It's so hard to decide if I should sell my Z.

[NoMoneyZ]

Just ranting here because I am frustrated as hell with myself. I haven't driven my Camaro in a year because I live in California and many years ago I new a guy who did "smogs". I put long tubes in and trashed the stock stuff. So now I don't know a guy because the state has been cracking down. It pains me to see it sit there everyday and collect dust and bird crap. My garage can't fit two cars at the moment because my Buick project isn't done yet. So the Camaro sits outside every day. The paint is getting trashed. Tires are rotting. Fuel is probably going bad. I have to drive a Honda every day which is the most boring car on the planet. Everytime I have the idea to put it back to stock, I just wonder how much is it going to cost me, and will it be as fun? Over the years I have acquired a couple sets of stock manifolds and a single cat Ypipe. My car was a dual cat car so I'm not sure if that would even work emission wise. Another option was to put two cats at the end of the collectors and hope to hell I can find a guy who would overlook the visual as long as it blows clean. And the last option I always come back to is sell it. I've owned it for about 10 years and love the crap out of it. It's been with me through a ton of stuff. I graduated with it, I took my now wife on our first date in it, smashed it and rebuilt it. The amount of a few grand that its worth would probably leave me feeling pretty crappy after it left. But I could use that money on Buick stuff. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH :cry:. End rant.

[KoolPwny]

Find junkyard stock exhaust and add a cutout lol.


That sucks though. I live in Cali too but I'm installing long tubes anyway as well. YOLO


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[popo8]

Is that all it would require... stock exhaust retured? If so... i say do just that. Put stock exhaust back on with a muffler and have fun. Or find some emissiom friendly headers and swap em out.

[NoMoneyZ]

It's the exhaust, egr, a.i.r., and the tune. I got rid of all of it. Maybe I'm making a mountain out a mole hill here. Maybe a weekend of work if I start early.

[popo8]

Do u still have those removed items?

[popo8]

I may still have some of the stuff u need in the motor to my 95 donor.

[SJx408]

I'm in Cali as well. Just about to change my exhaust. Best idea is take a weekend throw the stock dual cat system on manifolds cats egr air everything and go make the sucker pass.

I'm planning ahead so I don't get stuck having to "know a guy". Have some pacesetter long tubes with emission fittings. 3 inch to 2.5 inch reducer that's going to be welded to the collector. Next comes part I'm debating on 2 bolt or 3 bolt flange. I'm thinking 2 bolt for clearance reasons ( I'm lowered about 2" all around ). Then come 2 CA approved carb certified cats with their respected flanges as well. The idea is to have a "test pipe" set up where I can put cats on an off as I please when smog time rolls around. Next I have a flow tech universal 2.5" X with built in cutouts (e cut out goes here) 2 Classic chambered mufflers bullet style to a CME exit. All emissions equipment is on the car with 2 cats and I'm hoping with a good tune I can pass the sniffer. Visual may be a bit iffy. The tech can either be cool or a dick about the visual and "cat location" as I take it any mod that moves cats from stock location is illegal thus rendering LTs an auto fail. I've been debating and planning way to long for what every one else in the nation doesn't have to think twice about.


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[popo8]

Is this an annual thing for u guys? Is there a mileage exemption or anything as well

[Not Dave]

I grew up in SoCal but moved to TX in 2000. I live in an emissions county where I have to have air, EGR and cats. But I can have LT headers with custom exhaust including cats not in their original location. Who knows what the future will bring? In 7 years my car will be a classic that doesn't need any of that stuff anymore. At least that's the current law in Texas. I have a set of SLP shorty headers sitting in the garage, debating to stick those on with a new Stainless Works Y pipe to get rid of the original 18 year old exhaust. Or I may go with LT's. Not for another year yet. Maybe my dual cat original Y pipe, if complete, will be GOLD to anyone in CA in your predicament.

But you should've seen this coming. Years ago my dad used to stick on the smog equipment on his 73 Nova, take it in and get it inspected then go home and remove all of it. The car actually ran dirtier with all the emissions stuff on it than without but the government knows what's best. Now it's old enough to not ever need it again.

