AC Cobra registered at 2006 needs emissons testing

[JOHNR2830]

Ga would not let me register my car as a 1966 although it has a 66 ford big block, confirmed and verifed. so I had to register it as a 2006 now that i need emissions testing finding it impossible. i have a NON-CONFORMING CERTIFICATE FOR THE STATE but still not get it thru testing. I have the car at Massey automotive in Marietta and Fred and his boys know what they are doing but I think they are getting bad info from the GA CLEAN AIRFORCE.

ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED....

[Rich A]

When was the Cobra build completed?

[JOHNR2830]

completed in 2006 & cobb county would not let me regiseter as a 1965

[Snakebit]

We have the same thing in NJ, but the emmissions go by the year of the block. So I have a 1968 block so I have to pass 68 emmisions, but the car is registered as an 2009. We have a bill introduced by SEMA that will exempt street rods and customs from emmission testing as long as they are driven less than 3000 miles a year and the car can be registered in the year it represents. It passed the Senate committee but there is still a long way to go. PITA!

[Rich A]

JohnR2830,
GA CLEAN AIR FORCE says they now emission test kit cars/replicas based on the model year of the vehicle as established in the vehicle registration database maintained by the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle.
That means if the DMV says your kit car/replica is a 2006 thats the year your kit car/replica is going to have to pass.
Looks like you'll need Fuel Injection with OBD II diagnostics for your Cobra.

[Alex Donghi]

Is this problem with all of Georgia or just the original counties that needed emmisions around ATL? I might be willing to let mine go to a good garage its reg'd as a 65

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by JOHNR2830

...I had to register it as a 2006 now that i need emissions testing finding it impossible. i have a NON-CONFORMING CERTIFICATE FOR THE STATE but still not get it thru testing...

Apparently Georgia insists on saddling post 1998 Cobras with all the required emission control systems for the model year shown on the registration card. (see http://www.cleanairforce.com/motoris...ptions.php#kit )

I would try going for a "Repair Waiver" (see http://www.cleanairforce.com/motoris...ivers.php#1996 ) and have the Massey folks perform over $787 worth of emissions work, ie dyno tune, fresh plugs, cap, rotor, adjust the carb, etc. and then take your receipt in and get your waiver.

[Commissioner]

There is always finding someone in a "non smog" county and borrow their address, or FL where you can rego as a '65.

[WildBill1965]

Same here in Maryland, applied for a waver. They regersted it as a 07. Certiface of orgin said 1965, woulden't even consider it as a streed rod.

[mysterywriter]

This is probably too late to help you, but...

First I had to file a NonConforming Status application with the Clean Air Force. They contacted me and asked for photos of the vehicle, assembly information like chassis and engine and I had to provide all my receipts to show it was an assembled vehicle. DO NOT CALL IT A KIT CAR - call it an ASSEMBLED VEHICLE.

Then you will have to get a WAIVER for emissions where you basically take it to the emissions station and they do an non OBD test so you have to go to an All Vehicles Welcome station and they put in the waiver # to do the test. It will probably still fail. Take the car home and tweak timing or fuel filter, etc (nothing expensive). Then take it back.

After this process call the Clean Air Force again and have the car emissions station call also. Have them and you complain that basically this is a `1960 body car and an non-emissions engine that they are trying to get to pass and it's not going to pass but have them state that THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR THAT CAN BE FIXED. ALSO BE SURE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A SHOW CAR AND NOT AN EVERYDAY DRIVER (giving them your mileage would help).

My emissions station called two people - Robert Mitchell and Dianne Batt. I don't know who these people are exactly, but after my call and their call Mr. Mitchell emailed me from Clean Air Force to ask for "Proof" that my engine was an engine from a year PRIOR to the years required for emissions. Which is where Bill and Susan from Southern Automotive came in (you would contact the person you bought your engine from for the engine stamp #'s that show the year and model of engine). Susan sent me an official letter on letterhead stating the year of the engine and supporting documentation which I sent to Clean Air Force.

Two days later I had another "waiver" to take to the emissions station and the car PASSED easily and now it is Gwinnett County tagged and registered. YEAH! This took about 4 months of time to accomplish but now it's set for each year to come it should go smoothly and pass.

[Grubby]

Ouch. That looks painful.

Indiana ask me what year I wanted mine registered as. They would do the year built or the year it represents. No emissions either way. Seat belts are not required if registered as a 65 and excise tax is very minimal.

Government over regulation chokes people and businesses.

John

[Ralphy]

They should in my opinion allow an exemption for vehicles driven 5,000 miles annually a year. Just as they do with seniors in GA.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Ralphy

They should in my opinion allow an exemption for vehicles driven 5,000 miles annually a year. Just as they do with seniors in GA.

Yes, seniors should be exempt from emissions testing; their cars too.