Don't know already posted.

There is hope after all! Check out AB 550

California Introduces Legislation to Allow Certain Vehicles to Pay Fee Instead of Passing Smog Test

Legislation (A.B. 550) to allow an owner of a motor vehicle that is subject to the smog check program to pay a $200 smog abatement fee in lieu of passing a smog test was introduced in the California Assembly. The vehicle would have to meet specified criteria in order to qualify. The bill would require the fee to be deposited in the Air Quality Improvement Fund. The measure will be considered by the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Under current law, the smog check program requires inspection of motor vehicles upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain other circumstances. Existing law exempts specified vehicles from inspection, including motor vehicles manufactured prior to the 1976 model-year.

A.B. 550 allows the owner of a motor vehicle that is required to take a smog test to pay a smog abatement fee of $200 if the motor vehicle meets all of the following criteria: Is 30 or more model-years old; was manufactured during or after the 1976 model-year; fails a smog test; and fails a subsequent smog test after necessary repairs were made.

Most likely the verbage of the bill includes the requirement to have all original smog equipment intact. Even if this passes assembly, I would not buy a 76 vehicle.

Always cracks me up how giving Jerry Brown more money miraculously cleans the air...

Still, it sounds like it would be better then the 'can't get there from here' situation we have now.

So, CA is figuring out a way to charge more for 30 YO vehicles while some other states allow exemption at 30 years...

I have no issue with $200, I pay way more to get my 930 smogged every two years, except that the bill requires a fail, then another fail after repairs attempted... Just a way for mechs to screw you out of some $$$. I wonder if once you get on the "exempt list" you just pay the fee every two years???

The big question is do you have to pay this fee every year and go through the hassle every year or once your on this "polluter list" do you just become "exempt" or simply pay the 200 yearly/bianually....(Like purposely fail smog, then do a non legal engine swap and just pay your "Awesome tax")

This could get interesting.. Next year would make 86's fall into this law... Aka 944 turbo's and such...

Automotive enthusiasts have been whining about smog laws since the ‘60s, it is too late that ship has sailed. What you guys need to start worrying about is if or how they are going to grandfather in old cars when the self-driving cars take over…

They should mandate fuel cell engines then capture the H2O emissions for irrigation.
Not to worry because you won't need a car in Ca after the bullet trains run everywhere.

Governor Moonbeam! The bleeding heart liberals have ruined this state and country.

Regardless of anyone's political persuasion, there is to be no political discussions on 914World. Knock it off please.

Why not? It makes for some fun times!

That's what 914 events are for.

Besides, calling talk about California government a 'political discussion' is like calling One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest a medical documentary...

Or....to be intimate with palm trees

California is a horrible place to live. That's why it is so unpopular. I discourage anyone from moving here and I encourage anyone to leave. Lots of east bound interstate highways. Pack up and get on one.

In other words?................GET OFF MY LAWN!!

I resemble that!

And Elleyot ... you forgot to add "when leaving take at least 3 more immigrants with you.

April Fools joke?

The all-time worst governor; Gov. Moonbeam got elected again. There wasn't ANYBODY else that we could have selected?

Our state government is a farce.

I think you should just move to Arizona....

I second that.

I grew up in the Central Valley. Farmland, no garbage collection, so we burned our trash. As a boy that was one of my chores, to take our garbage out to a 55 gallon drum and burn it. Everyone did it and as a result the air was crap. We could see the Coast Range mountains from our house for maybe fifteen days a year, all in the fall when the winds and rain blew our filthy brown air out to Arizona. I was just looking at those mountains today, thinking how beautiful they were, something I could only rarely have done when I was a kid. We can see them almost every day now, all year long, things are a LOT better now.

Yes, if you don't like it here PLEASE consider going back where you came from. We won't be offended if you reject us and choose to leave, and of course your life will be SO much better. And we'll pitch in and help you move. Really.

I'm not going anywhere.

