Arizona follows Cali too and we would actually love something along the
lines you describe. We have tried to get "collector cars"
exempted. Currently only cars older than '66 don't have to pass emissions
- current emissions - not emissions current to their vintage. Including
proof of "collector car" insurance even with annual mileage
restrictions. So far the EPA and kept the state from being able to do this
under threat of pulling highway funds.
At 06:18 PM 10/6/2004, Editorgary@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 10/6/04 4:56:26 PM, owner-fot-digest@autox.team.net
>writes:
>
>
> > Yes, the bill was signed into law last week (I think it was).
> >
> > However, at least as I read it, it's not as draconian as some people are
> > claiming. Basically, it stops the smog exemption date from rolling forward
> > each year, 1976 cars will continue to have to be smog inspected even after
> > 2006. It's not clear to me if 1975 cars will continue to have to be
> > inspected or not.
> >
> > The new law also seems to prescribe a very minimal inspection (visual
> > inspection of the fuel cap and no fuel leaks) for cars 35 model years old
> > and older, that are registered as 'classic' cars. As I read the law, all
> > you have to do to sidestep this requirement is to license and insure the
>car
> > as an ordinary car, rather than a collector car.
> >
>
> The bill has been signed into law, as was noted. If you want to look at the
>bill and the analyses that went with it, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov and ask for
>status of A.B. 2683.
>It is a little complicated as it went down, apparently because of a
>last-minute Senate amendment to throw a bone to the collector car hobby. As I
>read the
>bill now, all cars manufactured in 1975 model year and earlier are permanently
>exempt from smog inspections (at least until the law is revoked and rewritten
>again sometime in the future) and the bill doesn't seem to differentiate
>between currently registered cars and those bought and brought into the state
>at a
>later date. 1975 and before, you're free of smog restrictions.
>On the other hand, cars built after that production date will be expected to
>meet the smog restrictions (emissions and equipment) that were in effect
>during the year of manufacture, with one exception -- "collector cars."
>Here it gets a bit confusing. Collector cars are defined as those that have
>collector car insurance and are at least 35 years old. So that exception won't
>come into play for another five years, if I'm reading this right. From now
>until 2011, 1976 cars and beyond will have to adhere to all smog restrictions,
>including installed equipment. After that time, year by year, cars will become
>exempt from the equipment restrictions, provided they can continue to meet
>tailpipe limits for their year.
>So, eventually, things will get a little better for owners of 1976 cars and
>later, in that they will be able to take off controls, make engine swaps,
>whatever, provided they can keep the emissions under the limits.
>If you're in the group that argues that any car more than 30 years old is
>classic and always will be, then this legislation --- ill-conceived and
>irrelevant as it is to the smog problems at hand -- is a set-back. But if
>you're in the
>group that says that there wasn't very many cars manufactured after1976 that
>are worth saving, you probably don't care.
>Those of you in other states, watch out. New York, Pennsylvania,
>Massacusetts, and I believe Connecticut, follow California emissions laws
>prettty closely,
>so the change may be coming to your state.
>Cheers
>Gary Anderson
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