Ca Smog Law changes
Thread Starter
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 616
From: Antelope, Ca
Ca Smog Law changes
Has any one heard of the changes Ca i preparing for regarding the current exceptions? I hear thee going to make us smog from 66 up. Any one have any validity to this. I talked to a few connections and the say its coming (2010) but don't know the particulars.
Thanks
Thanks
6th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,896
From: Elk Grove, CA
I'm not smog certified like MBDiagMan, but I have taken the basic clean air car course and I'm currently taking the enhanced course. I also know most of the smog techs in town, and I've talked to the local BAR ref about it.
With the new smog system in the works (which probably won't hit until 2012 or so), there's been some talk of turning the entire state into an enhanced smog area, requiring dyno testing for every vehicle, and of revoking the 'change of ownership' status of the counties that currently have it. I don't think it'll pass. Not all of us are hippies, and nobody likes getting their car smog tested.
As for rolling back smog checks to include everything from 66+, I haven't heard anything at all about that. Idiots in the legislature have been trying to push that through for special interest groups for years and it hasn't gone anywhere. There's no real logic in it. There aren't enough cars of those years on the road for it to make any difference. And when was the last time you tried to find emissions components for your 68? It's just not going to happen.
The biggest change is going to be the machines. The new machines aren't going to be built by the BAR, they're going to be contracted out, and they're going to be upgradeable and modular. This means that the computers will have software that you can update over the connection to the BAR, and you can update pieces of equipment (like the dyno or the evap tester) individually rather than having to replace the whole damn system as a unit. The BAR has scheduled the new system to go into effect by 2010, but they haven't even released their current machines to be reverse-engineered yet, so it's more likely we'll see them around 2012.
With the new smog system in the works (which probably won't hit until 2012 or so), there's been some talk of turning the entire state into an enhanced smog area, requiring dyno testing for every vehicle, and of revoking the 'change of ownership' status of the counties that currently have it. I don't think it'll pass. Not all of us are hippies, and nobody likes getting their car smog tested.
As for rolling back smog checks to include everything from 66+, I haven't heard anything at all about that. Idiots in the legislature have been trying to push that through for special interest groups for years and it hasn't gone anywhere. There's no real logic in it. There aren't enough cars of those years on the road for it to make any difference. And when was the last time you tried to find emissions components for your 68? It's just not going to happen.
The biggest change is going to be the machines. The new machines aren't going to be built by the BAR, they're going to be contracted out, and they're going to be upgradeable and modular. This means that the computers will have software that you can update over the connection to the BAR, and you can update pieces of equipment (like the dyno or the evap tester) individually rather than having to replace the whole damn system as a unit. The BAR has scheduled the new system to go into effect by 2010, but they haven't even released their current machines to be reverse-engineered yet, so it's more likely we'll see them around 2012.
Last edited by Starfury; Feb 5, 2009 at 08:04 PM.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,108
From: Michigan
It won't be moving to 66 but it may be stuck at 76. They are talking about getting rid of the 30 and older law and sticking the year at 76. Somehow they are promoting that they will get rid of 22% of the pollutants in the air by including 2.6% of the vehicles. Don't worry guys the politicians in the Sheeple's Hippie (believe anything you tell them specifically SF and LA) Republic of Kalifornia know best. Jay Leno has a big problem with this bill and bringing alot of sway with him.
Car Buffs Have Bill in Headlights
Jay Leno, others fight measure to end smog check exemption for older vehicles
Comedian Jay Leno, the host of television's "Tonight Show," called Assemblywoman Sally
Lieber's office earlier this year and delivered a monologue that wasn't funny at all.
Lieber, a Democrat from Mountain View, was sponsoring legislation to end a California
exemption that spares many old cars from smog checks. Leno, an avid car collector,
considered the bill stupid, and let Lieber's legislative director know it.
"He was really angry," said the staffer, Marva Diaz. "I thought someone was playing a joke
on me. He didn't sound like the person I had seen on TV."
It was indeed Leno, however * and he called again a few weeks later to remind Lieber of
his opposition to the measure, which now sits on the desk of his Hollywood pal, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who must make a decision on it by the end of this month.