Can't wait for that train. I HATE airports, can't wait.

Maybe you should read some facts on it:

http://marininfo.org/News/CA_High_Speed_Rail_Lies.htm

I was born in Pasadena too!

I am fifth generation Californian....lived here my whole life.

This is exactly why political statements don't mean anything and don't add anything here.

Everyone has a different perspective. But what you believe is true doesn't shape my truth.

I've met you, you are a nice guy and I enjoyed having a few beers with you last week.



That's why political discussions don't go anywhere here and frankly....don't belong here.

You even surf! So you must know something

Well I live in Sacramento(ish) and everyone knows when the big one hits, I'll be sitting pretty with some beachfront property so everyone else can suck it!

As much as we use Amtrak, I can see the need for a bullet train. Good thing we don't consider a desalination plant for water. I would ride a train so much more than having clean water. I think having water is over rated.

Santa Barbara built one. Found out what it cost to desalinate water, shut it down and cut it up about 1 year after completion.

Only the Sheiks can afford it.

Slits, we used the desal plant in SB for 60 days and then they shut it down, tore it apart and sold parts off to people who knew better.

Best tasting water out of a tap I've experienced. We paid for that one and now we'll be paying for another one at about $45 million.

True, only the Saudi's can afford desalination, better to conserve.

I spent years commuting on Amtrack. It was one whole helluva lot better than New Jersey Transit, so I agree totally. But speaking of bullet trains who here has actually ridden one? I've ridden the TGV in France to 200mph (if I remember correctly), and the Maglev train in Shanghai that got up to 235mph. Airplanes are faster, of course, but anybody here gone faster than that on land?

Me......I have been all over Europe on high speed rail. Very efficient.

But what blows me away is how far away this comes from Alberto"s first post.

What also blows me away is that in Pasadena all the light rail was ripped out in the 50's by the remmants of the original Robber Baron.s and Jerry Brown somehow is connected with it.

Yeah, but that's how conversations go, isn't it? Wander around? Problem began when people began injecting politics into the thread. That always spins things in different directions.


And there are those politics again.

But back to my question, how fast? I think the Shanghai maglev is faster than anything in Europe, meaning I might have the land speed record among World members? So 235 is the mark, has anybody gone faster?

I rode the maglev in Shanghai a few times. Do to it's limited length (for now) it will only do 400 kph. Great acceleration and it banks into the turns.

I used to sell water treatment chemicals. One of my customers was the SB crap plant next to which they built the desal plant.

There's another story about a pipeline, but that is for another time.

If I do the Subi 2.2L conversion in the Vanagon correctly, it'll pass smog no problem

Aw...crap. I thought Shanghai was obscure enough that I might have a shot, but apparently not. And worse, 400 kph is a bit faster than my fastest, so even a 914World "land speed record" is out the window. Oh well, it was a pretty slim claim to fame anyway. It is cool how it banks the turns, isn't it? And smooth...

This thread really got off topic...

Don't forget fellow Californiaites the letter of the law on your 70-75 914's. Even though they are exempt from smog testing, they must have all original smog equipment intact to be legal. This make at least half of us criminals...

This proposed legislation will still require ALL smog equipment to be intact.

Isn't a proposal to change the smog rules an annual event, going on ten years now? And it never passes?

It does keep coming back over and over again but up to now it has always been a proposal to re-include the previously exempt cars (75 and earlier).

Yes but is doesn't change because of the political environment (pun intended) in California.

That's not a political statement, more like political reality.

Unless some constituency with political clout or group lobbies or writes to someone or pays someone off....it aint changing. IMHO.

Don't hold your breath....again pun intended....no state, especially here, is anxious to step away from any part of the federal Clean Air Act anytime soon.

Can you really see an assembly person from the LA area lobbying for something like that when you can see the mountains from the LA basin again?

I'm a car enthusiast, don't get me wrong, but I choose a '73 in this state for a reason.