The Forgotten On

I just want to put my cat up on a wall so I can save it for the tests and to not wear it out, as they are very expensive new.

At least it doesn't stink like all of the other early smog era cars I've been around going to car shows and the like.

But here in California I guess they have **** poor visual inspections as they have trouble spotting bright blue silicone vacuum lines

Jetdriver69

I find it amazing that Illinois is one of the most liberal states, but has one of the most lax standards for emissions and safety inspections.

I understand no sticker needed at all, except for around Chicago.

I grew up there, but don't think I will be heading back anytime soon. They tax the crap out of you.

PCARUSA

I live in Los Angeles and when I have to have a smog check (every two years) I know they do a visual on my air pump. Also they check my fuel cap to see if there is a gasket there. I always have to go to a 'STAR only' station since basically any car 10 years or older are 'forced' to go there. Thankfully my 928 passes with flying colors with 145K miles on it. Pretty happy about that.

GregBBRD

Of course, the air pump was a federally mandated thing, not a state mandated thing.

I've heard, because there is so much international concern on about the environment, that the federal government is going to force states to enforce the emission laws. This means that everyone is going to have "California Style Testing", shortly.

If you decide to remove it, I certainly wouldn't throw it away....if you own it for another 5 years, you are going to have to re-install it.....or junk it.

hacker-pschorr

That's only going to be the tip of the iceberg.
This will all come about when they finally decide on what ODBIII will be. One of the biggest changes (if certain people get their way) will be full GPS monitoring to charge you per mile. It's no secret our governments are losing money at a rapid pace as the fleet MPG average keeps increasing. They must find another way to pay for all the roads and bridges.
Typical government, pass laws to make cars more fuel efficient, then complain that we are not buying enough gas to keep the fuel taxes flowing......

Once these changes come about, they will have laws built in to prevent people from simply buying an older vehicle to skirt the law. ODBII cars will be easy, attached a transmitter to the ODBII port and away you go.

But what about pre-ODBII cars? My money is on something along the lines of the "Show and Display" law for gray market cars:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_and_Display

There are a long list of ways they can justify this: Older cars are not as safe, fuel efficient, green etc.......

On the flip side, states that have reversed testing did so due to a lack of funds and that's not going to change anytime soon. California is the reigning king of spending money they will never have so this has never phased them.
Others states used their brains and realized the number of pre ODB-II cars on the road was so low, even if everyone of them was out of compliance it's like a fart during a tornado so they re-allocated those funds elsewhere.
It will be an interesting "states vs the Feds" battle and the Feds always win by simply threatening to withhold that precious highway fund.

People in the auto business will be cheering as it will mean an instant boom in business for them. These new laws will force people to fix their cars or buy a new one.

The Forgotten On

They actually spend money on maintaining those?

Politics aside, it is going to be a problem when the Porsche cats run out and AM is the only option, they are so much worse than factory parts.

I just wish there was a law in place to make all AM cats the same if not higher quality than the factory cats they replace and not the poorly plated overpriced alternatives that they currently are.

dr bob

The money issue in Cali was always interesting. There's plenty of revenue from gas tax to maintain the roads, but the money is diverted to general fund and reallocated to more pressing social programs. So voters get to self-flaggelate with bond issues for highway projects. Then the state fails to fully fund their share ... I sure miss all that.

hacker-pschorr

It's not just "our" problem either. I've seen quotes on modern vehicles upwards of $1,000 for CATS, these are not Porsche's but VW's and Volvo's. The owners simply cannot afford it and drive around with the check engine light on.
Don't get me started on the intake sludge issue on modern cars trying to stay compliant with ever complicated emission laws. If you think 928's spit oil into the intake, peek inside an Audi V10 at 100,000 miles.

Before any law goes nationwide like Greg suggests, a different style of catalyst is needed that doesn't use platinum. Once again, CATS are disappearing from vehicles in my area. Thieves steeling them for the platinum content.

The powers that be don't care, in their eyes we should all upgrade to new vehicles every three years. Unless SEMA really gains a lot of power I truly fear for the future of owning and actually enjoying collector cars.

Adk46

My political views, I dare to mention, include that 911 owners should pay more road taxes then 928 owners. I know this is tantamount to European-style socialism, but I do prefer European cars (as long as the engine is properly located).

I also think that anyone whose DD is a Prius and who has solar power should be exempt from emissions requirements. Today, however, my panels are covered with snow, and I shall take my 4WD truck to the garage, where new shocks will be fitted into the front struts of my gas-guzzler; fortunately it is currently immobile and doing no harm to Spaceship Earth. On balance, ...

Damn! I've wandered off-topic in my own thread.

Adk46

A snippet from another thread: "Not required to pass emissions/inspections in NC since this is a 78."

danglerb

Calif highway patrol from time to time sets up a testing station by the side of the road just like the sobriety test points and any passing car they select gets diverted into the queue for a quick check of emissions equipment. Cops also will stop stinky cars if they suspect tampering. That is the real gotcha, federal law prohibits removing any smog equipment, even if the new cat doesn't make any use of it.

Ad0911

If the national law says that the car has to meet the emission requirements of the year it was build, would this mean that the airpump has to be installed? The emission requirements of 1978 will only say how much CO is allowed. Perhaps there is also a maximum of HC and NOx. I don't know. I recall from a long time ago that the CO should be max 4,5% but I may be totally wrong. Would the CO content and the other parameters be effected by the removal of the airpump?

danglerb

Federal law prohibits tampering, not meeting emissions requirements.