Currently, when a car turns 30, it no longer has to be smog checked. Each year, more cars
become exempt. Under the proposed law, the cutoff would be fixed in time * all cars from
the 1976 model year on would have to be checked * and the ranks of exempt cars would thin
as older cars are taken off the road.
State officials estimate that if the governor signs the bill, by 2010 about 340,000
passenger vehicles that would otherwise have aged out of the smog check program will have
to be inspected.
The measure is supported by an unusual alliance that includes the American Lung Assn.,
environmental groups, oil companies and farmers.
On the opposing side is a passionate subculture that's as much a part of California's
mythology as beach bodybuilders Schwarzenegger once hung out with: classic car buffs.
Supporters of the bill say that older cars, most of which would be considered clunkers
rather than classics, make up a disproportionate share of the smog problem in
California.
Opponents see the measure as a first step by the state toward forcing smog checks on the
classic vehicles they love.
Now that Leno has weighed in on behalf of the opponents, supporters of the bill worry that
Schwarzenegger * who declared his candidacy for California governor on Leno's show, and
boasts his own collection of Hummers * will quash it.
Environmentalists and car club representatives both assert that Leno lobbied
Schwarzenegger during the governor's most recent visit to the "Tonight Show" last month.
Spokespersons for the program and the governor said they did not know whether such a
conversation occurred.
Leno's publicist, Dick Guttman, rejected the notion that Leno would have any sway over
Schwarzenegger, or that the two celebrities were close to begin with. He said Leno would
never publicly discuss his political advocacy.
"They have had a relationship for years, but the use of the word 'friend' is sometimes
strange in Hollywood," Guttman said. "I would call it a symbiotic relationship. They
don't get together for dinner or anything. He is a good guest on the show."
As they await the governor's decision, car aficionados around the state are accusing
politicians of trying to grab headlines with a measure that would make only a dent in the
smog problem.
"Politicians are often ridiculous, and this is an example of how ridiculous they can be,"
said Chuck Abbott, president of the Southern California chapter of the Pontiac-Oakland
Club. "It's going to have an infinitesimal impact on air pollution, and it's going to
make a lot of people's lives miserable in the car world, all so some politicians can say
they did something about smog."
Environmentalists and air pollution officials counter that limiting the exemption would
remove 12 tons of smog-forming pollutants per day by 2015. The law, they say, is a
long-overdue step toward reducing motor vehicle emissions. They cited a USC study
published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that children
breathing dirty air in Southern California were more likely to develop underpowered
lungs, leaving them more vulnerable to health problems.
By 2010, cars made before 1983 are expected to account for 22% of the hydrocarbons and 11%
of the nitrogen oxides emitted by passenger cars and light trucks, according to state
officials, even though the older models will constitute just 2.6% of the vehicles on the
road.
As for the true classics * the 1969 Pontiac GTO, for example, or '57 Chevys * the measure
wouldn't affect them, the bill's supporters point out, because it wouldn't reach beyond
the 1976 model year.
"We would argue there are no issues with this bill and classic cars," said Tom Addison, a
lobbyist for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. "It's very simple: If your car
is in the smog check program today, it should stay in the program. That's all the bill
does."
The measure contains a promise from California lawmakers that they will not seek in the
future to extend smog checks to cars made before 1976. Classic car lovers are not
convinced.
"There are a lot of Camaros and Mustangs that are going to be affected," said Lee Lieberg,
a mortgage underwriter from Westminster who in his spare time serves as treasurer of the
Corvettes of Southern California club. "But even those of us with older cars are either
violently opposed or at least nervous. People see this as 'give the bureaucrats an inch
and they'll take a mile.' "
Lieberg's wife, Sharon, is the historian of the Southern California Chevelle-Camino Club.
For the couple, the preservation of classic cars is a deeply personal pursuit.
Sharon still has the car she drove when the couple began dating: a white 1969 Chevelle
with a black vinyl top.
"She's had that car longer than she's had me," Lieber said.
Environmentalists are equally passionate about the need to clean California's air. They
expect Schwarzenegger * who promised when he was running for office to cut air pollution
in half * to do everything in his power to reach that goal.
