1978 Westy imported to CA from Canada

[Rosiecece]

Just bought a great Westy in Vancouver and towed it back to the Bay Area. I’m looking for help in regards to registration and emissions. It has 214,000 miles on it and has had one engine replacement that I can tell. The replacement looks fairly stock but it is a 43 year old bus and has surely had some mods made. It is a non-cat bus. Any help to steer me in the right direction is appreciated. These are nice classics and I can’t believe emissions can keep them out of CA.

[airschooled]

Inspect the fuel lines, post a picture of your engine, take it to get a PRE TEST only, and cue The Bears.

Robbie
_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[SGKent]

stop.

Read the smog laws on imports before you go to register it. The big question is, "what state was it first registered in?" Do you have a US title for it, or only Canadian?

If California becomes the first US State it is registered in, then it will be treated as a California car of the year it was made. That means it will have to meet all California smog regs before it can be licensed. If it is already a US registered vehicle then the first state it was licensed in becomes the smog state. California has its own rules unlike many other states.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Shonandb]

[SGKent]

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/new-registration/register-an-imported-vehicle/

If you have imported your vehicle directly from another country (a direct import), you need to register the vehicle with DMV.

To register your imported vehicle, you’ll need:

An out-of-state title (or other proof of ownership).
Evidence that the vehicle has cleared customs.
This includes stamped and endorsed relevant Customs and Border Protection forms HS-7, 3299, 3311, 3461, 6059, 7501.
A weight certificate (for imported trucks and pickups only; visit publicscales.net to locate a weigh station near you).
Applicable fees.
The following forms:
Application for Title or Registration (REG 343)
Verification of Vehicle (REG 31)
Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (REG 166) (if applicable)
Statement of Facts (REG 256)
Declaration of Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Combined Gross Vehicle Weight (CGW) (REG 4008)
Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment (REG 262)

You may also need:

Evidence that your foreign import vehicle meets United States (U.S.) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
This is mandatory for vehicles manufactured after 1995.
This includes the federal certification label attached to the vehicle confirming FMVSS certification.
Additional evidence: A copy of a letter from the manufacturer confirming that the vehicle meets FMVSS and U.S. emissions standards.

Usually you can only get this evidence for vehicles manufactured in Canada.

A copy of the Department of Transportation bond release letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A certificate stating that the vehicle has been inspected by a California Air Resources Board-licensed laboratory.
Evidence that the vehicle meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California emissions standards.
This includes an EPA and California emissions label attached to the vehicle.
A smog certificate.
This applies to gasoline vehicles manufactured after 1968.
This also applies to diesel-powered vehicles manufactured after 1980.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[KentABQ]

Ah, yes.... this brings back memories when I bought mine out-of-state and tried getting it legal in Calif.

As WilliamM posted a while ago:
"Bus ownership via emoticons:
"

I hope you get from to quickly, but it's going to involve a lot of .

[Abscate]

[wagohn]

When we lived in the Bay Area, we had a beautiful Vanagon Westfalia (1981) in the mid-90s. After an unsuccessful Palm Springs trip, the engine had to be replaced and we fitted a new motor and toddled off to the smog shop to get legal. Try as we could, the State refused to let our baby pass smog. We finished up donating our new lawn ornament to charity several $s after. We were flagged as "gross polluters" and that was that. Broke our hearts.
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1976 VW Transporter, 2.0 FI Engine

[Rosiecece]

Thanks for all of the advice. The A pillar label indicates it meets the 49 states EPA requirements. But as we know California is a bear. I’m going to take it to Lavere’s in Concord to have him look at it and get his advice. Worst comes to worst I will have to get a catalytic converter and make sure all of the other emission items are in place. It’s a project I’m willing to tackle. I’ll make sure to get a pre-test and make sure it doesn’t get tagged as a gross polluter. It may be non-op until it is ready for smog testing. Thanks all.

[SGKent]

[Rosiecece]

Thanks to all for the help and advice. After a lot of work and research, the bus was legally smogged in CA and is now on the streets. The major issue was that the engine needed to be in its original stock configuration and pass the smog emissions. That meant I needed to reconnect the EGR system which took some welding, reconditioning the EGR valve and reconnecting it to the accelerator via a turnbuckle I had to make up myself. It just met the emission limits and I got my sticker. Good for two years. Disconnected the EGR as soon as I got home as it robs power from a weak engine to begin with. After driving it up to now, it is in the garage undergoing an engine rebuild as #3 cylinder valve is recessed all the way to the rocker and showing low compression. The fun never ends. You gotta love it. Bottom line is researching emission laws in CA was very confusing. Even the DMV was unsure how to handle this situation. I’m glad it all turned out ok.

[SGKent]