Hank Vs. D.M.V.

[Hank Jourdin]

Heres my saga,   I have spent 3 years restoreing my 1978 AMC. A few weeks ago I  had a friend of mine who was going to DMV get me a permit to move my clipper so I could get it smogged. I told him to get me a 10 or 30 day permit. He stood in a long line, but finally got up to the window to care of bussiness. The lady told him NO! ten or 30 day permits any more. The only permit the give is ONE day permit. My Tags were due in Sept and it was Aug, even though I had a nonop on the clipper I had to pay for a full year 86.00 to get a 1 day permit. Which I did, but after being legal to drive it which I did, I found that it had some problems and would not pass smog! I fixed all the problems my wife went back to DMV got another permit  Oct 8th for another 90.00 for one day. Drove to Smog check station was told I needed to go to a check only station,which I did. I pulled right in for the inspection. I took the dog house off, he looked it over and said where is your CARB sticker. I had no idea what he was talking about. Turns out that the Doug Thorley Headers that I installed have to have a carb sticker or it will not pass smog. Huh!! I altered the air cleaner intake snorkle so it would get fresh air, that don't work either. If it doesn't have a carb sticker it won,t fly. It must be orignally eguipment or have a carb sticker. That is a new Calif smog law 1 year old. Now I'am trying to take it to a Calif. smog referee. That will require another permit ,This has not been fun, So anyone making alterations to there motors and related smog equipment  might want to think twice, now I know why Big John Eversoll really left the great state of California. My hats off to ya SIR ! Hank Out!!

[Mac]

I feel your pain Hank, Kalifornia is great. You will pay a lot less & get less drama if you wanted to get sexually reassigned in this state   (in fact I think it's free now) than getting a vehicle smogged.

I'm an outlaw, I ignored the smog part & paid the dmv fees to support illegal aliens. My clipper is past due but my bike covers the plate. My wifes car hasn't been smogged for 2 years past due now.

[John Eversoll]

   Oh Crap Now you know Why I left That "Silley State"

   other  than the 500 hp Chevelle I have just restored

  It seems as though Cali just doesn't have a sence of Humor!!!

  I have found that even buying parts in a Wrecking yard up here is CHEEEEEEPER!!!

Cali management has their fingers in every Pot " That too" I am sure.

I was told by a man that I will leave Nameless--- Sometime with in fifteen years there will be a revolt in the Good old U S A..
And Greed is the main Cause..  Actually I think it is STUPIDITY!!!!!!!!   But that is my own opinion...

I saw a Bumper sticker last week, it read  Will the Last American leaving California,Please turn off the lights!......

[Hank Jourdin]

Just thought I would update the D.M.V. battle. I 'am now armed with 5 pages of what is known as Executive Order that I will present to the smog check only guys this Saturday. This order lists all Doug Thorley hearders that are exempt from Air Resources Board  smog laws. My headers are at the top of the list. I did have to round up a stock air cleaner and remove my nice custom air induction setup just to pass the test, then swap em back again. what a pain this has been. Well we will see what  happens this week end, Mean while I have to get my wife to go back down to DMV and get another 1 day permit so I can drive down to the fighten place!!  Hank Out!

[Hank Jourdin]

The saga continues, I went last Saturday to the smog check only guy and got shot down again, this time he said my intake manifold was not smog legal. I told him it was  on the rig when I bought it,and it passed smog then. But it didn't matter he had already made up his mind. Next step is an appointment with a smog referee Just pisses me off!!!! Hank Out

[John Eversoll]

  Get "EM"   Hank!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LARRY RAY]

Have a relative in another state? Sign the clipper over to him, register it there, drive it home and your problems would be solved. If anyone questions you about it, tell them he's out of town for a day or so then move it around the block and if they come back they must have just missed him.

[Hank Jourdin]

Hey Larry. I already thought of that, my problem is all the relatives  that I would trust are dead and the others that are living  not sooo much ! I'll will find a way to get it to pass smog one way or tuther!  Hank Out!

[John Eversoll]

Hi Hank, " what do they want you to replace to get the thing smogged?

I know jumping through hoops is a Bitch and I have done my share..  It seems rediculas that they wont let a  rig as old as ours pass the smog thing.


John

[USNRetired]

Hank, I forgot about your post and posted about California Smog Laws.  But here is a copy of my post and my followup.

I just ran into the modified California Smog Law.  Our illustrious politicians modified the restriction on vehicles that require smogging.  It was anything over 30 years old was exempt, now they changed it to anything 1977 and newer gets smogged, only those vehicles 1976 and older are exempt.  After emailing the DMV and receiving a response assuring me that I had to smog my 1977 American Clipper, like a good citizen, I headed down to the smog shop.

First attempt:  Failed Hydrocarbons terribly - gross polluter they called my Clipper!  Also, new test failed - evap recovery system had gross air leaks, it was pegged a "gross leaker!"

Second attempt: After $185.00, carb adjusted, new ignition wires, vacume leaks repaired and a new section of rubber hose in the evap recovery line.  Passed the Smog with flying colors, but still failed the evap recovery test.  Still a Gross Leaker!!  (Never been called a gross leaker before.)  ;-)

Okay here is what I had to do.  Took my Clipper back to the shop and found that I had a fuel leak coming from fittings on top of the tank.  Not good!  So it's leaking air and fuel... hey all I need is spark and we have a roman candle!!  Mechanic sent me to another shop that can pull the tank, they have a lift heavy enough for RV's.  


Gary's RV in Oceanside replaced all my fuel and evap recovery lines, replaced the float in the tank (it was badly corroded) and only charged me $485.00  AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!  


Tomorrow I go back to the smog guy and it better pass this time or I'm moving the a state that doesn't require smog tests on vehicles that are almost 40 years old!

Oh, the point is if anyone tells you that your 1977 - 1980 Clipper doesn't need to be smogged!  They are misinformed!  They do, at least in California they do!

Before they cracked down on emissions, not just motor vehicle, there was no such thing as a clear day in LA.  The sky was murked up by this yellowish-gray cloud.  Miles east, up against the mountain ranges in San Bernardino, it was hard to breath.

Cleaning up the air was a very good thing and needed to be done, however, the politicians then found out that this was also another way to "tax" the masses without calling it a tax.  An excellent source of revenue so they could hire more government employees, give themselves pay raises and grant things to people and places that either didn't deserve them or didn't really need them, but were willing to accept the things given. 

Never give your state government too much power... they will bankrupt the state!

I am copying all this over to Hank's Stream "Hank V.S. DMV"  :-)

I did pass the smog test today!  Hoooooorrrrrray!  But only after he determined I had two cannisters and he could exempt part of the vacume test on my vapor recovery system.

[Hank Jourdin]

Hey USNRetired, I have already replaced every hose from gas tank vent lines,to fuel lines and filters from front to rear. It is ready to take back to be smog checked but I just have gotten to it yet. I had a problem with the brakes last time I drove it. The front brakes were not applying and the rear brake shoes were not releaseing. The pedal was mushie and stoping was not what it should be for a power brake set up. I replaced the hyd. brake manifold that has the brake light warning light switch and a brake hold off valve in it. The hold off valve was stuck and I was not getting much front brakes and it was not releaseing the rear brakes. Now everything works as it should and has very good brakes. I have all my paper work ready I just have to see the smog referee and get those c.a.r.b. stickers. Maybe next week I'll give it another shot. Hank Out!

[USNRetired]

Good luck Hank!  I'll keep  you in my happy thoughts and hope the referee is a decent sort!  ;-)

[John Eversoll]

   Just another reason to Leave that silley State>>>>>>>>.......  he he he he he

                          John