Federal VS California emissions 912E... Any difference in equipment?

[1976 912E]

Thinking of getting an out of state non original to California 912E. The car was never in California so I am wondering a couple of things.

1) Did all 912E's have the same equipment insofar as emissions goes? Did they all have Thermal reactors and air injection pumps or did just the California emissions required cars have them?

The reason why I ask, is that if the standards are indeed different and cars outside of California did NOT have the air injection pump, then I can legally import this car as it would only have to meet federal emissions regulations.


So anyone have a NON California 912E that you KNOW FOR SURE never came with the air pump? I would sure appreciate any help since I think its almost impossible to find the air pump, related bracketry and air lines, pulleys etc... I would also hate to pass up on this car as its without a doubt my favorite color..

Thanks!

pete

[WFBowen]

Pete:
I've owned two of these cars and have never heard of one delivered without the smog pump and all of the other equipment. Probably the best verification of this is the factory repair manual which shows only photos of emission-equipped motors and makes no reference to a so-called 49 state car and as a US market-only car, there is no ROW version.
As far as finding the smog equipment, most of it isn't that rare. One of my cars had just about everything removed or modified and I still passed California's rigid "test only" program using parts from early (1.8 ltr?) 914s; late VW aircooled vanagons and IIRC a small part or two from a 924. The critical parts that are specific to the 912E are the ECU, airflow meter, thermal reactors and cylinder heads.
JMO, but if you're thinking of registering this car in a "smog state" it might be easier to find another one with all of the smog equipment, in the color you like.

[1976 912E]

So you were able to pass smog in california without an air pump? Was there any going on? I was talking to a well respected Porsche mechanic who said that if certain emission parts are not available anymore then you can get a waiver.. He mentioned the thermal reactors as an example. The nice thing though about thermal reactors is that most smog guys wouldn't know what they look like if it bit them on the nose.. Color sad to say is very important to me lol

[WFBowen]

Pete:
I probably wasn't clear.... One of my cars was purchased without most of the smog equipment. I gathered up the parts from various other Bosch L-jet equipped cars, including the air pump, and passed smog here in So. Calif.
While lots of these parts actually carry different numbers, they all are basically the same and will work on the 912E's system. The 912E specific parts that I mentioned in the previous post might be the exception, since the airflow meter and ECU (I think) should be factory "matched" to each other.
As far as the thermal reactors go, I passed the visual inspection without them. The tester asked me to point them out - I merely pointed to those odd looking heater boxes - case closed!
After selling my last 912E, I swore I'd never buy another one unless I lived in the backwoods of Arkansas or something. The problem(s) here in California are: 1. The smog laws are no longer dynamic meaning that the 1976 E will always have to be smogged (every other year here in Ventura County.) 2. Even when you've assembled a functioning emissions system, you'll now have to get the car in a very fine window of mixture control to actually pass the running part of the test. 3. While the motor is basically a 914, some of the parts aren't cheap to replace. How about a longhood 911 or an early 912?

[1976 912E]

i thought about both of your suggestions and honestly, a 911 is just too expensive. I suppose I could keep looking for a cheaper one but you see, I was raised on VW and even the sound of the 912E thrills me.. I have driven the 911 and its scary fast for sure.. but it sounds nothing like what I have been programmed since childhood of what an air cooled motor should sound like.. lol.. I know call me nuts..

Now a 912 would be a possibility except being an original east coast guy and spending literally thousands of dollars on rust repair, the mere sight of any corrosion sends me packing my bags.. I have looked at lot of 912's and they are all rusted. Even if i could find one that wasn't it would always be there lurking in the back of my mind.

Funny you should mention smog and how hard it can be, I know of a 912E that granted has only 59k miles on it but it has passed with flying colors every 2 years up here in San Jose.

[djdsc]

I agree with WFBowen, the visual is the least of your issues if you cover the basics. I once had a smog tech refuse to test a '77 911 because the heater ducting was loose and he thought it was smog related. This same car passed year after year with out TR's having done the same as WF, pointed to the heater exchangers. BTW, an older Porsche that passes Calif. smog testing doesn't mean it is a drivable car on the road.

[cali4sun]

Originally Posted by 1976 912E

Thinking of getting an out of state non original to California 912E. The car was never in California so I am wondering a couple of things.

1) Did all 912E's have the same equipment insofar as emissions goes? Did they all have Thermal reactors and air injection pumps or did just the California emissions required cars have them?

The reason why I ask, is that if the standards are indeed different and cars outside of California did NOT have the air injection pump, then I can legally import this car as it would only have to meet federal emissions regulations.


So anyone have a NON California 912E that you KNOW FOR SURE never came with the air pump? I would sure appreciate any help since I think its almost impossible to find the air pump, related bracketry and air lines, pulleys etc... I would also hate to pass up on this car as its without a doubt my favorite color..

