Just back from AZ; emissions, mods, trucks, etc.

[cowboy33713]

Howdy:
Got back from my trip to Phoenix area, where the wife and I shall relocate next year. Was pleased to see a good many of our trucks in daily service there. While getting a feel for the real estate market, found that a high % of homes have one kind or another of a car or truck project going on, in spite of the state mandated emissions testing for the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
I went in search of the "411" on how folks are passing, mods, etc. Briefly, what I found out;
A good many of the REALLY radical cars and trucks didn't have to go through emissions testing by virtue of being model year 1965 or older. Early Chevy IIs, '65 Chevelles, a few pre '66 Mopars at the "cruises" I attended. Other than that, radical rods- very nicely done, some like street driven Gassers of old, more bordering on show cars. 1966 and newer where mostly milder, as they have to pass both a visual, and an emissions "sniffer" test. Talked to some guys with '67-'69 Camaros, El Caminos, Chevelles that where obviously radical "street machines"- they where registered outside the "emissions" area, generally. OK if you can prove a residence outside! One guy, very well to do, had a different way- he got a dealers license, as cars that dealers list as inventory do not get tested, apparently unless sold to a member of the general public. With the number of cars this fella was working, the fees where worth it. Heck, if you have the green, you wouldn't need a bunch of cars to have it work for you. Just meet the requirements. Saw a few Cadillac 500 CID engines in trucks- lots of pull, and pass just fine, being basically stock engines. Talked to a fella with a 1977 Trans Am that sounded strong- nice cam, headers, dual cat. converters, EGR, the whole bit EXCEPT that his PCV was not properly a closed system, so he'd failed a visual, though not the sniffer. Bummer!
Asked a fella who runs a parts store ( won't say who or what store) about the testing. He said it's a joke that lots of people work around, de-tuning modified cars just enough to scrape by for the test, temporarily recalibrating the fuel mixture so lean the engines will barely run, then back to where it can be driven after. Says people have told him they do this. All hearsay for me.
Asked a fella behind the counter at a store thats sells truck, mustang, 55-57 Chevy, and street rod stuff; His personal truck has a 350, auto, mild cam, no problems passing.
Saw a '68 C-10 in a parking lot; had low hanging headers and dual cat. converters, though not required for that year. Guess they scrub the exhaust enough for what he's done with his truck.
The folks at the testing stations weren't much help. They look and test. Your car or truck passes or fails. If it fails, you pay X number of dollars to have it repaired, and try again.
I did enjoy driving around Phoenix; noteworthy was the fact that, though I'm sure it still exists, I did not hear drivers yelling at each other in traffic, and did not see the famous one-finger wave.
I'll just have to re-think the engine I was going to build for my Mustang; the truck stuff is all good- for me, anyway.
There was also talk of a bill that was moving at a snails pace that would allow cars/trucks with "historical" plates and "antique car" insurance to bypass testing- but then you may have other restrictions to live with.
My brother had lived in California for a time, and there, anything that was 35 years old or older flat didn't need to be tested. Now, THERE'S a deal!
Just my 0.02
cowboy33713