Yeah. I know. I already started a thread about this, but it's been a minute. I didn't want to keep beating on this, in case the wheels fell off, but it seems to be all but a done deal. The resolutions (CRAs 87, 88, and 89) have passed the House and the Senate. All they need is the President's signature. More to come.
I never thought this day would come. They are finally going to put a stake into the black heart of CARB. Those power drunk tyrants at CARB will not be able to undo it since this is a legislative action at the federal level. The tyrants can only blame themselves. They wanted to mandate only electric trains allowed in the state. They were trying to mandate all electric vehicles, all electric yard tools, ban natural gas furnaces and appliances. They are out of their freaking minds.
Part of me still will not believe it is real until I see my registration renewal next year. When there is no more smog test requirement I will save it and frame it.
Me: "Hey, maybe it'll be easier to put reasonable swaps into classic cars!" This CRA Resolution: Solely benefits new car manufacturers. Me: "Well **** then"
Me: "Hey, maybe it'll be easier to put reasonable swaps into classic cars!" This CRA Resolution: Solely benefits new car manufacturers. Me: "Well **** then"
Damnit... I'm trying to look up California's "CAFE" standards... but I can't look them up because there's some law about pot and cafes and Google shits that out. But I think the one I really want to have destroyed are the CAFE standards. Those are the ones that affect things like exhaust, intake restrictions, and a bunch of other things.
Probably the most obvious to me is when I start up my 1984 Corvette (I think it's a Z51, but it's too beat up to tell). Man... it sounds so awesome. You totally forget about the fact that the previous owner installed 4 horns, two positive battery cables (which both work?), or that there was a fire in one of the rear compartments because he wired up the 10 disc CD changer improperly, or that the paint is chipping. It sounds so awesome...
But then you have my neighbor's 1994 Chevrolet Corvette... which is the exact same color as my Corvette... same body style (C4, just a little more rounded), and also a 350 V8. His sounds so puny and quiet. He even commented one day... "Hey, how come yours sounds so much better than mine?"
... and it's all because of the CAFE standards... which pervaded throughout the states because it was easier to adjust to California's standards (in most cases) than it was to build separate things.
Even my daughter's 85 Fiero L4 sounds so much louder than most newer cars. Everything is about sound abatement and forgetting that you even have an engine I suppose.
CARB... I think modern cars are pretty damned efficient today, so if we're being really honest with ourselves... eliminating CARB shouldn't really cause any concern for "environmentalists" (of which I tend to consider myself one). Modern cars are already meeting a very aggressive standard. This just takes some of the pressure off vehicle manufacturers, who would have been forced to make EVs instead of gas powered vehicles... which as we know, directly funds China.
Damnit... I'm trying to look up California's "CAFE" standards... but I can't look them up because there's some law about pot and cafes and Google shits that out. But I think the one I really want to have destroyed are the CAFE standards. Those are the ones that affect things like exhaust, intake restrictions, and a bunch of other things.
Probably the most obvious to me is when I start up my 1984 Corvette (I think it's a Z51, but it's too beat up to tell). Man... it sounds so awesome. You totally forget about the fact that the previous owner installed 4 horns, two positive battery cables (which both work?), or that there was a fire in one of the rear compartments because he wired up the 10 disc CD changer improperly, or that the paint is chipping. It sounds so awesome...
But then you have my neighbor's 1994 Chevrolet Corvette... which is the exact same color as my Corvette... same body style (C4, just a little more rounded), and also a 350 V8. His sounds so puny and quiet. He even commented one day... "Hey, how come yours sounds so much better than mine?"
... and it's all because of the CAFE standards... which pervaded throughout the states because it was easier to adjust to California's standards (in most cases) than it was to build separate things.
Even my daughter's 85 Fiero L4 sounds so much louder than most newer cars. Everything is about sound abatement and forgetting that you even have an engine I suppose.
CARB... I think modern cars are pretty damned efficient today, so if we're being really honest with ourselves... eliminating CARB shouldn't really cause any concern for "environmentalists" (of which I tend to consider myself one). Modern cars are already meeting a very aggressive standard. This just takes some of the pressure off vehicle manufacturers, who would have been forced to make EVs instead of gas powered vehicles... which as we know, directly funds China.
Boy did this ever send me down a rabbit hole... The wacky thing is that I'm going to have to register my Fiero as a classic car in NV in order to complete my 3800 swap the way I want (smog stuff removed); our engine swap limitations are nearly identical to CA's outside of that, but based on independent NV state law (and Clark County laws beyond that). Even eliminating CARB and CAFE would likely have little impact across the states, unless they independently re-adopted lesser standards as well. It's not a dragon, it's a damn hydra.
