Don't know what we have . . .

[Rick Parker]

This appears to have been a car that was initially titled in CA. The VIN was assigned (blue label) as part of the registration process by the Hiway Patrol (part of their functions). All build slips, receipts, etc were presented and after they were convinced all was in order the VIN was assigned. Then the next step was to the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR aka smog referee) who then inspected the said receipts and verified the engine for what it was being represented as. In its earliest configuration (the smog program for kit cars) the engine year of manufacture, size, make, FI or carburetion, transmission and installed or required initial emissions systems were noted and embossed on the foil label and attached to the vehicle. Then the vehicle had to be smog checked bi-annually to maintain vehicle tags. At a minimum it had have a PCV fited or retrofitted and a closed air breather system plumbed to the a valve cover and into the base of the carburetor. This was a REAL BIG deal for those of us with kit cars in the late 80's and later until the current SB100 (California) regulations allowed us to install earlier engines as they were originally configured without the subsequent necessary smog inspections. Without this label you were dead in the water. I always dreaded having to go get the car smog checked every 2 years when the tags were due, because not all of the smog stations were up on the requirements for the kit cars and they always had their own interpretation of what they were. I was grateful to find a young fellow who had a soft spot for High Performance cars and owned a smofg inspection shop. Until then I had to try and educate more than one.