I found a nice 87 XJ6 with a TPI V8 conversion ,located in Oregon but the car has no catalytic converter and i live in CA .
Would it be an issue to pass the smog test ?
Should i walk away from it?
asking price is 3800 dollars.

Thanks

Terry

 

Why not install a new convertor ? You can buy a 2 in / 2 out single convertor - check to see what California requires.

 

move to another state without so many stupid car regulations.

 

My understanding is that California requires converted cars to have all the original smog and environmental equipment that the donner car came with and in the same locations. For example an 87 TPI would have had a smog pump, EGR valve, evaporation valve and O2 sensor installed in one of the manifold down pipes. Many of these items dont make it to converts because the car will still run fine with out them. Many aftermarket TPI harnesses dont even have these features or connection. I've heard of enterprising individuals who use fake connectors with wires that go nowhere and a gutted smog pump and dummy converters in a act of misdirection against the inspectors who are usually untrained or disinterested. Every once in awhile you do get a ringer who take their job seriosuly and has some technical knowledge.

California... I cant believe anyone lives there anymore...The birth place of the American Car Culture after WW2 has been decimated by the do gooders in so many ways. I guess that industry is in the rear view mirror now and they dont need it with all the tech opportunities. CA has become just another place in American where the middle class is marginalized in service of the rich and extreme poor. The middle class is of no use to the rich who prefer the hand to mouth spending of the poor. They'd prefer 10 hand to mouth poor to 1 middle class spendthrift so long as they can stay in their gated communities and secured towers. Same dynamic persists here in NYC albeit to a lesser extent especially when it comes to cars. Andrew Cuomo, our gov is a car guy...so No smog or emissions testing on Vehicles prior to 1996... its a free for all. They only do a safety inspections which has become perfunctory look a the brake pads. One inspector told me "if you drove it in...you pass".

 

Terry:


It might be easy or a huge mess. This conversion will need to go to a referee. Most a lot smarter or better trained than the average SMOG SHOP tech.


1. As the Jaguar is an 87, the donor parts must be of 87 or younger vintage. And, all emision parts for the donor car must be present and operational in the recipient.


2. So, you must know what specie was the donor car. 90 Corvette, Camaro, etc.


3. Amazingly, CA does allow a tad of leeway. Ram horn manifolds OK, as most, if not all GM end dumps just can not fit.


4. I would look up BAR in CA for engine swap reg's.


5. An after market cat must have a carb approved number. Most do not.


CAVEAT. I see issues. Fixable, yeah. But, in $'s.


6. Much research needed before a meaningful decision can be made.


Carl

 

the only good thing about California is that the climate there preserves cars, as was the case with my '65 S type which I found in San Francisco / Oakland.

 

No humidity, actual mountains...not little hills. The desert is an hour away from LA, the ocean less than that... we can actually drive in our major cities... granted parking is hard to find in places.

No salt used on the roads... we drive to snow for fun... do not have it delivered to our homes or businesses in the southern part of the state. Probably could not find a snow shovel or blower within one hour of my house.

We live here by choice... I would not live east of Colorado for any amount of money...

Our smog rules are in place to help our living conditions... when I was young we had very bad smog.. so cal is surrounded by mountains with a normal westerly wind.. all the
pollutants backed up to the mountains.. we do not have those conditions today. We are the leader in the nation with auto smog rules... like/deal with it or stay away....

I have a '71 Jaguar that is CA smog exempt... do not have to deal with smog inspections... but my car, I am sure today puts out lower emissions that when brand new with
the Jaguar 6 cylinder engine... everything works on it and it has upgraded seat(s) and seat belts...

 

I lived in Los Angeles from 1965 to 1994. I can attest to how bad the smog used to be. Conditions were much, much better when I left than when I arrived, thanks to emission controls. I love cars...but also love to breathe.

That said, I think it should be tailpipe test only. Who cares what's under the hood if the *actual emissions* are within the standard for xxx-year and model?

