Another Every Other Year Emissions (SMOG Test) Data Point From California

It's a been a while since I've posted.  I'm always lurking but tend not to weigh in without something that might add some value.  Coincidentally, I saw Nor-Cal Ed's post just before having to stop in at one of the last local shops that offer my state's approved "enhanced" emission testing required for our older bullnoses as part of our license registration renewal process.

My "build" will continue to be original until I might move out of the a jurisdiction that prohibits any emissions-connect modifications, or our state passes an exemption for older vehicles (both unlikely events).  Before each test, I check/change plugs, air filters, oil change, clean, replace rotor and cap & re-tune the carb & adjust choke/idle.  So far, every other year for the last decade, I've passed with a comfortable margin and tried to remember to post results here.

Here's this year's installment:







,

Looks good sir!

Looks good!  One more year till I make the trip again....  I need to turn those idle screws in a little bit before I go next time.

<rant>
I keep hoping against all rational thought that our trucks will eventually get exempted, but I know I am delusional.  I truly hope it doesn't come to it, but I can foresee a time in the future where our trucks are pushed off the road in some sort of "clean air" legislation.

And no, I can't/won't "just move".  I've lived in CA almost my entire life, all my family is here, as is my job, friends, etc. As much as I love my truck, its not as important as everything else.

Its really a nice place to live if you are willing tolerate some of this other junk.  If you're basing your opinion of California on LA, San Francisco, or San Diego, you have missed the saner parts of the state. :)  
</rant>

I'm with you, Chris.  Met my wife here, raised 4 kids here, business is here.  I'm around for a while longer anyway.

I agree, IMHO, eventually ICE vehicles will be taxed/fee'd to a point most will let them go.  There's only one or two STAR-certified testers left in the county that are also repairing, and emission parts (and routing diagrams) are getting rarer than hen's teeth.

Many fine points and places to still be in this huge state.  'Hope our paths cross one day.

-Mark

Thanks Mark.  Yep, things are thinning out down here in Ventura County as well.  I don't know about up in Sonoma, but I see maybe twenty Bricknose trucks for each Bullnose I see on the road.  

I hope to see you around too, maybe we should start a West Coast meetup?  The furthest north my truck has been is San Luis Obispo though, and that was when I helped haul my girlfriend (now wife of 19 years)'s stuff up to Cal Poly for school (!)

It's a silly thing to have to congratulate someone on, but it really is an achievement, so congratulations!

CA will never go back to reasonable smog testing laws unless there is a huge push that includes real data on the amount of vehicles affected and their emissions to prove that it would be a negligible effect on air quality and offset by the increase in hybrid and EV ownership. In 2021, SB220 was the most recent time it was attempted with the proposed exempt year moving up to 1983. Supposedly someone on the committee said "we already have smog exemption for collector cars" and threw it out. What they were referring to is collector car registration which only allows driving to parades and shows. This and the hilarious pipe dream that is the 2035 100% EV target is proof to me that the state is not interested in doing anything for us. I could go on all day but then it would get political.

I am going to get my Bronco stickered by the BAR for an EFI engine swap and that's a whole 'nother deal.
 
There are a couple Bullnose work trucks in my neighborhood. They barely move though. Neighbor across the street has a restored dentside.

Thankfully we got rid of Ralph Northam as our governor here on the East coast (VA) as he wanted us to follow California's policies. I am hoping it did get eliminated. Our current emission inspection consists of a visual check, inspector is not even to "thump" the cat to see if it's been gutted.

We also have (had?) an update/backdate rule that allows a newer engine to be installed in an older vehicle and it only needs to meet the requirements for the vehicle year.

As for EVs, if I still lived in one of the cities (like I did for most of my life) I would consider an EV or hybrid, but living where a trip to one of the warehouse stores is a 1.5 hr each way excursion and close to 160 mile round trip I would be a little hesitant to trust one in temperature extremes. At least Royal Farms has installed Tesla superchargers in their facilities.

It was necessary for California to lead the charge on vehicle emissions for the sake of air quality. Los Angeles is the most obvious example because you can actually see the difference. But CARB standards for exhaust no longer surpass EPA standards and all new cars are 50-state. Having extremely strict emissions inspections seem to only generate money for the state and put consumers in a difficult spot if their vehicle fails, which can be something as innocuous as different colored vacuum line caps and the technician gets confused (probably feeling it would be safer to fail rather than pass a tampered vehicle brought in by an undercover CARB agent) as once happened to me.

My work van is an E Transit, I'm a municipal worker so range is not a problem. I actually like it because it drives easy and I don't have to visit the equipment yard for fuel. A few weeks ago I ran a 15 amp demolition hammer all day on the 120v outlet. It has 2 heaters, one electric and one conventional. The electric heater absolutely tanks drivable range and I never get the coolant warm enough to use the conventional. The A/C does not seem to be an issue.

On a consumer basis EVs make sense if they fit your lifestyle and you always drive within a comfortable range, but on an infrastructure basis nothing makes sense. The cart isn't before the horse because horse hasn't even been born yet.