Guest Anonymous Posted April 19, 2001 Share Posted April 19, 2001 Hello fellows. I bought a 74z and a chevy 350 (crate engine model 1974) What do I need to do to make it smog legal? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted April 19, 2001 Share Posted April 19, 2001 Welcome to the Forum! Has this car been smog certified before the conversion? If it has, the State puts a metal "sticker" on the driver's door jam with the "new" specs of the car and this allows you to get a smog check anywhere. If this car has not been smog certified with the conversion, this is what you have to do: The car must have an engine that is the same year of the car or newer. The engine has to have all smog devices on it for it's year of manufacture. A 74 motor would need PCV, exhaust manifold with the proper AIR injectors, etc. If your '74 Zcar came with a catalytic converter, you must have one as well--I don't think they did, so you luck out there. You will have to take this car to a CA State referee station, not a "smog shop" like the local gas station, and undergo a visual and sniffer test. They will tell you why or why not you don't pass. If you don't pass, you will have to comply with their list of "to do's"; or if you do pass, then they issue you the "engine change" metal i.d. sticker as I indicated above and you are home free so to speak and can then get your car smogged anywhere from then on. The JTR manual has great information on this stuff and so does the State of Calif--use your browser. Hope this helps! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oltmann Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 DavyZ gave a good description. JTR has a good one too at http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Chevrolet_S-10_V-8_Smog.html It isn't that difficult, but when your car turns 30 it will become exempt from inspection. If you take three years to do the conversion, you won't have to worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 yes, smog is a pain in the butt, ive had so much trouble with smog ill never try to modify anything that isnt exempt. i do have a funny story regarding how my z got refereed and passed. in 1990 when the first v8 was put into it by the owner before me, it failed ridiculously, i mean ridiculous, the four barrel failed, too much carbon monoxide, air cleaner wrong kind, you name it and it was failed for that reason, and it ended up costing so much to make it legal that the referee station bypassed those results and passed him! i have this great sticker on my door jamb, once i get these new z photos scanned ill show it to you all, its a cool thing to have, even though the 72 is exempt now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 On the DMV site, the list specifies which model year that is exempt, last time I checked a few months ago it was 73. Here is the exerp from the Cal DMV FAQ regarding smog: When is a smog inspection required? Smog inspections are required for all vehicles except diesel powered vehicles, motorcycles, or 1973 and older year models. Vehicles registered in areas subject to the biennial smog certification program are required to submit evidence of a smog certification every other renewal period. Vehicles that are four model years old or less are exempt from the biennial smog requirements for registration renewal. Evidence of a current smog certification must be provided by the seller except when transfer occurs between a spouse, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, or grandchild. Smog certifications are good for 90 days from the date of inspection. The inspection is not required on a transfer if a biennial smog certification was submitted to DMV within 60 days prior to the vehicle transfer date. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How old does a vehicle have to be to qualify for a smog exemption? 1973 and older year model vehicles are exempt from the smog certification requirements. Hope it helps. This is from they're site at: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/ Regards, Lone ------------------ http://datsun240v8z.virtualave.net/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oltmann Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Q: When will my post-1974 model year vehicle become exempt from Smog Check? A: 1974 and subsequent model year vehicles will be exempt from Smog Check when they turn 30 years old. Under current law, a 1974 model year vehicle will be exempt in 2003, a 1975 in 2004, etc. http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/smogweb/GenInfo%5COtherInfo%5CFrequently_Asked_Questions_Part_1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Hmmm, I stand corrected. Apparently the Former is the cars exempt NOW and the others will be exempt after the 30 year period. Good find! Good to know I guess, but theres alot of scary stuff on that site about 2% random selection smog checks, 13% of the population in selected area smog checks just for giggles etc. And requiring all cars pre-73 to have the smog equip they came with 'by law' even with they're exemption. If I ever get nailed on that, its sell the Z and put the engine trans in a late 50's chevy truck with glass parts and thumb my nose at the whole bit. Cheers, Lone [This message has been edited by lonehdrider (edited April 19, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Thanks so much for all of your advice. I have not purchased the car yet. I will do that this Friday. The car has a brand new 350 and is not smog legal yet but the good thing is that the engine is a 1974. I'm so gladd I found this site! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fast Frog Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Another solution!! Move out of California like I did 30 yrs ago!! Here in Western Colorado, we don't have smog inspections and the state doesn't generally care what you've done to the car as long as it is safe!! (Exception to this is the Denver-front range area, there they have emissions testing). OHHhhh! I can see a thundering herd of hybrid Zs heading east rumbling thru Utah looking for better pastures here in W. Colorado!!! Mable!! Quick!! Get my Sharpes .50!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oltmann Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Duende: Thanks so much for all of your advice. I have not purchased the car yet. I will do that this Friday. The car has a brand new 350 and is not smog legal yet but the good thing is that the engine is a 1974. I'm so gladd I found this site! Thanks again! As you may know, the seller is responsible for making sure the car is smog legal. So you have three options. 