EPA To Prohibit the Conversion of Street Cars into Race Cars

[FireSale]

In Washington state, only registered vehicles built between 1991 and 2008 require emissions testing. If it's not tested how would the Federal EPA find it?

Remember, I'm in the state that legalized pot sales. And no, I don't smoke it. It just seems like I do...

Dale

[Pinballer]

From what I recall, the first pollution controls appeared on cars destined for California dealers in 1965 in the form of a PCV valve and a return hose to the air cleaner to re-burn the blow-by. Other states soon followed and all were fully in by 1968 with belt driven air pumps, AIR tubes in the exhaust manifolds and all that stuff. Then in 1975, everything had to have catalytic converters and their associated parts.
The way I read the mandate is that -anything- that was manufactured with pollution devices has to have them intact and original. Not just 90's on up.

[SSGT Mustang]

There are many ways that EPA can enforce the law. Purchase history, registration transfers, registration renewals, etc. The fines are unbelievable if you are caught. Knowing that...why would anyone risk building a car that is likely to be rendered worthless at some point, after making a sizabe investment to build it. And then, to add insult to injury, have to suffer the financial burden of being fined to tens of thousands of dollars for doing so.

The aftermarket, however, is most at risk. Manufacturers cannot make parts that break the law. Additionally, builders cannot build cars that violate the law. The fines are too great.

I'm unsure why this issue is even being debated. It's not some tin-foil fantasy, where respected organizations and individuals have decided to enter the political foray in opposition to a party and its politics. One need only to look up Edge products and the EPA to understand the issue.

This situation is real. You can debate it to death. You can summarily dismiss it as reactionary. Or, you can defer to an organizations like as SEMA--that have a history of defending motor sports and the manufacturers that make it possible for racing to advance--and take action.

By the way: Federal law pertaining to narcotics is still enforceable in Washington State and any other State in the Union. The same principal applies to so-called sanctuary cities that do not enforce immigration law. The enforcement of Federal law in such cases depends largely on the interests of the administration in office. So, if a new administration--with a new attorney general--decides that federal narcotics laws will be enforced uniformly, then places like Washington State, California and Colorado will be either be visited by federal narcotics agents or face federal defunding...or both.

[CMcAllister]

This applies to motor vehicles, federally certified as legal for use on public roads as part of the Clean Air Act that covers '67 or '68 and up model years.

If Washington or any other state that inspects for federal emission standards is anything like Maryland, which I'm familiar with, the federal government (EPA) compels (I.E. blackmails) the state to develop and institute an inspection program that meets EPA approval. EPA, just like DOT, forces the states to enforce the regulations.

Now if a state department of the environmental, under threat of having federal funds withheld, wanted to find a bunch of post '67 cars, previously driven on public roads legally, that have been modified, had engines replaced, emissions discarded, turned into race cars, resto-mods, street machines, etc., don't you think they'd have an idea of where to look? It's as easy as enforcing any other EPA, DOT, IRS, ATF, etc., regulation, just hire more people. Imagine the amount of potential fines out there, which is a large part of what this is all about.

[Dave Noll]

Originally Posted by FireSale

In Washington state, only registered vehicles built between 1991 and 2008 require emissions testing. If it's not tested how would the Federal EPA find it?

Remember, I'm in the state that legalized pot sales. And no, I don't smoke it. It just seems like I do...

Dale

The only area I know of on this side of the cascades that has the testing is Spokane. (currently)

[FireSale]

Originally Posted by Dave Noll

The only area I know of on this side of the cascades that has the testing is Spokane. (currently)

Just for the heck of it I looked up Arizona because there are so many solid pre emissions cars in dry states and the racing scene there is strong. The only testing zones are in Phoenix and Tucson.

Dale

[Bruce Noland]

The mission of any State EPA or the Federal EPA is to help protect all of it's citizens. Not just for today but also for the future. It's not an easy job because we are all polluters and there are some people in this world who are determined to circumvent the EPA rules. I have been listening to this BS about the government is taking our liberties away for more than 60 years, and until the recent voter restriction laws popped up, I haven't found any reason to be concerned. The EPA is simply trying to provide our descendants with a habitable planet. The US EPA is also the most embattled agency in the federal government, so rest assured, all the special interests groups will fight every "problematic" rule it attempts to enact.

[Rick Schilling]

It just seems ironic to me that so many of the components used in the building of emission certified vehicles for the U.S. are manufactured in countries that have little or no air pollution standards. It's the same atmosphere.

[Bruce Noland]

Oh, the tragic irony of it all, and they are really paying for it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-pictures.html

[SSGT Mustang]

Originally Posted by Bruce Noland

Oh, the tragic irony of it all, and they are really paying for it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-pictures.html

The tragic irony, as I and others see it, is that some people cannot make a distinction between building a race car used on a weekend (in some cases, one quarter mile at a time), and pollution caused by gross overpopulation and hyper-manufacturing.

And, indeed, regarding hyper-manufacturing: It is an outcome caused in part by an unquenchable need for material goods in developed countries that have had to offshore production due to overregulation.