1976 Is it a 49 state or Cali car? Options

[gnomefabtech]

Car came from Nevada but I can't tell if it was originally a California car. It still has injection but doesn't have a cat or smog pump. Doesn't look like it ever had either but I'm wondering since I'm going to try and register it here in California. Thanks in advance!!

Here is the Vin:

[Dave_Darling]

A bit of recent-ish California smog history:

About 30 years ago, all cars back into the 60s had to pass smog--UNLESS they were in an area that was not designated for smog enforcement. People in some areas of the state (generally less-populous more-rural areas) didn't have to bring their cars in. It was a big pain to get a 49-state car to pass smog, and the rules were often applied inconsistently.

About 20-25 years ago, the law changed. A rolling exemption for cars older than 25 years was granted. Specifically, an exemption from testing. You were still supposed to be meeting all of the standards, they just weren't checking. And I believe it was extended to the whole state.

There were shennanigans and compromises. The exemption was frozen in place, then changed to 30 years, and then eventually the law was passed saying "1975 and older are exempt". Again, only from testing. (I'm sure they said that because they could later make you start testing again and still claim that they didn't change the actual requirements, so you don't get grandfathered in...)

At the time that last change was implemented, a very few 76 914 owners were able to go to CARB or the DMV (I forget which) and successfully argued that the 1975 build date on their car meant that it also qualified. After a good bit of wrangling, that was granted, but supposedly the powers that be said something like "You few are it, nobody else gets to do this." I am not sure how accurate the information in this paragraph is; I read it on one of the 914-oriented forums and I don't remember which one.

You can challenge the 76 914 smog checks, but it will likely take a good bit of time and be a big pain in the *ss.

The general rule for CA residents is to avoid the 76 cars. There aren't that many of them anyway, and it's a lot less hassle avoiding them than trying to smog them.

--DD