Viking88

Ok Guys, I just purchased a 1975 corvette (my first) from a guy in Arizona.
He replaced the original engine with a new 350 crate ,holley 4 barrel, custom air cleaner. In doing this he also removed all the smog equipment that was originally on the car including the cat. Specialty shops here tell me the carb has to go and the intake manifold will need to be replaced...add a catalytic converter..etc....
My Question now is I need to find out what parts need to be put on the car to make it smog legal in the state of California. My buddy and I are going to do most of the work. I just need to know where to start. Any Help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


:crazy:

TJKirby82CE

If I were you I would look into getting a waver. I BELIEVE that once you have spent a certian amount, even if you do not pass, the state will grant you a waver and register your car. I am not sure what the amount is but I bet it is less then what it would take to totally fix your car. Call the DMV and ask about it. Then I would find out when your car becomes exempt, maybe if you are luckey you can get a waver this year and you car will be exempt some time soon so you do not have to fork out all the $$. Again call the DMV and ask, or try their web site.-Travis

fauxrs

I guess my question would be..

How legal do you want to go? Just enough to pass? fully legal?

Here are the issues.

THERMAC: thermostaticly controlled air cleaner - will be required to pass visual inspection - this is usually a single snorkle enclosed air cleaner with or without a fresh air intake system. The great thing about this system is it can be replaced in a matter of seconds.

EGR: I dont think there is a single GM crate motor that comes with a heat crossover. If you car requires an EGR valves - which is highly likely, you could put on an EGR equipped manifold, but it would not work because the heads do not have the crossover. This would allow you to pass visual inspection, and may or may not hurt your chances of passing the tailpipe test. So obviously if you want to be visually legal - you install an EGR equipped manifold on your engine knowing that it will not function (the function of the EGR is sometimes tested, but rarely IMO), or you replace the heads and the manifold to be fully operational and legal.

EFE: If your car came with the early fuel evaporation system (heat riser it is often called) it may or may not still be installed (if you have headers it is most likely not installed) again something that is often looked for in the visual inspection and something you may be able to pass the tailpipe test without. Moderatly easy to install depending on the manifold type and level of corrosion - easy to defeat - more harm than good IMO

AIR: Air injection reactor - smog pump - it is possible your car required this piece but not necessarily. It helps a great deal in passing the tailpipe test and is usually looked for under the hood in visual inspections.Other than the light parasitic loss from the pump, which is lower than most believe I would bet (say as much as 5 HP, just a guess) this stuff doesnt really hurt - but it ugly as hell.

PCV: your car came with one - it does tons more good than harm - if the previous owner just pushed a pair of breathers in the valve covers (one each side) then reinstall this system.

EVAP: The evap system is comprised of the charcoal cannister and the fuel cap - and a bunch of hoses. Again there is no harm or parasitic loss due to this system - it is rarely checked in visual inspections (other than the gas cap) and has no effect on tailpipe emissions.

Exhaust: you car should be equipped with a 2-1-2 exhaust system of 2 to 2 1/2" diameter depending on the engine. If the front and rear y-pipes are still in place then it is just a matter of installing a new high flow cat . This one piece alone will help more than anything else in passing tailpipe emissions. It is often checked in the visual inspection.
This is the biggest problem with post 74 cars - this exhaust is a real choke point in performance. High flow cats can somewhat mitigate this problem, but the vette really wantws a dual exhaust.
Apart from some very clever wrangling with not so clever test stations there is no legal way you can have a dual exhaust on your car (with or without dual cats). You could of course have two exhaust systems - one for the testing year - the other for the rest of the time :D

Anyway - hope it helps - replacing all of the above can be quite expensive - but most of the parts can be had in a bone yard from other GM products (do not buy a corvette specific air pump, these are virtually identical to the one that came on your fathers oldsmobile, and thus can be found in junkyards for $5-10)

fauxrs

TJKirby makes a good point - exemption - Exemption occurs after 30 years - it a rolling exemption meaning that each year the level goes up. 30 years from 1975 is 2005, but since testing occurs once every two years (provided you dont fail or get nailed as a gross polluter, in which case it can become every year). so if your car passes the first time, you may only be required to do it twice.

