Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: morePOWER Mar 7 2020, 01:08 PM

Hey guys,

I'm new to 914World, but not to 914's. I had a rusty '73 *way* back in the day, and still think about that car.

Turns out a six conversion is recently up for sale nearby and I'm drooling. Allegedly originally a CA car, '76, with a 3.2, with headers into a Dansk 2 in, one out. In other words, the car does not have a cat. converter. I'm wondering if that matters given its age, though I'm pretty sure the 3.2's had cats and maybe even CA 914's.

Are cats common in conversions, or not? Am I going to have trouble at the DMV? If so, is there a way to make it all better? I know the 3.2 had to be turned around to go into the engine bay; can the original 3.2 header pipes (and cat) be turned around to point out the back?

Thanks, any wisdom on the topic would be appreciated!

Posted by: Mark Henry Mar 7 2020, 01:38 PM

Cats are not common, could be done if you're environmentally inclined, but I've yet to see it done.
In California 1976 is a year that would be hard to register a /6 conversion.

Posted by: SirAndy Mar 7 2020, 01:40 PM

Generally speaking, whatever was required the year of the engine (!) is what you legally need to have in terms of equipment.

How that is enforced locally where you live is a completely different question.

Around here where i live nobody has ever asked about anything related to the '95 engine i have in my '70 914.

Neither the DMV nor the cops have ever cared. But of course that can change.

Posted by: GeorgeRud Mar 7 2020, 05:20 PM

Check with your state’s DMV and EPA to be sure. If it’s licensed as a classic or antique auto, there may be no emission requirements, but each state has different rules.

Posted by: burton73 Mar 7 2020, 05:21 PM

So, in CA you still have to get renewals on smog every 2 years if the car is 1976 or newer. Like with my 86.5 928. One when I brought it into CA and then every 2 years.

California has gotten super tight on this. It has been hard but now it is really hard. There are NEW GM V8 engines sold for hot rods and such that come with FI and Cats make huge power and pass the sniff test


Bob B

Posted by: SirAndy Mar 7 2020, 06:46 PM

While this is true for stock cars, this thread is about conversions.

So technically while exempt from *testing* (Not compliance!) if the car is a '75 or earlier, as i mentioned above if you swap a later motor in an earlier car, you have to comply with whatever the rules were for the year of that motor.

So if you have for example a 3.6L from a '95 993 and put it in a '70 914, you still need all the smog equipment that was mandatory for the year 1995.

Posted by: sixnotfour Mar 7 2020, 10:40 PM

Oklahoma.....check your county laws...

Posted by: 914bub Mar 7 2020, 11:39 PM

Everything said above is true as far as 76 and later in California but nobody pointed out that a muffler/repair shop is not aloud by law to add a Cat to a car that didn't have one originally. In other words if I put a 1990's engine into a 1960's car, by law, a muffler shop can not add a cat. I know it sounds crazy but look it up. There are ways around that law BTW.

Posted by: sixnotfour Mar 7 2020, 11:59 PM

haha thats funny,,,running scca vintage rally 73 911, i had to weld a cat on...result of a protest...