[LvSteveH]

Sorry for the little lapse, we've got six cars to prepare for the track next week and needless to say we're busy.

Thanks for the kind words Mike aka Joe Bob. There is no doubt that California emissions can be a challenge; even with totally stock cars like the rash of stock 3.2's that have had trouble passing lately.

That said, it is manageable if you approach it right. It would be nice if all the inspectors were on the same page, but that's seldom the case. The regulations are pretty straight forward in principal, but there is enough open to interpretation that it's important to be able to justify why you did or did not do something.

It's a complex subject, no doubt. Here's a basic late model emissions primer from Scott, the owner of Renegade. Because we're in the business of doing engine conversions and selling kits to do them we find ourselves working with the various "powers that be" quite often.



"Renegade has been quietly working with several players in the Emissions game in California. First of all, some (what I believe to be are) facts that many do not know. (All of this information has been obtained from credible sources including John Wallach, Program Manager for the California Air Resources Board, Dr. Jamie Meyer, GM Performance Parts Division, and Randy Gallager, GM Performance Product Development, just to name a few):

The “50 State Smog Legal” GM E-Rod V8 LS3 is legal as long as it's installed in a 1995 and earlier vehicle using an OBD1 or older stock emissions protocol.

In the near future, GM and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will have made an agreement with the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) to include Specialty Constructed Vehicles using this engine platform. (This will make the Kit-Car industry quite happy.)

GM and CARB have continued discussions regarding the OBD2 compliance in 1996 and newer production vehicles with a tentative goal for final arguments to begin late this year.

The main criteria that CARB considers when pondering the prospects of a conversion to a later model OBD2 car is the year and the mileage. The emissions equipment has a Federally accepted optimum operating life expectancy of about 8 years or 80k miles according to John Wallach of CARB. After either the 8 years or the 80k miles has been achieved, the vehicle may be considered for a conversion.

In the state of California, IT IS LEGAL to perform a conversion on a 1996 or later vehicle as long as the donor engine is from a “car” (not a truck) that is the same year OR newer than the donor chassis. Furthermore, all of the emissions devices that came on that year donor ENGINE must be installed and in good working condition on the donor chassis.

There are volumes of specifics that I will not get into, but essentially all the V8 Porsche conversions up to 1995 are now easily done using the E-Rod GM V8...AND all the 1996 and newer OBD2 conversions are best to use a 'pull-out' engine from the same year or newer car.

Regarding the direction of the engine in the engine compartment, John Wallach has said this is not a rule that he is aware of, but gave me the contact info of the contractor in charge of the BAR's College Level testing program for his input. I have placed a call and will follow up with the specifics.

Renegade's position on any of our LS series conversions is to install a cleaner, more efficient, more powerful, and cheaper engine to replace the tired Porsche power plant. Over the last year, we have been working closely with GM and CARB attempting to nudge this concept along. In a nut shell...it's working!!! "