Reply to "Crush your car for free - AKA CA Smog Laws"

I've had some thoughts to add regarding the remote sensing program. Currently, all vehicles in California 1975 or older are exempt from the bi-annual smog inspections required to register automobiles in this state. That is the only thing they are exempt from. They have never been exempted from keeping the smog controls installed on them 100% functional, or from the "gross polluter" laws. Of course once they became exempt from the bi-annual smog inspections everyone sighed a breath of relief, because now they could hot rod their older cars without worry of having to pass smog. But hot rodders modifying the engine of any car built after 1965 understand that they are breaking the law when they do so.

The Federal Government has put pressure on California because the LA basin still has the worst air quality in the nation (in terms of hydrocarbons & carbon monoxide). Remote sensing is the current beaurocratic answer to better vehicle emission control. I see big problems with the program but I won't go there now.

No car is exempt from remote sensing, but from this point forward I'm only guessing how the program will be imnplemented. I assume it will have to be enforced like a fix it ticket. If your car is identified as a polluter, you will be instructed to report to a smog station for visual & tail pipe emission inspection within a certain number of days. If you fail the inspection, you will have a certain number of days to bring the vehicle into compliance, or face penalties.

I'll close with 2 observations. First, there have always been smog station operators who are sympathetic to the plight of the hot rodder, you just have to know how to find them. Second, enthusiast who hot rod sport compacts, Mustangs and other vehicles have found ways to make major amounts of horsepower while maintaining the ability to pass the visual inspection and emissions tests.

your friend on the PIBB, George