TheSamba.com :: View topic - Non-catalyst emissions

Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:53 am

Anybody ever have to get their non-catalyst vehicle through a smog test? I know it will probably vary from state to state but I'm trying to get a general idea of what is expected. As in, do any states require the installation of a catalytic converter in order to pass inspection. I'm looking to buy an early rabbit but don't need any hassles at the DMV. I also know it varies from county to county, but where I live emission testing is mandatory.

Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:56 am

The older the car, the less stringent the standards are. When I worked on VW's the standards for the 70's cars were lot lower than the newer ones. If this Rabbit you are thinking of getting is an old carbureted one, I might pass, because those were not very reliable. Now a 1977/later Rabbit with CIS fuel injection, if the fuel injection isn't all gummed up, they run awesome, and you can usally dial in the emissions to easily pass the emissions standards, (if the engine has decent compression and no bad rings or bad valve guides that is) But to dial on in, you'll have to find someone with an exhaust gas analyzer of some kind to do it properly. The shop I worked at has an old State diagnosis machine that had been retired years before, but the basic analysis mode still works good enough for testing.

For some years in the 70s, VW actually had a recall and instructions on how to eliminate the catalytic converter in some non-california models. I don't remember the specifics though.

Now, if the engine info sticker under the hood says the car came with a "cat" on there, and you don't have it now, your local inspection station may fail you if they check for it. Or they may not, like you said, things vary from state to state and region to region, and I'm not sure what your local laws state.