Thanks!

pete

I just passed smog w/265,000 miles. All emission equipment intact. Yes, this car is very drivable/enjoyable, and I take it to work 1-2 times a week 90 miles round trip. I do believe that the Thermal reactors are hard to find and likely expensive. I agree try to buy car w/emission equipment already intact. - Here's some info I found from 912registry.com

ALL 912Es were equipped from the factory with the same emissions equipment REGARDLESS of were they were sold or delivered. Finding the required emissions equipment for CA can be done and sometimes can be easy if you have the time and money. It is out there, you just have to dig for it. I recently quoted a member on the cost of restoring his E for CA emissions. My estimate was 1 - 1.5K for purchasing the necessary emission parts and paying for their installation. I think he is now in the process of installing them, however, I do not know how much he has spent. (credit John Borone 912registry)

[WFBowen]

cali4sun:
I have a longtime friend here in Ventura who is the second owner of a 912E and, like you, squeeks through smog every other year with only timing/mixture adjustments (which are immediately undone once the car stumbles and sputters its way back home.)
One reason I've lost enthusiasm for these cars, at least in parts of Ca, is that the State seems to want them and any other car that's not a Toyota Camry off the roads. The "test only" program, which is supposed to be randomly selected, seems to apply to all Porsche owners and lots of other "oddball" cars. I also think that the allowable emission levels seem to be tightening up, but that's just a guess on my part.
Also, unlike '76/'77 non turbo 911 owners, there's really no option to purchase a 74/75 car and "restore" the 76 using major (numbered) parts from the earlier chassis.
Bottom line, if we were talking about a rare, unique and ultra fast 76 Porsche it'd all be worth the hassle, but IMO a 912E is just not worth the trouble in Calif. Enhanced areas.
Bill.

[cali4sun]

I don't dispute your comments. It is a challenge keeping older cars up to par. Some cars may still get flagged as gross polluters. Anyways according to the Cal Bureau of Auto Repair. These are the standards for smog test in Cal.

Q: Have California vehicle emissions standards changed?

A: In 1996, BAR adjusted some standards to increase their fairness. As a result, some standards are slightly more stringent than they were previously and some are slightly more lenient than before. Updated emissions standards categories were created for many of the newer cars; the new groupings take into consideration the dramatic changes in automotive technology which have occurred during the past 15 years. California's emissions standards consider the model year, vehicle type, and gross vehicle weight. Older cars have looser standards than n ewer ones.No vehicle is ever held to a standard intended for a car which is newer or technologically more advanced, and allowance is made for normal wear and tear in a vehicle's emissions control system as it ages. In fact, Smog Check failure rates for all vehicles have decreased since the new guidelines were implemented.

Q: Is the Smog Check program biased against older vehicles?

A: No. While California law requires the Smog Check program to focus on high-polluting vehicles, it does not discriminate based on vehicle age or a specific vehicle make or model. All types and model years of vehicles can be a high emitter, which is based on a comparison of each vehicle with similar makes, models and years. Furthermore, Smog Check does not require owners of "classic" or "older" vehicles to retrofit these vehicles to meet newer standards. BAR's emissions take into consideration the age, make and model of each vehicle. No vehicle is held to a more stringent standard than the standard which applied when the vehicle was new.

[1976 912E]

well, I have lived in California for about 22 years now and they want old cars off the road so badly its incredibly obvious. They do not make money off of old cars, they make no tax income, very little registration fees and the don't like that they "pollute" more. Keep wishing and dreaming that California politics is all Angels with halos... More like Lucifer in disguise.

[WFBowen]

cali4sun
I've seen those FAQ's on the BAR site. I can't dispute them, but what I'm guessing is that the accuracy of measuring has greatly increased to the point where a very slight +/- can be the difference between driving off with your new certificate or contemplating suicide.
With one mid-70's Porsche I owned I got caught-up in what they call bouncing, where you fail, then go for your free retest, fail again, go back to a shop for more adjustments, & on and on. I bounced 6 times in 2 days, finally passing (& immediately putting the car up for sale.) On the last bounce, I returned to the shop & they once again put it on their exhaust analyzer. They said they just couldn't get it any closer than it was, so I returned to the test station about 9 blocks away. Guess what...this time it passed with absolutely no one touching the motor! Later, another smog tech told me that temp. can alter the results & that you have the right to request that the large electric fan be turned on (especially on an aircooled motor) and that the car prior to yours can have a great effect on your test results, but he didn't say you could request that the probe be cleaned before your test (just like on the show OZ!) When they're testing at a PPM level, there's little room for error.
Bill.

[cali4sun]

Bill,

Thanks for passing on your experience. I enjoy the heck out of the 912e, however if it gets to a point where it becomes smog challenged beyond what I want to deal with I may part with it. Hopefully that day is long down the road. Both my 928 and 912 are weekend cruisers for fun. The 928 smog emissions are so low, it has results as if it were new? Not bad for a 20 year old car!

Charles