quote:Originally posted by INZOWHO:
... My car 6638 was manufactured Dec. 73 ... Sold new in California in 1974 ... Which would make it "year model" 74 ... and "date sold" 74 ... Yet it is titled as a 73.
... I was told the California dealers re-titled some cars to beat new smog laws implemented for 1974 in California. Whether this is fact or not, I have no idea ...
Doug M
That's more or less correct Doug, except it wasn't the dealers who redocumented the 1974 Panteras, it was Ford.
My 1974 model California Pantera was also redocumented as a 1973, and as far as I know, all 1974 Panteras destined for California were redocumented by Ford as 1973 models.
The explanation is rather simple. I believe 1974 was the first year in which California adopted its own tailpipe emissions standards, which were stricter than the US Federal standards. To sell a car equipped with a certain motor in all 50 states a manufacturer had to get the motor cetified twice, once by the US federal government, once by California. But since Californa's standards were stricter than the federal standards, many motors needed re-tuning to meet the stricter standards in California.
The 351C 4V didn't pass California's stricter standards for 1974 (the 351C 2V did). But 1974 was the final year of production for the 351C 4V ... Ford didn't see the logic in expending the time & money to re-tune and certify the 351C 4V for California when they were going to cease manufacturing it a year later. So instead, they took the 351C 4V off the options list for Torinos, Rancheros, Cougars, and Montegos in California. Problem solved ... almost.
The 351C 4V was not optional equipment in the Pantera, it was standard equipment. It was the ONLY engine installed in Panteras. And California was the biggest market for the Pantera. However, even though California was the largest market for Pantera sales we're still only talking about a few hundred Panteras that were sold in California in 1974 ... and just like the 351C 4V the sale of the Pantera was scheduled to be terminated after the 1974 model year. In the judgement of the corporate giant (Ford) the sale of a few hundred Panteras still didn't justify expending the time & money to re-tune and certify the 351C 4V for California.
So rather than cut-off Pantera sales in California Ford did what any arrogant corporation would do and re-documented the few hundred 1974 Panteras destined for California as 1973 models and laughed all the way to the board room.
Ford and all the automakers were hurting financially, they weren't happy at all with California's decision to adopt their own emissions regulations, doubling the cost of having motors tuned and certified. Ford sarcastically referred to California as the green state in all their official documentation.
-G