RE: Moving to CA (beware, i ramble here)

["Mac @ TRIAD" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> We are planning to move to California in about 5 months.  I have a 73
## >> Scout, which has had the engine replaced with a newer one (by
## >> a couple
## >> of years I believe.)  Does California check to see if the engine is
## >> correct, because as a 30 year old vehicle it shouldn't have to go
## >> through emissions (unless, like when I called they said if it has a
## >> newer engine it has to pass - but do they check to know if
## >> the engine is
## >> newer?).

hi Cheryl.  Mac here.  we just came to Texass from California about a year
ago.  we've got a 1970 Scout 800A with a mid-'70s (non smog exempt) 392 in
it, with all the emissions crap removed, and a 345 EGR-capable spreadbore
intake on it (the original squarebore manifold did not have an EGR port).
when we bought it, the Scout was currently registered and smog-exempt and
therefore did not need to be inspected.  the CA smog laws when we left said
that any vehicle of 1972 and older, so long as it remains registered and
current, does not need the bi-annual smog inspection.

i'm pretty sure they maintain a smog inspection requirement to register a
vehicle from out of state, though.  we bought our 1972 TravelAll 1110 in
Portland, Oregon, where it was currently registered, and when we brought it
into CA, it had to have the inspection before they would let us register it.
at the time, the "inspection" consisted of a DMV employee examining the VIN
plates, the emissions sticker, and checking that the required emissions
equipment was in place.  they didn't make me take it to a smog station and
have the actual emissions tested, or to see if the equipment even worked at
all.  all they wanted was to ensure that the CA emissions compliant sticker
was there and all the equipment for the year in question was also present.
if the equipment wasn't present or the CA emissions compliant manufacturer's
sticker wasn't present, we'd have had to take it to a smog referee to get it
inspected for real, and that truck won't pass the visual inspection, despite
passing the emissions test itself.  fortunately the 1110 is a 50-state
emissions truck, so it has the sticker.  if your Scout was not a 50-state
emissions truck, or was but doesn't have that sticker anymore, you may have
to see a smog referee before they'll register it.

so far as i have seen, just as long as the current engine looks like the
original engine and doesn't have anything about it to mark it out as not
being original, they won't check the engine block number to see if it's what
the truck should have or not.  if you don't tell them the engine isn't
original, and they can't tell just from looking that it's not original, they
don't check.  tip 'em off, and they'll send you to the inspection station
straight away.  you want to do everything in your power NOT to get sent to
an inspection station.  some of those guys are nice and will do what they
can to help you...  and some of them will do everything they can to screw
you.  there is a LOT of red tape associated with engine swaps in CA on
emissions vehicles, and they can smother you in it if they want to.  in the
late '80s we swapped the engine in a 1979 Datsun 510 station wagon from the
original to a brand new crate engine from the factory, and we had to jump
through hoops for almost three months before they passed the inspection.
there was always SOMETHING more they wanted.  we did the same thing with a
brand new crate engine for our 1981 Datsun 4x4 pickup a couple years later,
only this time we didn't tell them about the swap for the next registration
and smog inspection, and they never checked.

also, if the VIN tags are missing, damaged, or tampered with (or don't
match), they *will* make you take it to the California Highway Patrol
referee for VIN verification.  the lady doing the inspection on our 1110
couldn't find one of the tags she was looking for (and couldn't read the old
50-state emissions sticker), and was going to make us take it to the CHP to
have the frame checked and the sticker verified.  i complained, and her
supervisor came out and was able to locate the missing tag, and read the
emission sticker, saving me a trip to the CHP station.  make sure all your
VIN stuff is present and in good shape, or be prepared to deal with the CHP.

## >> Also, does California do any type of safety inspection, one time or
## >> annually?

not that i know of.  none of my non-commercial vehicles ever had any
inspection other than for emissions-related issues.  make sure your
insurance is up to date and paid up, though.  they check.  no insurance, or
no proof of it, then no registration.  our trucks are still CA registered,
and will remain CA registered for the duration of our stay in Texas
(probably the *only* perk of being in the military here in Texas, not having
to register here), and i have to send them copies of the insurance cards
when i renew the registration each year.  Texas does have a safety
inspection.  the Army wants us to have that inspection, but i haven't done
it yet.  somehow i'm fighting the idea of having *anything* that says Texas
on my trucks.  they're even still wearing Lemoore Naval Southwest Region
post decals, instead of Fort Bliss Army decals.  and will continue to do so
untill they force me to change them.  in 2005.  unless i can get all three
trucks back to CA for new decals.

## >> And, if anyone has kids, do you have to use a booster seat
## >> for children
## >> over age four if you do not have shoulder belts?  (Booster
## >> seats usually
## >> come with a 5 point harness, but that is only usable until
## >> the child is
## >> 40 lbs.  After that a shoulder/lap belt is supposed to be
## >> used with the
## >> booster seat.)  I have found info for harnesses that can be used in
## >> school buses and would work in the back seat of the Scout,
## >> but I hate to
## >> spend the money if I don't need to.

we have two children, they were 4 and 5 when we bailed on CA.  at that time,
the law stated that all children under 6 years old and all children under
60lbs must be in an approved child safety seat of some kind, without regard
to the presence of shoulder belts.  there are differing opinions on
booster-type seats for kids.  we avoided the whole argument and stuck with a
big fullsize safety seat for each kid and never had any problems.  our
daughter is 5 now and still small for her age, so she's still in a safety
seat (i have no idea what the Texas child seat requirements are), but our
son is now 6, over 60 lbs, and he's in regular seat belts.  if i remember
properly, there is some concern that shoulder belts for children under a
certain size and age can be very dangerous.  maybe somebody else can
enlighten you (and me) on that issue.  we don't own anything with shoulder
belts so i never bothered to find out the details.  i probably should have,
i guess.  CA seems to like to play around with its kid car safety
regulations, so things may be different when you finally get there.
probably best to call ahead to the DMV and ask what the current requirements
are a couple weeks before the move.

anyway, i hope you found some or all of my meandering to be somewhat useful.
i also hope you enjoy your stay in CA.  we're going back there someday, when
the tours in this place are done.  whenever that is.

--Mac

---------------------------------------------------------------
Take care and be well, all thee and thine;

May the Hamr lend thee Strength and Courage,
May the Twin Ravens lend thee Wisdom and Guidance,
May the Wolves Guard and Protect thee, and
May the Light of Harmony ever shine brightly upon thee and thine,
Through all thy Life's Journeys, from this life unto the next!

Hail the Gods and Goddesses of our Folk!
Wassail!

Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/