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| Joined: | 03-12-2005 |
| Location: | Kingman, Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 532 |
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Four things I feel should be mentioned. First, the Calif. DMV offers no-charge one-day-only permits to move unregistered vehicles on public streets. Each such permit seems to require a personal visit to the DMV. The intent appears to be a means of allowing you to legally drive the car to a mechanic or a smog test station, then take it home again. You might get stopped by the local PD, but with one of these permits to show, should not be cited.
Second, I'm not sure if the Calif. DMV will require a smog test when you take a car from non-operational to registered status. If you do end up needing to have the car tested, it will benefit from several long drives beforehand -- say 200 to 500 miles total -- to re-seat the piston rings. Think of this as a new break-in period. This apparently is completely legal as long as you have a valid one-day permit every time the car is used on the street.
Third, if you do have to put the car through a smog test, it may be prudent to pay for a "pre-test" that the DMV does not hold against you if the car should fail. This allows the smog tech to make adjustments on the car to reduce emissions and increase its chance of passing a formal test. This is particularly important on a car such as the JH, where there is great range of adjustment in the carburetors.
Finally, it's my understanding that most JHs fail a smog test due to high hydrocarbon (HC) readings, and/or an idle speed that won't stay within the requirements. In my experience, reducing these to acceptable levels seems to require an ignition system in good condition with a fresh tuneup, and freshly rebuilt carburetors. In some cases, a change to synthetic oil may help, primarily because such oils may not be detected by the sensors in the smog test machine.