Interesting read re: smog and collector cars in California

[TRE Cup]

From some looking to register their "GT40" posted on another forum:

There is a brand new process in CA associated with the old "special
interest" vehicle license that allows collector cars (defined as fewer than 1,000
sold in CA, unmodified, covered by collector car insurance, and at least 35
years old (that's 1979 next month) ) to be exempted from the biennial smog
inspection and the visual inspection at registration time. I spoke to someone
at BAR and came away uncertain as to whether there would be a tail-pipe
test, but if there were it would be one appropriate for the year so for older
cars would probably be easy to pass just by leaning it out at idle. << not so fast ! the regulations have actually tightened over what was originally required db

There is an associated questionnaire

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/80_BARResources/ftp/pdfdocs/Collector%20Motor%20Vehicle%20QA.pdf
which contains some explanatory text and references to the state codes.

The relevant new state code is from SB 734 Senate Bill - CHAPTERED which
says in part:
"a collector motor vehicle, as defined in Section 259 of the Vehicle Code,
is exempt from those portions of the test required by subdivision (f) of
Section 44012 [visual inspection] if the collector motor vehicle meets all of
the following criteria:
(1) Submission of proof that the motor vehicle is insured as a
collector motor vehicle, as shall be required by regulation of the bureau.
(2) The motor vehicle is at least 35 model-years old.
(3) The motor vehicle complies with the exhaust emissions
standards for that motor vehicle's class and model-year as prescribed by
the department, and the motor vehicle passes a functional inspection of the
fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuel
leaks."
So, in some respects we are released from the current "1975 or older"
exemption and can now register more and more old machinery as the years go by
without having to worry about grey-market
add-on catalytic converters, etc. The cars is supposed to be unmodified, so you
get to run the "Euro" version here. << Again, these cars did not pass emissions tests back then, hence the big biz in making them "clean", so doubtful a non smog euro version would pass

[s_morrison57]

I've got Collector plates on my 87 930 here in B.C. and when it passed the "Air Care" it had to pass with the emissions that were required when the car was new. As long as you keep the collector plates on it you never have to Air Care again, I was lucky cause I passed with a cat by-pass. BTW modifications away from stock are restricted and the car can only be used for pleasure use, no school or work and the insurance is cheap, 1100/year as opposed to 3500/year.
Air Care is being dropped Dec. 31/13, the gov't has decided that the cars they were targeting have been removed from the road. It's really worked, you hardly ever see older cars on the road. New cars have a 7 year exemption and you have to test every second year after that until 12 years of age and then every year after that and its only in the Vancouver area.
I feel for you Calif. guys and the smog testing that goes with living there. Dropping Air Care is the first thing my gov't has done for me and other car guys.
Finn

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

I've got Collector plates on my 87 930 here in B.C. and when it passed the "Air Care" it had to pass with the emissions that were required when the car was new. As long as you keep the collector plates on it you never have to Air Care again, I was lucky cause I passed with a cat by-pass. BTW modifications away from stock are restricted and the car can only be used for pleasure use, no school or work and the insurance is cheap, 1100/year as opposed to 3500/year.
Air Care is being dropped Dec. 31/13, the gov't has decided that the cars they were targeting have been removed from the road. It's really worked, you hardly ever see older cars on the road. New cars have a 7 year exemption and you have to test every second year after that until 12 years of age and then every year after that and its only in the Vancouver area.
I feel for you Calif. guys and the smog testing that goes with living there. Dropping Air Care is the first thing my gov't has done for me and other car guys.
Finn

We need all the "Feeling" we can get........



But they do it anyway......

[keagy]

Were there less than 1,000 1979SC sold in California? Would a 1979SC meet the definition of a special interest car? Does this mean SSIs probably would pass with no exhaust test (even though it is only stock setup for Euro)?

[hcoles]

Interesting and thanks for posting, let's keep this thread going to find out how/if this process works.

The sticking point might be hidden in this.....

(3) The motor vehicle complies with the exhaust emissions
standards for that motor vehicle's class and model-year as prescribed by
the department,


Is "prescribed by the department" different than the current smog cut points?