Bill Haller, a Sierra Club volunteer working to end the 30-year exemption, was so livid at
Leno for opposing Lieber's bill that he decided to use the comic's trademark humor
against him.
Last week, Haller announced the formation of a faux environmental organization,
"Californians 4 More Smog," and organized pseudo-supporters to picket the "Tonight Show."
The rally in front of the show's Burbank studio was sparsely attended * only two people
showed up * but it still drew radio coverage.
"We say lung association, shmung association," Haller joked. Becoming serious again, he
said: "I hope Jay Leno reconsiders."
Jay Leno, others fight measure to end smog check exemption for older vehicles
Comedian Jay Leno, the host of television's "Tonight Show," called Assemblywoman Sally
Lieber's office earlier this year and delivered a monologue that wasn't funny at all.
Lieber, a Democrat from Mountain View, was sponsoring legislation to end a California
exemption that spares many old cars from smog checks. Leno, an avid car collector,
considered the bill stupid, and let Lieber's legislative director know it.
"He was really angry," said the staffer, Marva Diaz. "I thought someone was playing a joke
on me. He didn't sound like the person I had seen on TV."
It was indeed Leno, however * and he called again a few weeks later to remind Lieber of
his opposition to the measure, which now sits on the desk of his Hollywood pal, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who must make a decision on it by the end of this month.
Currently, when a car turns 30, it no longer has to be smog checked. Each year, more cars
become exempt. Under the proposed law, the cutoff would be fixed in time * all cars from
the 1976 model year on would have to be checked * and the ranks of exempt cars would thin
as older cars are taken off the road.
State officials estimate that if the governor signs the bill, by 2010 about 340,000
passenger vehicles that would otherwise have aged out of the smog check program will have
to be inspected.
The measure is supported by an unusual alliance that includes the American Lung Assn.,
environmental groups, oil companies and farmers.
On the opposing side is a passionate subculture that's as much a part of California's
mythology as beach bodybuilders Schwarzenegger once hung out with: classic car buffs.
Supporters of the bill say that older cars, most of which would be considered clunkers
rather than classics, make up a disproportionate share of the smog problem in
California.
Opponents see the measure as a first step by the state toward forcing smog checks on the
classic vehicles they love.
Now that Leno has weighed in on behalf of the opponents, supporters of the bill worry that
Schwarzenegger * who declared his candidacy for California governor on Leno's show, and
boasts his own collection of Hummers * will quash it.
Environmentalists and car club representatives both assert that Leno lobbied
Schwarzenegger during the governor's most recent visit to the "Tonight Show" last month.
Spokespersons for the program and the governor said they did not know whether such a
conversation occurred.
Leno's publicist, Dick Guttman, rejected the notion that Leno would have any sway over
Schwarzenegger, or that the two celebrities were close to begin with. He said Leno would
never publicly discuss his political advocacy.
"They have had a relationship for years, but the use of the word 'friend' is sometimes
strange in Hollywood," Guttman said. "I would call it a symbiotic relationship. They
don't get together for dinner or anything. He is a good guest on the show."
As they await the governor's decision, car aficionados around the state are accusing
politicians of trying to grab headlines with a measure that would make only a dent in the
smog problem.
"Politicians are often ridiculous, and this is an example of how ridiculous they can be,"
said Chuck Abbott, president of the Southern California chapter of the Pontiac-Oakland
Club. "It's going to have an infinitesimal impact on air pollution, and it's going to
make a lot of people's lives miserable in the car world, all so some politicians can say
they did something about smog."
Environmentalists and air pollution officials counter that limiting the exemption would
remove 12 tons of smog-forming pollutants per day by 2015. The law, they say, is a
long-overdue step toward reducing motor vehicle emissions. They cited a USC study
published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that children
breathing dirty air in Southern California were more likely to develop underpowered
lungs, leaving them more vulnerable to health problems.
By 2010, cars made before 1983 are expected to account for 22% of the hydrocarbons and 11%
of the nitrogen oxides emitted by passenger cars and light trucks, according to state
officials, even though the older models will constitute just 2.6% of the vehicles on the
road.
