Dear Listers,
Three cheers! The California SB42 smog bill passed the
State Senate and now will go on to the Assembly. CALIFORNIANS, DON'T LET THIS
STATE SET A PRECEDENT!
FIND OUT WHO YOUR ASSEMBLY PERSON IS AND CALL, AND
CALL, AND CALL! HAVE YOUR FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS
CALL. HAVE YOUR FAMILY CALL. Write as well! THIS IS
REALLY IMPORTANT!
That said, let me tell you folks how I spent Friday. At
the smog shop. I just put a brand new 1996 GM
Goodwrench 350 factory "crate" engine into my
1969 Malibu. In order to pass the upcoming biannual
smog check we rebuilt the 2 barrel original carb from
the original 307 V8 and refitted all of the factory parts;
air cleaner, heat stove, hot air valve, lines and valves
and restrictors. I actually found a NOS automatic choke thermostat! The speed
shop tuned it for low emissions
and economy. STOCK AS A CLOCK!
I bring it in for what should have been a slam dunk and
the tech never even shoved the sniffer up the tailpipe.
The guy says" the fender and the air cleaner say it's
a 307 but the decals on the valve covers say its a 350."
I say," which would be better?"
TECH: Don't be funny, which is it?
RICK: It's a 350.
TECH: Can't even test it, needs a four barrel carb.
RICK: BS, What difference does it make.
TECH: Look in the book. 1968 Chevelles came with
2 &4 barrel carbs on the 327 and 1970 350s came with
both also, BUT in 1969 only 307s came with 2barrel and
All of the 350s came with 4barrels, so your car can't be
tested because it is modified.
RICK: OK , so if I leave here and peel off the decals,
come back in and tell you its a 307 you can test it?
No because 307s came only with a single exhaust and
you have duals. OK for a 350, but not OK on a 307. Oh,
by the way, where is your NOX device? (these basically
cut off your vacuum advance)
RICK: never had one! These are no longer required and
haven't been for a long time. I bought the car from the
original owner so it never changed hands during the NOX
era so never was required to have one.
TECH: What about that decal on the fan shroud that says
one was fitted?
RICK: My original fan shroud was badly cracked and the
guys at the speed shop had a nice one hanging on the wall
and installed it with my new radiator. So what if I come
back without that decal as well?
TECH: I won't test this car. I could lose my license.
It's all screwed up and not stock. Come back when you
have the correct carburetor and a NOX device.
Needless to say, I found a guy who would bend the rules
on the visual and then test the car.
Outcome: at 2500RPM:
HC(ppm)allowable, 600ppm, my Malibu, 50ppm
CO (%) allowable, 4.5% my Malibu, less than1%
The idle test had even better numbers. As far as I'm
concerned, these tests are being used to harass old car
folks rather than to lower emissions. My Chevy is cleaner
than when it was new and I had to pay a guy under the
table to call it a 307 with a single exhaust to get a damned
piece of paper and a legal download to the big computer in Sacramento!
So WRITE, WRITE, CALL, CALL & CALL AGAIN. Don't
let the BOZO bureaucrats get in your face!
Help pass SB42!
Rick Feibusch
Automotive Journalist/Appraiser
http://www.EnglishCars.com/rick.html
mailto:RFeibusch@aol.com
61 Minor pickup
60 Minor Saloon
59 Minor Convertible
69 Chevelle Malibu 350
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