I'd generally consider myself an environmentalist, but so much of this makes little sense to me. If I'm swapping in a newer, more efficient, less-polluting engine -and can prove that's what I'm doing- why would you discourage me by making it nearly administratively impossible to do so? Because it still pollutes less even without the EGR valve? That's not environmentalism, that's BS.
Even with the inspections every two years CA especially LA county are impacted by SMOG, the number of cars on the road here is staggering. During Covid lock down the skies cleared up, the air quality was the best its been in a very long time.
Feds handed out money to states to build infrastructure. "Roads" California took advantage of that and the state has more roads than anywhere I have ever lived. They created their own hell out here. I do agree that they need to keep it under control but there are better ways to do it. Aftermarket is almost non-existent due to the regulations. How a driveshaft impacts the air I don't understand.
Originally posted by NewDustin: ... If I'm swapping in a newer, more efficient, less-polluting engine -and can prove that's what I'm doing- why would you discourage me by making it nearly administratively impossible to do so?
Because they can. It's all about "control". And if it's not about that, it's about $$$, and separating you from your $$$.
Full disclosure: I don't live in CA. I have never even been to CA. (Was within a mile or so, once. Long story.) But it's pretty obvious to me that it's not about the environment. And it hasn't been, for a long time.
Because they can. It's all about "control". And if it's not about that, it's about $$$, and separating you from your $$$.
Full disclosure: I don't live in CA. I have never even been to CA. (Was within a mile or so, once. Long story.) But it's pretty obvious to me that it's not about the environment. And it hasn't been, for a long time.
I'm having to register my Fiero as a "classic" in Nevada for this exact reason. It's not just CA or federal regulations unfortunately.
Originally posted by NewDustin: I'm having to register my Fiero as a "classic" in Nevada for this exact reason. It's not just CA or federal regulations unfortunately.
What are the rules when registering a vehicle as a classic in Nevada ?
Here in Texas one only needs to re-new registration every five years and inspection is not needed. That was before inspections were eliminated all together on all vehicles (perhaps not commercial vehicles).
In Florida... registering a car as a classic cuts the registration fees in half. I've never bothered to do it, because registration is like $50 bucks to $70 bucks, depending on how big and heavy the car is... and you can register it for up to 2 years at a time. It just doesn't seem right for me to put classic car tags on my Fiero... because then it really does mean I'm old. Of course... I'm about a year and a half away from being able to put classic car tags on my 2002 Crown Victoria LX, which completely blows my mind.
What are the rules when registering a vehicle as a classic in Nevada ?
Here in Texas one only needs to re-new registration every five years and inspection is not needed. That was before inspections were eliminated all together on all vehicles (perhaps not commercial vehicles).
I have to maintain "classic" car insurance on it and cannot drive it more than 5,000 miles per year
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: It just doesn't seem right for me to put classic car tags on my Fiero... because then it really does mean I'm old.
Funny story. I was out of town and I asked my Wife to get me some new tags for my 88 GT T Top. She did and for some reason I asked her what the tag number was. It was 86 xxxx. I knew they are produced in sequential order. I told her to go back and get the one which says 88xxxx. She did it and I got it. Nothing better than a good wife.
quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Of course... I'm about a year and a half away from being able to put classic car tags on my 2002 Crown Victoria LX, which completely blows my mind.
Even with the inspections every two years CA especially LA county are impacted by SMOG, the number of cars on the road here is staggering. During Covid lock down the skies cleared up, the air quality was the best its been in a very long time.
Feds handed out money to states to build infrastructure. "Roads" California took advantage of that and the state has more roads than anywhere I have ever lived. They created their own hell out here. I do agree that they need to keep it under control but there are better ways to do it. Aftermarket is almost non-existent due to the regulations. How a driveshaft impacts the air I don't understand.
There are many things that lead to our jam packed roads today. The biggest one is the rise of the suburbs after WWII. Suburbs require driving to do everyday things. Drive to work, drive to the grocery store, drive to entertainment, etc. I ask people if they would be able to continue living their life if they suddenly lost the ability to drive. Could they get to work? Could they even get food from a grocery store if they could not drive? With our aging population these are real questions. Too many people drive well past the point where they are a danger on the road because they have no alternative.
