[DeTomaso] California engine swap exemption question

Tue Dec 14 23:31:10 EST 2010

Steve--

I believe Richard is right-- IIRC part of Steve Wilkinson's expenses in doing the swaps was getting a CARB exeption / approval (or whatever they term it) for them.

So if that paperwork is not with the car you should just get it from Steve and you're good to go.

Other information that might or might not be useful to guys on the list:

 when I bought my 1973 Pantera in 1989 it had last been registered in Kentucky and never in CA.  
That was before the car was 25 years old, so it had to pass smog.  But I also had to take it to the DMV to have an inspector look at it and the VIN tags, etc to make sure it was really what I claimed it was (and not a million dollar Ferrari, I suppose :-)) and hadn't had the VIN changed, etc

Same thing when I imported my 1964 Fiat Abarth from Gemany in 2007.  I don't think the Auto Club can do this.

My understanding is that technically 1974 and older cars are exempt from biannual inspections but it is still illegal to remove the smog equipment they were sold with.
That's why there was some talk of the CHP setting up devices at the roadsides where exotic cars cruise which can sense the emissions emitted by passing cars.  If someone had a gross polluter they would pull the guy over and check what he had under the hood.  I don't think it has actually happened, but it could. (Maybe there's an upside to budget deficits?)

For people with swaps who don't have a CARB number--  I don't know how closely the DMV and the Air Resources Board work together--  if the DMV guy doesn't realize that's not the stock engine, you should be OK.

Smog checks are NOT required when transferring ownership or ( I believe) for cars newly registered in CA.  There were no emissions standards or equipment in 1964, so my experience with the Fiat doesn't tell us anything.

Jim Oddie

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Barkley <rlbpantera at earthlink.net>
To: Detomaso List <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Tue, Dec 14, 2010 6:11 pm
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] California engine swap exemption question

Stephen,
Mike and Steven might be right (that you can register it without a smog 
heck, or inspection, or reclassification), but maybe not.
I found this on the web:
"Ski,
I think the interpretation/translation is that if you own a car between 
66 and '75 you don't have to get a smog check every other year (like 
ll other cars), but you DO have to get one before you can register it 
s a new owner.
For many years we had a rolling smog-exemption--every year another model 
ear was added to the exempt list. In 1997, the rule was changed and the 
xempt year was frozen at 1974. Much gnashing of teeth amongst owners of 
75's and later cars. I had been assuming that a '73 was home free, 
ntil I found this additional bit of data."
ttp://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/914-914-6-forum/412010-california-smog-rules-and-old-cars.html
But it was my understanding when I was doing my 4.6 conversion that 
teve Wilkionson got an official CA smog certification for the cars that 
e converted. Purgold was one of them. Give Steve a call at 
62-634-3434, I'm sure he'd love to hear from you and know Purgold is in 
ood hands.
Richard

 Stephen VamVaketis vamvaketis at gmail.com
 Mon Dec 13 09:51:51 CST 2010

> I have a question for those who have knowledge about California
 registration and smog check exemption rules. I recently bought
 Purgold, a 1973 that was registered in California for many years.
 However, after being put up for auction, it did get registered in
 South Dakota in 2008 before being purchased this year by a private
 dealer in Oregon who I bought the car from. Purgold had a Ford 4.6
 engine with fuel injection installed, so it is an engine swap car. I
 understand the difference between smog check and total smog exemption.
 The car has been worked on since I bought it in September, so I have
 not registered it yet. I understand I was supposed to do this within
 10 days from buying the car, but can get that altered. My question is,
 is there some kind of exception to the California smog rules where a
 newer engine swap requires that the car get reclassified to the newer
 engine year (1994, I think) smog rules? Since the 4.6 is a cleaner
 engine than the Cleveland, my hope is there is some kind of waiver
 that can allow me to re-register the car in California with the newer
 engine and still maintain the car as a 1973, my primary concern. I've
 been doing some research on this topic but haven't found a
 comprehensive answer to my specific situation. Unless, of course,
 there is no such option as any kind of engine swap waiver.

 Thanks in advance to anyone who can either answer my question and/or
 provide a viable (cost effective, practical, etc.) alternative.

 Steve "Catbert"

-- 
----
incerely, Richard Barkley
To Ski or not to Ski, that is the question!
Richard Barkley (310) 373-6695 (home)
-mail:  rlbpantera <atsign> earthlink.net
ONKEY'S home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rlbpantera
ammoth Lakes Vacation Condo: 2BR+loft/3Bath - Horizons 4 #186 (760) 
34-6758
ondo web address: http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarkley
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