It'd be my guess most places wouldn't pass a single cat on a 96 or 97 but you never know. As it stands right now my car would pass CA testing, LOL. I'm sure you can still find the right parts. Might be more difficult in CA though. Even in TX it's hard to find a "good ol' boy" in the emissions counties that will look the other way and pass a non-passable car. They get caught, they get fined and lose their job and possibly get a criminal record. Scared straight, I guess. Other counties that don't require it you can get a crappy car passed as long as it runs and has brakes that work.

Either way it sucks being in your position. I tried to vote away crappy politicians (Boxer, Feinstein) but it didn't work. I moved when Gray-matter Davis was governor. You have it even worse now with Moon Beam Jerry Brown Redux. At least Gray Davis was worthless and an empty suit, Brown is destructive. I hope you can keep your car, get it registered and drive it again. BTW, Honda also makes boring motorcycles. Honda IS boring. I feel your pain.

[NoMoneyZ]

In california it doesn't matter if your has a million miles or is 30yrs old. They use the 1975 cut off date rule. So if you have a 1976 and newer you must pass smog.
popo8
Being that my car is obd1, it's every year now. I have a set of manifolds and a single cat ypipe. My car was a dual cat car stock, 1995 had dual cats in california. so I'm not sure if the single will pass. I'll go through my garage later but I remember throwing a lot of stuff away. If you have anything I need I'll for sure get it. I was just thinking that a custom cam with a good tune could get me back the power I lost putting stock manifolds back on.

Thanks for the good words everyone, I think back to stock exhaust is the best decision. Sell my car, what was I thinking?!

[popo8]

Ohhhh... in pa we are exempt from emissions if u do 4999mi/yr or less.

[SJx408]

Smog laws are changing but it is definitely pre '75 cars that are smog exempt. OBD-II cars smog every 2 years. And there's some other thing in effect now where cars newer than 2000 are plugged to the computer. If there are error codes fail. No error codes= pass. Point being they aren't subjected to the rollers and the sniffer no more exhaust tests. They can be chopping away with a big SR and as long as they pass visual and the OBD-II computer test its a pass. Being a '96 I'm SOL.


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[Dan]

You should just move to Michigan and brave out the winters. No emission testing (knock on wood it stays that way).
In all seriousness, that sucks big time though. I don't really understand these emission laws.. they should just charge a fee if you don't pass. I wonder how Jay Leno has all of his cars registered, if they even are registered..

I don't even think our LT1s would even pass with the standards today... Stock or not.

[popo8]

Florida is no inspection at all as well... at least the clearwatwr end is. And no snow. Lol

[popo8]

You should just move to Michigan and brave out the winters. No emission testing (knock on wood it stays that way).
In all seriousness, that sucks big time though. I don't really understand these emission laws.. they should just charge a fee if you don't pass. I wonder how Jay Leno has all of his cars registered, if they even are registered..

I don't even think our LT1s would even pass with the standards today... Stock or not.
My camaro passes every year... :)

[Dan]

My camaro passes every year... :)

So how much are you paying the guy to pass you :lolsign:

I figured they were more severe on the testing.

[popo8]

So how much are you paying the guy to pass you [emoji38]sign:

I figured they were more severe on the testing.
I sometimes keep it under the 5k a year... but... no sniffer for obd2 here... plug in... no ses light. pass

[bustedassz28]

register it to a friend or family in a state that doesn't require emissions ???? just a thought.... ;)

[SJx408]

register it to a friend or family in a state that doesn't require emissions ???? just a thought.... ;)

CA is cracking down on people who are registered elsewhere. That's just another band aid unfortunately.


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[NoMoneyZ]

Thought about that also since my brother lives in kentucky and they have no smog testing. CA is getting on people if a cop notices you on his route often enough with out of state plates or just randomly get pulled over they'll make you register your car in CA.

[Not Dave]

Most of TX only requires visual, a few counties require emissions. Mine is OBDII and plugs in. SES light = automatic fail. Thankfully I've fixed the problems that made mine light up.

OK and AR don't really have any testing either. Just send 'em some cash every year and you're registered.

You can get your car going again, might not be the way you want it but it's better than letting it sit there dying. Stock 2 cat exhaust really isn't that restrictive and shorty headers help a bit too.

My parents have a 65 Mustang and 73 Nova, they can do whatever to those cars. TX is 25 years and older. Every state is different, obviously.