In Cali we dont have to smog test these things but there are occasionally random CHP roadside checks to see if emission pieces are in place. LAPD can pull you over and look for it to..

Not that Im really considering this, but what would your opinion be if.....

I ordered my Super Comps bare, weld in an 02 bung (for tuning) and smog rail fittings then had it coated.....Got a smog pump, polished, gutted and mounted it..Ran the lines to a cowl induction air cleaner (which I have). Wouldnt rob any power really...I could make the lines out of stainless and polish them:D

It would almost be fun but kind of a joke to what rodding in Cali has come to..

However, if I got pulled over late at night and was asked to raise my hood Id love to see the look on the LEOs face when I showed him I have PCV and a smog pump. Couldnt do anything to me...

Just a thought:clonk:

Many moons ago, before my current military life while running the streets of Bakersfield, Ca in my 1969 chevelle and a friends 71 Nova, the law was any car older than 75 only required the original emissions it came with, most were merely a PCV from the valve cover to the back of the carb. I actually had a CHP officer tell me that if a car had mutiple carbs (six pack, dual fours or tunnel ram) installed all it needed was a PCV system. I'm sure the old car haters in Cali have since adjusted the laws and such to narrow the comfort zone but it always made me mad to see a newer car than mine drive by smoking up the road while mine and many other older cars beat the checks by a long shot. take care and have a great new years....Andy

72 Cali 350's had an AIR pump. Mine is gone. They also had a single exhaust and ALL had a 2bbl carb. All that is gone too. That said, I have never had to open my hood for a CHP officer yet. "Knock on wood"

Course the older I get the slower I drive so its a self solving deal. Don't give em an excuse to look under your hood.

Not something I condone, but have seen it happen:

In MN, we had emissions testing for a few years, but it has since gone away. During that time, I know of 2 vehicles that ran dummy catalytic converters. They bought replacement cat's, split them open, then re-welded them onto a section of the exhaust pipe so they looked legit. The also did the O2 sensor bung and since they were that far anyway, wired up a aftermarket A/F monitor for tuning.

Yep, both got busted. They didn't think the inspectors would have a clue, but they did. One also didn't pass the tailpipe test, but that's a different story.

At the same time, I had stuffed a 472 Cadillac into an '83 Grand Prix, and went through the process to have it "re-classified" as an emissions exempt vehicle. In MN, you could install a pre-emissions engine into your vehicle, and as long as you could prove the engine's age, the work was performend by a "professional" mechanic, had the restrictor on the filler neck and passed the emissions sniffer test, you were exempt. I didn't have any problems other than their sniffer due to my downturned tips, so they stuck it into the engine compartment (???) to check there.

Ron I thought the law in Calif was 73 and older are smog exempt. I have registered my 69 a few times post the law change in about 1998 99.
But I have noticed here in Pasadena cops that are stopping cars and rolling them up on some kind of apparatus, is that what they are doing, sniffing our tail pipes?

that may be CHP. Dont know if they sniff pipes but they do check to see whatever emissions equiptment the car supposedly came with is intact and operating.
Id like to think that they would leave us guys alone, but.....

What kind of cars did you see rolled up on there?

Not sure about this apparatus thing, but if there was a decent sized trailer it was probably CHP, they are pretty strict.

Its 75 and older now HOWEVER the cars still can be forced to pass a visual check and yes they do set up road side emmissions checks where they infrared your exhaust as you go by and flag you down later down the road if your car comes up a "gross polluter". Its like a DUI checkpoint.

FWIW to get a CHP officer to look under your hood I will assume that he was pissed at you and looking for anything at all to hang you with. Check your attitude, driving habits etc. I have been stopped by the CHP several times, gotten tickets OR warnings and never been asked to open my hood and I definitely live in smog country. My car would fail a visual miserably.


There is NO modification allowed in the state of california that hasn't been previously approved by the C.A.R.B. and issued a certification.

There are RARE modifications that are C.A.R.B. approved. ANY modification whether C.A.R.B. certified or not can be hassled by the authorities.

All you have to do is cop an attitude with the tester and "poof" your C.A.R.B. certified headers or manifold or whatever suddenly cause you problems. Happens all the time. Then you get to go to the "Arbitrator" with your certificate issued by the state of california and grovel in the hopes that he won't hassle you too.

The cars I saw were just normal cars, Toyotas, Hondas, Ford Tauras. The apparatus is a trailer with a ramp and a roller that the rear wheels or front ( front wheel drive) that the tires were spinning on?
$hit my show / driver 69 El Co has dual quads atop a 12 inch tunnel ram poping out of the hood and idles at about 1500 rpm. Do you think they will think its stock? :clonk: :noway:

Maby time to rethink the dual quad thing?

Naw....I think they would leave us alone. Now, driving like a fool at 2 in the morning maybe. Even if I had the parts on theres no way Id pass with my cam. Not putting cats on it either. Im driving it, if something hapens it happens.

How can you find out what your car came with?

67-PCV for sure. Some motors had pumps on them, some didnt. How do you know?

Naw....I think they would leave us alone. Now, driving like a fool at 2 in the morning maybe. Even if I had the parts on theres no way Id pass with my cam. Not putting cats on it either. Im driving it, if something hapens it happens.

How can you find out what your car came with?

67-PCV for sure. Some motors had pumps on them, some didnt. How do you know?


In 67 its unlikely your car had anything more than a PCV and a TCS. You still have the PCV I am sure and a TCS is probably available from ebay.

TCS = Transmission controlled spark