>When I got my car, a 77 TR7, the previous owner had pulled the catalytic
>converter when he also put on exhaust headers. I also knew when I got it
>that it had an exhaust leak that needed to be fixed. Well, when I took it
>into a local NY muffler place yesterday, they told me that NY law won't
>allow them to work on a car which has had its cat removed unless they put a
>new one on. I know they can't take the cat off, but I hadn't heard of
>this... but it is NY, an odd state. Can anyone verify this law? I know I
>will eventually have to put the cat back on when I move to Seattle, but I
>will burn that bridge when I come to it. Also, can someone tell me what
>years cars were required to come with catalytic converters? Did some of the
>76 TR7's not have them? I seem to recall two yeas, for example, when VW
>didn't put them on the Scirocco's. I think this was 76-77, but I'm not sure.
>
Cynic mode [on]
It's federal law, tamper with an emission system or touch a car that
doesn't meet 100% of all requirements and you can serve time. It's
unenforceable and widely ignored at an individual level, but no commercial
operation can afford to take the chance. Besides, its a revenue machine for
them. Who could argue with "Federal law says I have to replace your catcon
for $$$." The feds even made JC Whitney stop selling the "test" pipes that
bypassed the catcon for "test" purposes, an unusual bit of cleverness for
bureaucrats :-).
Beginning in 1976, all US cars I'm aware of had catcons for the first time,
and unleaded fuel was the law of the land in the US. It was driven by a new
stage of the Clean Air Act, so emissions had to be met in all vehicles sold
and the only known way was catcons. Up to 1975, they made do by crippling
the carburetors to destroy performance, drivability _and_ fuel economy.
Things then ran much better but got more expensive. There were probably a
few exceptions that managed to forestall the inevitable with other means,
but I don't know of any.
Cynic mode [off]
--
Gary Schneider
Nicolet Instrument Technologies, 5225-4 Verona Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA
phone: 608-276-6172, Fax: 608-273-5061, Internet: gschneid@nicmad.nicolet.com
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