CA VIN check and emissions sticker. Location? Options

[MichiganMat]

914World,

Im working to title and plate my '75 914 in CA. I've worked through the lien paperwork and the company Im working with, Registration Express, is ready to do a VIN check. My '75 tub has been sandblasted and resprayed, so any emissions stickers that used to be there are long gone. The rep at RE says that they need to check both the VIN *and* the emissions sticker.

I found a sticker available from AutoAtlanta: http://www.autoatlanta.com/Porsche-Engine-...22133033BH.html

Does anyone know if this is the sticker that my Rep might be referring to?
Where does this sticker go on the car?

Many thanks,
Mat

[Chi-town]

There's no smog check for 75, why is he concerned about the lable?

[MichiganMat]

There's no smog check for 75, why is he concerned about the lable?

Im applying for a title, I guess its part of their process at Reg Express. If the "emissions sticker" is not there, then I have to take the car to CHP, and I've no idea how that will go. Its a racecar with a WRX engine swap, and I'll be showing up with the car on a trailer.

Any idea if thats the sticker and where it might go?

[sixnotfour]

go east ..title ..then CA...

[DennisO]

I would find a new company. I have registered several cars that were from out of state, inop, or bill of sale and used similar companies. They never had to see an emission sticker.

There's no smog check for 75, why is he concerned about the lable?

Im applying for a title, I guess its part of their process at Reg Express. If the "emissions sticker" is not there, then I have to take the car to CHP, and I've no idea how that will go. Its a racecar with a WRX engine swap, and I'll be showing up with the car on a trailer.

Any idea if thats the sticker and where it might go?

[bandjoey]

would they even know if it's the wrong sticker??

[Blue6]

Mat,
You don’t have a cop friend? CHP and DMV are difficult to navigate. Any police officer or deputy sheriff that has been traffic trained can do the VIN verification. With it being a 75, they can check the box for emissions sticker missing and it will still pass.

[JeffBowlsby]

I think this may be a problem but I sincerely hope I am wrong. The CA exemption is for a smog CHECK-only. All vehicles must still comply with CA emission requirements applicable to their year. So you drive up with an engine swap car, cannot pass the smog check and...you cannot get titled in CA.

For anyone thats done this in CA...am I wrong?

That label BTW is for a 49-state 1.8L car. If thats what your car was ... then great. If it was a 2.0L car or a CA-model...it would not be correct.

[MichiganMat]

I think this may be a problem but I sincerely hope I am wrong. The CA exemption is for a smog CHECK-only. All vehicles must still comply with CA emission requirements applicable to their year. So you drive up with an engine swap car, cannot pass the smog check and...you cannot get titled in CA.

For anyone thats done this in CA...am I wrong?

Yes, thats my understanding too. This is NOT for smog check. This is to get the car titled.

The check that R.E. wants to do is not super-official, an emissions sticker just needs to be present on the chassis at the time of VIN inspection, thats all.

If its not there, then they require me to have the car checked by CHP. If I can put an $11 sticker on the chassis and save myself the hassle of CHP then that seems like a win, just need to determine the correct location.

[JeffBowlsby]

If its an out of state car, never previously titled in CA...that's my concern. You may need to have it smogged to title it. Just like a lights/brake safety check.

Someone who has actually done this under these conditions, please chime in, I hope I am wrong.

[MichiganMat]

If its an out of state car, never previously titled in CA...that's my concern. You may need to have it smogged to title it. Just like a lights/brake safety check.

Someone who has actually done this under these conditions, please chime in, I hope I am wrong.

I likely *would* need to do all that if I wasn't going through R.E., but they're willing to *ahem* help out and get the car through with a few less hassles. No smog because its a '75, no safety check either.

[914_7T3]

Auto Atlanta has repros for sale on their website.

[Mike Bellis]

I would buy the sticker, put it in the driver's door jam and keep them out of the engine bay. You could also place it under the front trunk near the VIN. Nobody will know the correct location on a 40 year old foreign car. CHP will know more about modified engines than DMV. Don't take it to CHP.

[ConeDodger]

There's no smog check for 75, why is he concerned about the lable?

Im applying for a title, I guess its part of their process at Reg Express. If the "emissions sticker" is not there, then I have to take the car to CHP, and I've no idea how that will go. Its a racecar with a WRX engine swap, and I'll be showing up with the car on a trailer.

Any idea if thats the sticker and where it might go?

CHP inspection is mostly concerned with the car being assembled with stolen parts.

[DickSteinkamp]

I have these emissions stickers on my 1976 MY (at least it is registered as a 76), September 1975 production California delivered 914. Original paint.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm5.staticflickr.com-20876-1543693376.1.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm5.staticflickr.com-20876-1543693376.2.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm5.staticflickr.com-20876-1543693377.3.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm5.staticflickr.com-20876-1543693377.4.jpg)

[SirAndy]

I think this may be a problem but I sincerely hope I am wrong. The CA exemption is for a smog CHECK-only. All vehicles must still comply with CA emission requirements applicable to their year. So you drive up with an engine swap car, cannot pass the smog check and...you cannot get titled in CA.

For anyone thats done this in CA...am I wrong?

That label BTW is for a 49-state 1.8L car. If thats what your car was ... then great. If it was a 2.0L car or a CA-model...it would not be correct.

Actually, i did some digging on this when i swapped in the 3.6L engine.

First off, Jeff is correct, you are only exempt from the smog *check*, you still must comply with whatever the smog requirements were at the time.

And here is where this gets a bit more complicated, when you do an engine swap, your car (Since it's a '75) is still exempt from the test but you will have to have the smog equipment from the year of your engine that you are swapping in!

So in my case, the car is exempt from testing since it's a '70 but technically, i have to have the smog equipment installed that came with my '95 993 engine.

I've never seen them actually enforce that but if they really wanted to, they could make you install all the original smog equipment that came with your WRX engine.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[bretth]

The repo decal linked to that AA is selling is the same as my 75 1.8 has but mine is located on top of the cooling fan shroud near the alternator.

[Steve]

When you bring a car in from out of state to California, they do check the vins. On my 75 they only checked the vins. I also did not have any stickers on my car and they didn’t care.
In fact at that time, my car had a 2.7 with Weber’s on it.
I brought my car to the local DMV

[75914-L20C]

The repo decal linked to that AA is selling is the same as my 75 1.8 has but mine is located on top of the cooling fan shroud near the alternator.

Yes, my '75 1.8L has the decal on the cooling fan as well.