '70s (which was probably
the worst point) but it seems to be deteriorating again, probably just because
the city is bigger every year.  Now I commute across the central valley, and
that appears to be much worse now than it used to be, but the growth there
is phenomenal (and the inversion-layer problems worse than the LA basin).
The central valley is the "Big Valley" of old TV show fame, BTW, and holds
such cities as Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto and Stockton.  I
really believe that all of the smog laws work fine.  We are not subject to the
periodic inspections here -- only when you buy and sell cars.  I have, however,
a 1976 Toyota Landcruiser that I cannot sell.  It runs fine, but had thermal
reactor as original equipment.  These are not available, and are all dead on
all cars that had them, basically.  I keep mine packed away, hoping it will
pass one more inspection sometime.  It is stupid beaurocracy that won't let
me easily swap for a newer engine that passes more readily (it is possible
to do this, just alot of hassle).

I drove a '57 until this year, but have no problem in running a waterboxer
now.  If anything, it is a better engine (IMO).  If I ever build another
old one, I'll certainly consider putting an early Vanagon engine into it,
complete with the hall-effect distributor and FI.  I only wish that VW had
put the Jetronic injection on instead...

malcolm