The guy at the smog check said my 82 car tested cleaner than most new Porsche's he'd tested. So - it only failed for the visual. On the paper work it says Comprehensive Visual Inspection: TAMPERED, Functional Check: PASS, Emissions Test PASS. There's a written note saying Autothority Mass Flow sensor not on after market DB. When I called the state they had a note in the computer that mentioned Autoauthorit - but not that it was a MAF. The smog guy claimed there is a process to get a referee ... and some type of exemption. The guy from the CA Bureau of Automotive Repair was totally unhelpful and claimed that it takes a vendor $100K to get the required C.A.R.B. number to pass the test. After market products are clearly allowed if they have a C.A.R.B. number or are in some way identifiable as an OEM replacement. THe SMOG guy woud have been happy with a Porsche or Bosch label on the parts. This may be a path to a smog legal MAF if you used a 90s Porsche OEM Bosch MAF. He also indicated that a piece of paper from Autoathority indicating that the part is an OEM replace would be adequate. He just wanted some type of proof that would prevent him from losing his license or being fined $5k
I have no clue how this car passed smog for 16 years before I purchased it - the photo below shows that it's a very obvious modification.
So far my options seem to be:
- move to Seattle ($$$$$)
- replace MAF and chip with stock intake, air sensor and chip ($$$$)
- give the smog guy paperwork of some sort
- replace the Autoauthority MAF with a later Porsche MAF and
get a new tuned chip or somehow recalibrate the MAF ($$$)
- go to court ... they have sent me a bail notice already
see no reason why the Judge would give me a break even if the car has been
passing already for 16 years - but this could at least extend my deadline
past Jan 11