I remember getting a 'smog cert' was always a bit stressful. In the old days not quite so bad because everyone 'knew a guy' who would make sure you got a certificate, if ya know what I mean . The BAR-90 regulations in 1990 changed all that.



Cheers
DD

 

From JOSE "move to another state without so many stupid car regulations".
In the state of Florida, even if we do not have an Emissions test, I was told by many muffler repair shops that it is against the law for them to do any exhaust work eliminating the Catalytic Converter if the model year, (original or converted vehicle) requires that a Catalytic Converter be installed.
However, there are many unscrupulous workers who would do anything to make a buck.
Installed properly, Catalytic Converters do not affect the vehicle's performance.
BTW, sunshine and CO2 don't mix very well.
Either way the law states "the catalytic converter must be installed and appear to be functional"

 

Agree with all the above responses. I recently went through the process with my '87 XJ6 and as Carl said, you will need to supply the make and model of the car from which the drivetrain (transmission included) came.

Then the referee will look in his book and insist that every piece of smog equipment from the donor is present on the donee vehicle. If it's not, he will send you away. If your donor has OBD1 or OBD2 the data port must be present and functional.

If all the smog equipment is present then he will drive the car around and do a diagnostic scan, looking for diagnostic trouble codes to include ensuring secondary air injection, exhaust gas re-circulation, and carbon canister systems are cycling correctly. Only then will he do the tailpipe emissions test.

Unlike days of old, eye-winks or payoff's will not work with these referees these days. They talk among themselves to make sure everyone is following the rules. And in the case of Jaguar transplants, there is only one break they will give you and that is the center-dump exhaust manifolds as a replacement for the donee manifolds, as Carl also mentioned.

This is a grueling process, and there is no getting around it. It took me about 4 hours. Of course this was just for registration. The follow-up bi-annual smog tests are somewhat routine as long as you can find smog test shop who will do it for you. If you're interested, PM me and I can send you the documentation I took with me to the referee visit. He studied it for more than an hour.

 

Right. Individual states or counties may not have any laws against tampering with emissions equipment but it's still against *federal* laws to do so.

Cheers
DD

 

Yes, I'm with Doug. SMOG in the 50's and 60's in SOCAL was fierce. Natural conditions existed before the exodus from the east. Way back to the days of the Spanish Explorers.
LA harbor named "La Bahia de los Fuegos". Bay of fire, ie and the smoke.


Modern cats do not impair performance and are effective in reduction of irritants. As to a shop removing them. Not worh the risk. It is FED law that precludes that. One never would know if a fed decided to test the shop by asking. BAR does test shops of many kinds. They have nabbed more than a few.... SMOG and other rip off's.


It was quite a process getting my Lump past the referee. And, only a couple of stumbles in regular tests. Car fine, tech a bit off. But, still, a PITA.


How many old cars can there be still in regular use, and of those just how many can there be that are gross polluters??? I think the greenies want them all gone. No matter.


Carl

 

Thank you, I passed on the car. It would have never passed the smog check.
Now, some of you made interesting comments, so I will take a minute to reply. We have tough smog laws in CA to protect the environment , therefore, our kids and grandkids will be able to breath cleaner air.
Back in the 70s, LA had some serious smog alerts and on certain days ,one could not even see the sky.
Thanks
Terry

 

Terry:


You saved a lot of headache, heart ache and money !!! CA SMOG compliant Jaguars can be found.




Old tale:


In about 1963, my employer "restaffed" the Claim Department in the LA office.
My former boss was Claim manager and "maneuvered" in me and a couple of fellow
Texans. A troubled office and he and we had good HO reputations.


Fellow supervisor John found a home for his family in the San Gabriel Valley. It was mid summer. Lots of the yellow stuff. He flew in the face of a lot of things, like advice on where the worst SMOG was!!!


One winter morning, John came in with a look of amazement on his countenance.
" I went out my back slider on to the patio and looked to the North. A beautiful mountain!" John discovered the San Gabriel range, heretofore hidden in the yellow stuff.


Auto SMOG tests not yet upon us at the time!!


Carl