Another COUNTRY? You don't mean another county? Double wow, wow for gutsy.

Either you've got tons of good karma or money. Maybe both. Not I for neither.

 

With your legitimate concerns regarding CA smog requirements (something I know nothing about, heck my car doens't even have a cat anymore ), I'd seriously consider being more patient and locating a local (CA) car...you live in 911 utopia! Serious question...how long have you been searching for a 911? I'd have no problem buying a 911 from "anywhere", but it'd have to meet all of my expectations (including a personal inspection).

Keith
'88 CE coupe

 

Yup, another country. I mean, it is Canada and the US, not exactly all that different. The process is very streamlined and simple. Hell, Il. temp tags were valid in my home province, even got pulled over by a cop with them and he didn't care. As my Dad put it, eventually you have to trust someone. I trusted the seller, he was a member of this board. I had a copy of his licence and the ownership so I said, "what the hell" and wired him the money. But you are right, if you don't have a good gut feeling about it then just walk.


I certainly don't have a lot of money and as for karma, well who knows, judging by this week I have none but some weeks are better than others. I apparently have good karma with the 911 Gods as mine has been spectacular to drive. 1500mi road trips...and back. Hasn't been a problem so far.


And as others have put it, you are in the Mecca of 911s, CA!!!. You are no doubt going to find a real jewel close to you that has probably seen only 5 days of rain in it's lifetime. Where is this 1800mi away car of your anyways, maybe there is someone on this board close to it that can take a quick gander for you. Oh, and ya...an 1800mi road trip sure sounds like a lot of fun, took me at least 400mi before I realized my car had cruise control.


As for emissions talk to Pete Z but as I understand it there are really only a few things that can go wrong; the CAT, the O2 sensor, and base idle mixture. As for the rest, it's a DME car, if there was something else wrong it would be noticible through other means(so I think). But again, as you pointed out, I don't know much about CA smog rules and there are many many other people out there that know more about these cars than me.

Good hunting!,
-matt

 

For the record, Ruby passed smog this morning.

 

I hope my baby never passes smog . She's way to polite for that anyways...

Keith
'88 CE coupe

 

Sorry am not up to reading the whole thread , do you have a cat on yours Ed ?

just wondering as my Audi passed with flying colours with the cats totally hollowed out !!!

 

All I know is she passed.


I will say that a few years ago, back in Texas, she did pass without a cat at one point.

 

That's great, passed w/o the cat. In CA, they look for it. No cat, no pass. Strict CA standards. Oh well. I guess if everyone in our populous state started driving w/o smog equipment, we'd all have a hard time breathing. I remember in the '70s growing up, my lungs would hurt from breathing in deep. Since the late '80s when smog standards became more stringent, our air become much cleaner. So, it's a good thing to be clean and green.

 

Actually, I think it's ridiculous. I drive this car 3000 miles a year. It's carbon footprint for those 3000 miles is a fraction of the ore that needs to be mined, the power to run the factories that make the parts and assemble them, the petroleum in the plastics, the impact the used up batteries will have, the fuel to ship it, etc., of a new Prius. Don't even get me started on electric cars.

My wife and I are following a newer Dodge Ram diesel this afternoon belching out more soot and crap from one stoplight than I did in 180 miles of driving up and down I-15 today, IMO. Then there are the old busses Greyhound has sold to a zillion Mexican bus companies running up and down I-5 on a daily basis.....

But, I'm happy I passed smog today, now I can get my Calif plates.

 

Did she pass the first time through or did you have to perform some repairs? Where was the car from? Cats in place?

 

Some may remember my rather extensive thread on the 3.2 "Gross Polluter". Well, here's the update. After I discovered the cat was gutted I replaced it with a good used one. I had the mixtures set correctly and took the car to a CA smog tester for a "pre test". Sure enough it passed easily with a large margin for all parameters tested.

So cool, right?? Not so fast. Because my car is a conversion with a 1989 3.2 motor in a 1977 chassis only a CA BAR Referee Station can smog the car for new owner registration. They then issue a sticker so the car can be tested subsequently at any CA smog station. Well........due to CA's budget crisis the referee stations have been closed for the last few months and until further notice.

So the CA DMV bureaucrats have me checkmated. I have paid $400 in registration fees. The car has been repaired and passed smog. Now the DMV won't issue me plates until the referee station gives me a passing smog test and BAR sticker. The initial temporary registration sticker is expired and they will now only give me a one day moving permit to operate the vehicle.

So it sits in the garage with no plates waiting for the state of CA to get its ****e together. It is illegal for me to operate the vehicle even though is meets current smog standards. And did I mention they have my money?..............

So again, my friendly advice to you, potential buyer, is to find a CA car and insist that the seller provide you with a passing smog test before handing over your hard-earned dollars.

 

Damn, that is just not right! To require you to meet their requirements, then not provide the means to meet it. Just wrong! I'm pissed for you!

So yours is a conversion with different parts from different years. If I get a car with all matching numbers I should be okay though, is my understanding. I think in Pete's book, he mentions the cautions of converted cars.

Still, I feel your pain.

 

Althouogh my car is now exempt (here in NC) when she wasn't, she could pass w/o a cat either. My Fabspeed europremuffler (with O2 sensor in place) looks close enough to a cat that most non-911 guys would think it was one. Most inspection stations around here (LOTS to choose from) probably never see a vintage 911...I remember one having "no clue" as to where my carbon canister was until I pointed it out to him. I'm with Ed on this one...she's a "toy", and is insignificant compared to the gross polluters...I sleep OK .

Keith
'88 CE coupe

 

Indeed. The guys who sniffed my car were convinced it was a turbo because of the heater blower motor and pipe.

 

If only CA testers were that clueless! The guy that I use here in Bakersfield knows exactly where all the parts are, he even uses a flashlight to check the OXS sensor wire. He pressure checks the gas cap, does his visual, and checks the timing according to the sticker on the engine lid.

I just got my two-year test notice, time to do this again. I've used the same guy since we've been in Bakersfield, so now I take in the prior test's receipt - makes it a little easier. Oh, he operates the clutch and gearshift perfectly when he puts the car on the rollers.