As for the true classics * the 1969 Pontiac GTO, for example, or '57 Chevys * the measure
wouldn't affect them, the bill's supporters point out, because it wouldn't reach beyond
the 1976 model year.
"We would argue there are no issues with this bill and classic cars," said Tom Addison, a
lobbyist for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. "It's very simple: If your car
is in the smog check program today, it should stay in the program. That's all the bill
does."
The measure contains a promise from California lawmakers that they will not seek in the
future to extend smog checks to cars made before 1976. Classic car lovers are not
convinced.
"There are a lot of Camaros and Mustangs that are going to be affected," said Lee Lieberg,
a mortgage underwriter from Westminster who in his spare time serves as treasurer of the
Corvettes of Southern California club. "But even those of us with older cars are either
violently opposed or at least nervous. People see this as 'give the bureaucrats an inch
and they'll take a mile.' "
Lieberg's wife, Sharon, is the historian of the Southern California Chevelle-Camino Club.
For the couple, the preservation of classic cars is a deeply personal pursuit.
Sharon still has the car she drove when the couple began dating: a white 1969 Chevelle
with a black vinyl top.
"She's had that car longer than she's had me," Lieber said.
Environmentalists are equally passionate about the need to clean California's air. They
expect Schwarzenegger * who promised when he was running for office to cut air pollution
in half * to do everything in his power to reach that goal.
Bill Haller, a Sierra Club volunteer working to end the 30-year exemption, was so livid at
Leno for opposing Lieber's bill that he decided to use the comic's trademark humor
against him.
Last week, Haller announced the formation of a faux environmental organization,
"Californians 4 More Smog," and organized pseudo-supporters to picket the "Tonight Show."
The rally in front of the show's Burbank studio was sparsely attended * only two people
showed up * but it still drew radio coverage.
"We say lung association, shmung association," Haller joked. Becoming serious again, he
said: "I hope Jay Leno reconsiders."
Last edited by remicks; Feb 5, 2009 at 08:22 PM.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 882
From:
First off, who did you hear from that its going to 66? I highly doubt anyone compident made that statement. It will NEVER HAPPEN even in California.
6th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,896
From: Elk Grove, CA
I'm sure that won't happen, but I bet they come up with some other way to get our cars off the road.
Remicks, the rolling 30 year thing was halted 3 years ago. That's why it's still at '76 when it's now 2009
The main reason these types of laws exist is not to clean up the air, but to allow major corporations with manufacturing plants that cause the majority of pollution to crush non-smog legal cars for 'clean air credits.' It's basically a way for these companies to pretend they're cleaning the environment while still pumping out tons of pollution from their factories.
Remicks, the rolling 30 year thing was halted 3 years ago. That's why it's still at '76 when it's now 2009
The main reason these types of laws exist is not to clean up the air, but to allow major corporations with manufacturing plants that cause the majority of pollution to crush non-smog legal cars for 'clean air credits.' It's basically a way for these companies to pretend they're cleaning the environment while still pumping out tons of pollution from their factories.
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 441
From: California
1976??? According to DMV, it's still at 1975. Please let us know. I found a 76 truck that I want.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm
4th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,108
From: Michigan
I'm sure that won't happen, but I bet they come up with some other way to get our cars off the road.
Remicks, the rolling 30 year thing was halted 3 years ago. That's why it's still at '76 when it's now 2009
The main reason these types of laws exist is not to clean up the air, but to allow major corporations with manufacturing plants that cause the majority of pollution to crush non-smog legal cars for 'clean air credits.' It's basically a way for these companies to pretend they're cleaning the environment while still pumping out tons of pollution from their factories.
Remicks, the rolling 30 year thing was halted 3 years ago. That's why it's still at '76 when it's now 2009
The main reason these types of laws exist is not to clean up the air, but to allow major corporations with manufacturing plants that cause the majority of pollution to crush non-smog legal cars for 'clean air credits.' It's basically a way for these companies to pretend they're cleaning the environment while still pumping out tons of pollution from their factories.
But the best part was where they tried to organize a protest of Leno and they only managed a couple people, very successful. Now only if they realized they are wrong but they are too self important for that.