1. The seller gets the car inspected and approved before you buy it. 2. You purchase the car with a salvage title and you take care of getting it legal. 3. You buy the car as-is, and then if it doesn't pass the smog inspection you can sue the seller for the cost of the repairs. I don't recommend 3. If you pick 2, pay very little. I recommend you keep looking, unless you get a deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Fast Frog, Don't think I havn't been thinking about it. With the power situation being what it is out here, and the cost of living and housing cost on the rise, I may well look into it. Home prices in Sacramento have risen considerably in the last 6mos-1year due to a migration from the Bay area (whose house prices are insane about 300% at least than here). Doing a price of living comparison finds most of the country at 75-85% of what it cost here to live. The wifes company has offices worldwide, so its there are plenty of opportunities in other states as well although limited. I did tell her if we considered that we'd need to find the smog laws of the place we'd move as I don't want to sell the Z. Hah, only a gearhead would make smog laws a priority of they're relocation.. haha.. Lone ------------------ http://datsun240v8z.virtualave.net/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fast Frog Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Lone: I like the way you think!!! Priorities are priorities!! And, what's a little smog among friends!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 Apparently the part of the law that says after 30 years old, the cars will be exempt may be rescinded by the CA State legislature. I read about it in DRIVE! magazine. That is the best place to get info on how our state gov't (and environmental groups) is trying to screw us through the smog laws. Those freak smog checks and random sampling checks give me the heebee jeebees... Sometimes I love CA, sometimes I HATE it! Common sense is so uncommon now a days. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted April 20, 2001 Share Posted April 20, 2001 C'mon guys, let's protect the environment! We were talking about this at work and that's what prompted me to create the logo for my entrance page on my web site. "...a catalytic what?" I live in SoCal and have a '73. I knew swaps had to be approved by the referee station and all, but is that for smog only? Or is it to make sure the swap is safe, etc? I haven't taken any action yet. Owen ------------------ http://www.homestead.com/s30z/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted April 21, 2001 Share Posted April 21, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Owen: C'mon guys, let's protect the environment! Owen, I have no problem "protecting" the environment, but I do have a BIG problem with a schizophrenic government that will not let cars reasonably be free from smog requirements when they are 25 years or older! They make a law, pass it, then want to reconsider???? Pathetic! No one can expect things like catalytic converters to work, even after 10 years. Cars like my '74 Z are still required to pass smog? Stupid really....I drive this thing maybe 1000 miles a year if that. It probably hurts the environment more sitting in front of my house leaking oil residue onto the street then polluting the air when it drives. I'm sorry, but as I said, common sense is not so common anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 21, 2001 Share Posted April 21, 2001 Granted we throw some hydrocarbons out there and our Nox is probably high, but at least our cars are closer to in tune than some of the wrecks I see spewing so much raw gas out the tailpipe that you can smell it (trying following these guys on a motorcycle, sheesh..), not to mention the oil smoke from the way shot valves/rings. Its amazing the vehicles people have to continue driving (many times its economic I know that..). The 70's cars were a bandade time for the industry, they tried patching old design with pumps and filters and catalyst which only marginally worked when they were new, let alone after 30 years. Luckily fuel injection and computers returned performance allowing cars to be more powerful on a more precise fuel spray. What I find really moronic is the state (CA) was mandating a percentage of 'hybrid' vehicles be electric by a certain year (2002? 2003?). Super, just how is this large blackout state supposed to charge these battery powered overpriced commuters? I could go on, but I better stop and give you guys a break from reading all this dribble... Respectfully and probably clean burning if you put enough fire to me, Lone ------------------ http://datsun240v8z.virtualave.net/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy 77zt Posted April 21, 2001 Share Posted April 21, 2001 i have a smog license for enforcement counties(dyno smogs) in california.my turbo z got one of those TEST ONLY license renewels last summer.will it turned out that it made me have to get the swap certified at referee.it passed no problem but it helps being able to pretest any time you want.if some body wants to put a v-8 into z i suggest using a late 80s efi engine and not 70s vintage v8.the 70s had smog pumps and too much egr and retarded ign timing-hard to make good hp and loww emmissions at same time.a 74 car wont need cats .the law was written this way because cars with cats have heat shields for them on body/chassis.if somebody goes to a really late model swap (1996 or up) you will have a efi system with obd2 and these run a o2 sensor behind cat to monitor cat wear.you can get pcm reprogrammed to ignore no cat.it seems like 70 to 73 z goes for higher prices in ca because of smog law exempting them from smog checks but there is a rumor about going back to 1966 again.that will kill the muscle car aftermarkit though and sema will be doing some major lobbying to keep this from going through.there are a few counties in ca that still only smog on transfer of ownership.mountain counties in sierra and far north.i am thinking about getting a po box in another county. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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