A lot of the solution comes down to zoning laws in most places. They are too rigid and should be loosened. Allow people to open businesses near where they live. Allow more high density housing. Higher density housing frees up a lot of space and makes housing overall more affordable. Improve alternatives to driving. Public transportation needs to be safe, dependable and fast. What good is riding on a bus that is stuck in traffic with everyone else? It took decades to get us where we are and it will take decades to get out. Expect traffic jams to continue in the near future.
There are many things that lead to our jam packed roads today. The biggest one is the rise of the suburbs after WWII. Suburbs require driving to do everyday things. Drive to work, drive to the grocery store, drive to entertainment, etc. I ask people if they would be able to continue living their life if they suddenly lost the ability to drive. Could they get to work? Could they even get food from a grocery store if they could not drive? With our aging population these are real questions. Too many people drive well past the point where they are a danger on the road because they have no alternative.
A lot of the solution comes down to zoning laws in most places. They are too rigid and should be loosened. Allow people to open businesses near where they live. Allow more high density housing. Higher density housing frees up a lot of space and makes housing overall more affordable. Improve alternatives to driving. Public transportation needs to be safe, dependable and fast. What good is riding on a bus that is stuck in traffic with everyone else? It took decades to get us where we are and it will take decades to get out. Expect traffic jams to continue in the near future.
As long as CA can make a buck on the drivers they will. I work from home, have for the last 5 years. Best thing that could have happened to me was being sent home. Long Beach isn't as bad as some of the places I have been in CA, we can walk to the store and around the neighborhood without fear of being run over. But drive 20 minutes in any direction and it gets bad pretty quick.
There are many things that lead to our jam packed roads today. The biggest one is the rise of the suburbs after WWII. Suburbs require driving to do everyday things. Drive to work, drive to the grocery store, drive to entertainment, etc. I ask people if they would be able to continue living their life if they suddenly lost the ability to drive. Could they get to work? Could they even get food from a grocery store if they could not drive? With our aging population these are real questions. Too many people drive well past the point where they are a danger on the road because they have no alternative.
A lot of the solution comes down to zoning laws in most places. They are too rigid and should be loosened. Allow people to open businesses near where they live. Allow more high density housing. Higher density housing frees up a lot of space and makes housing overall more affordable. Improve alternatives to driving. Public transportation needs to be safe, dependable and fast. What good is riding on a bus that is stuck in traffic with everyone else? It took decades to get us where we are and it will take decades to get out. Expect traffic jams to continue in the near future.
CARB Proposing Ban on Sale of Automotive Refrigerant to Consumers Sacramento, CA — The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed a law to ban the sale of R-134a refrigerant to consumers, potentially impacting the ability of California DIYers to work on their cars. If enacted, Californians will no longer be permitted to purchase cans of auto refrigerant, leaving them with no option but to go to a repair facility for assistance, according to a group opposing the proposed ban.
A new coalition called “Stay Cool California” has formed to help fight the proposed law. “Stay Cool California” says the ban “targets the very people who can least afford to have this service performed at a repair shop and places an economic burden upwards of $167 million on fixed and lower income Californians.”
“Instead of going after oil companies and utilities that emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases, the California Air Resources Board is aiming its regulatory guns on consumers who prefer to work on their own cars,” stated Tom Brown, a coalition spokesperson. “What costs consumers $10 today for a can of auto refrigerant, will cost them $150 or more tomorrow if CARB gets their way. That’s just not fair for those people who cannot afford to take their car to a repair shop to have this very simple and necessary service done.”
“Stay Cool California” has launched a website, www.staycoolcalifornia.com to motivate consumers, auto enthusiasts, hobbyists and do-it yourselfers in opposing the proposed consumer ban.
“We understand the need to reduce global warming in California and the members of our coalition are committed to doing this. But targeting low and fixed income Californians is no way to reduce global warming and is unfair and discriminatory. CARB should be going after sources where more substantial greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved at much lower cost to the citizens of California real greenhouse gas emissions reductions,” Brown added. Feedback: We’d like your opinion. Do you think that DIYers or non-certified technicians should be banned from buying R-134a refrigerant? E-mail us your comments at esunkin@babcox.com.
I still have about eight cans of R-12 left.
[This message has been edited by cliffw (edited 06-08-2025).]
Servicing R1234yf: Are You Ready? R-1234yf, tabbed the replacement for R-134a, has been in service now for a few years on certain models of vehicles from FCA and GM to several European models.
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