| Moderated by: Greg Fletcher | ||
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andrewo Member
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Well, I just wanted to thank everyone on this board who has helped me over the past few years. I have been restoring my 74 for 5 years now, and it had not run for 10 years prior to that. Tonight, it ran (illegally) up and down my street under its own power for the first time in 15 years. There is still a lot of work, but what a great feeling. Andrew |
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Mitch Ware Member 
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Congratulations! Mitch Ware 1974 Jensen Healey JH5 #111119670 1971 Triumph TR6 #CC66950LO |
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Ron Earp Member 
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That is fantastic news!!!!! Good job and I hope that you have many noteworthy trips in the car! Ron |
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Brian Kelly Member
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Did you happen to notice now that it's running that there are more birds chirping, more butterflies, and the world just seems a better place to be? Great news! Brian 73 JH12488 74 TVR 2500M (newly aquired) |
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Mark Rosenbaum Member 
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Congratulations on a job well done. It's always very satisfying to get a car back on the road especially after so many years. 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. |
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Joel Member
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Andrew: We should hook up. I'm here in SD as well and just bought a JH a few weeks ago. Joel |
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kneff Member
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You should not need a smog test, as your JH is >30 years old. I registered my 1974 JH in California (San Jose) a few months ago and it took nothing more than proof of ownership, proof of insurance and money (of course). My car had also been off the road for a few years, though not nearly as long as yours. Congrats, and enjoy! Ken |
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