I was reading an article today called "
End of an Era" that reported "New rules will force the car kings to shift their focus. Revised CAFE standards require automakers to raise the average mileage of their car and truck fleets to 35 mpg by 2020. Proposed pollution standards in the U.S. and Europe may force even more dramatic increases. And if California wins the right in court to regulate global-warming emissions, you might just kiss your super-powered car goodbye — at least those that rely solely on gasoline.."
This got me thinking about the future of our hobby as it seems that more and more states are requiring that a kit car meet the EPA standards of the year it is built; not the year it represents nor the year of the engine block. And if that is the case, not only do our more "classic" engines not fit the bill anymore but you have to plan 2-3 years out depending on your build speed to make sure you hit the epa standards at time of inspection. So how do we carry on this great hobby without moving forward with "green" technology? It's seems almost impossible to honor the hobby by building a period correct car in the not so distant future......or is it?
So here is the question for the board: Could you build "green" powerplant that looks and sounds like a classic but passes today/tomrrow's EPA standards?
If so, tell us how you would do it:
1.) Block: BB or SB? What type (FE, etc) ?
2.) Fuel Delivery: Carb or EFI? What type?
3.) Fuel Type: Ethanol, etc
4.) Exhaust: CAT or No?