This year prior to registration - 2002

two years hence - 2004

then the next year your car is exempt requiring no test.

I do not believe the idea of getting an exemption sticker based on cost will work - otherwise every hot rodder on the planet would have gone that route by now. The Kalifornia smog ***** arent nice but they arent stupid either :lol:

Here's another idea - is the car currently registered in AZ? Could you continue that registration? do that for a few years and all your troubles go away :smash:


[Modified by fauxrs, 7:44 AM 2/13/2002]

TJKirby82CE

I pretty sure that if you claim economic hardship, once you have spent $400.00 towards the correct equipment to smog your car, they will grant you an exemption for a year, again, this is second hand information but its worth checking out, let me know what you find out.-Travis

TJKirby82CE

Bingo !!!
I did some searching and found this ....call the Consumer Assistance program at 1-800- 952- 5210! Tell them you have failed the smog test and cant afford to fix the problem....see what they reccomend! :cheers: -Travis

76brian

California does have an economic hardship exemption. But they make you jump through hoops to get it. They still require you to have the correct equipment on your car first. So that route would do you no good. I just bought a '76 here in California and thought that I wouln't have to smog it. After two hours in line at the DMV I was told to complete reg. I needed a smog cert. Going tommorrow to try and pass. My car is stock with all the original equipment so it shouldn't be a problem. Brian

TJKirby82CE

Here is the link...http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/StdPage.asp?Body=/Smogcheck/ifailed.htm
Looks like its a issue repair cost waver. That is what they call it.-TK
BTW my car registration came in the mail last week, guess what....smog check time, but my 82 is stock...for this reason. I have been where you are now but I just parted out the car, just a 280 z. -TK

JIM

VIKING88 I know your neighbor lori. she is on my bowling league. I live in the condos across the street. I am familiar with these cars as you can see in my sig i have a 68. Email me and we can get together and find exactly what you need.

R. Bruno

Check the current issue of VEtte. On page 10 there is a report on a new law in Ca. that allows for specially constructed vehicles to be certified under the car or engine model year. There is also a number to call 909-396-0289. Maybe a long shot, but perhaps you can claim the engine as an early model year and get through. Otherwise, I am afraid you may have to go the full monty as explained above. Good news is in a few years you can yank it all off the car. I am in the same position- i.e. waiting for 2006 in my case.

Wrencher

A couple of things. All the waivers and hardship stuff only applies to STOCK (i.e. un-modified) vehicles. Once you make a change, all bets are off until it's restored to stock. Also, they do a functional test on the EGR if your not in a Dyno area. In enhanced areas, it won't pass on the dyno without the EGR. Specialty vehicle law applies to "kit" cars, such as Cobras and 'glass 32 Fords that are built from the ground up. Won't help in your situation. There is one alternative that is available to you. You have to "move" to a zip code that doesn't require bienial inspection. Modoc, Alpine (there's even 1 ZIP in South Lake Tahoe!) all do not require bienial smogs, only change of ownership. Be aware that P.O. boxes will not work, unless there is no regular delivery service.
The trick is to get it registered in the first place; after that, many folks here use second engines. I just stick with older cars :D

Hans

flood

Tell em its a 74 when you get it tested. Most can't tell the difference.

Wrencher

They go by VIN in CA.

Hans

Bob Turner

Viking88,

Check out this page:
http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/STDPAGE....ONS_PART_1.HTM

Look at Question/Answer #1
Maybe you can fool them (with help from the guy you bought it from) and try to register it WITHOUT the smog check here in Ca and still register it with CA plates without the smog check if it was out of state "temporarily". If you fill out that .pdf form that they have the link to, it may work. They may have to mail the plates to the AZ address.

My father-in-law and brother-in-law both live in Phoenix, AZ with their cars STILL registered in CA. They are using this "waiver" since both cars require a smog check this year but the cars are "temporarily" in Phoenix, AZ. As long as they fill that form out, mail it with their registration and proof of insurance, they will get their 2003 Ca stickers mailed to the Phoenix address.

Something to think about at least!!!..............

If that won't work, keep it registered in AZ if possible. The '75 model year will be exempt here in CA in 2004 "under current law".

Bob :cheers:



[Modified by Bob Turner, 7:27 PM 2/13/2002]