Looking to buy an 85 GN with 87 turbo/intake/exhaust/ecu/etc. Only the block and heads remain 85 spec. Problem is, I live in CA. Would this car even pass smog, assuming it got by visual? I know it burns clean. Car is 100% otherwise legal. I'm guessing the 87 Ecu will fail. I can swap all the 85 stuff back... just hoping not to. Maybe I can get it REFed? Thanks in advance.
According to the federal regs you can change anything as long as the parts are compliant. In other words you can put earlier parts on a car or later but the parts must meet whichever is newer. The chasis or the engine. You should be good but you do live in kaliforication after all.
sadly, I do. Yes. I know its okay to swap engines, etc as long as it came in the car at some point. We did it with Hondas. If engine A was an option during that model year, you can swap it in place of engine b. You can go older than the chassis as long as its emission system is compliant to the chassis year. But. It's Kalifornia...so... I just don't want the smog computer flipping out because the tech inputs 1985, but the Ecu reads 1987. Wondering if getting BAR'ed by the state REF would be needed.
Not sure how your tests are run but here unless it's an OBD II system there's no hooking up to the puter because you'd need so many adaptors it would cost an arm and a leg to buy them. Plus if it's a ferd OBD I system there's no data to read.
I don't see how their equipment would get a model year out of an 85 car from the diagnostic connector. When scanning these old cars the operator has to enter the model year manually for the scanner to even work. You have a later engine of same displacement and same make/model. Id ask the doped in ca just to be sure
You guys are right. I think I'm good. I've been dealing with obd-ii cars for soooooo long. I'm stoked.
Changing engine from 1985 to 1987 setup will require Referee. Set up needs to be completely 87. You cannot mix 85 and 87 configuration, must be one or the other. Yes, the Referee will scan the chip to insure the correct factory chip is installed or an approved CARB chip is installed. No open breathers, EVAP must be in compliance, if the cat was recently changed, must meet CARB regulations.
strange. i spoke to a referee in Visalia, ca. he says as long as the engine was an original optional engine, it's fine, as long as the smog equipment is correct for the vehicle year. a BAR sticker is only needed if the engine is from a different vehicle. here is my specific example: i owned a 2000 acura integra. any LS, GSR, or Type-R engine was okay to swap, no BAR, because those engines are correct for that vehicle. they could be any year, as long as the smog equipment was 2000 standards. as such, i had to install a USDM oil pump on my 1997 Type-R engine, as the Japanese versions had no bracket for the crank angle sensor. i had three different engines, no BAR needed. now.. if i wanted to install a k-series engine, a B-16, or other engine that NEVER came in the car, i'd have to make sure smog specs were current to the year of the engine. a k-series engine into an older civic required replacement of the fuel tank, just to comply with the smog equipment. this was in addition to harnesses/evap/purge/cat. converter/etc. when it came to putting a non-option engine into the car, i THINK the engine has to be the same year as the car or newer. according to this ref, i should be able to use all '87 stuff as long as i conform to '85 smog standards. it just so happens that with the '87 parts, i'd IMAGINE it may be more efficient than 85 standards. that would be kinda cool. i have no issues with burning clean! in my 1994 integra, i had a 2000 engine, but retained all my '94 emissions equipment (OBD-I), etc. i was not required to update to 2000 specs. again, i would have if the engine was never an option in the car (k-series/b16etc). maybe it just depends on which ref you deal with? all my cars smogged perfectly. if i have to REF, that's fine. all emissions/ecu/chip/etc will be OEM '87 parts. i have no problems with that. otherwise, i'll pass any smog shop in town. no worries there, either.
also... smog techs in my town LOVE cool cars. as long as i pass visual (they won't know to differenciate between '85 and '87 turbos) and the sniffer, they won't even bat an eyelash. not many of them would know the difference, either way.
This is interesting as I am from so cal and I'm due for smog my 85 is all 85 and pretty much stock except for 3 inch downpipe and k&n filter and have had success passing smog in the previous years but I've been wanting and have all the parts I need to swap to 87 ECM upgrade but after reading this thread it sounds like I would have trouble passing due to an 86/87 ECM upgrade on an 85? Has anyone here ran into that problem with an 85 that has upgraded to stock 87 ECM and chip MAF ?
Passing smog is the easy part, unless you have a tech that knows the visual differences between hot and cold-air cars. As long as you have a cat, you will pass the sniffer. I've never had a tech go beyond those steps. The BAR sicker may be required if you want to be 100% legal, which we all do. If you were to be pulled over by PD and he happened to think your car did not look stock, he could send you to the Ref for inspection due to possible emissions violations. This is HUGE in my town, as a colored vacuum line can get you sent in. Keep in mind we get sent to the Ref whether legal or not. Officer discretion. Sad but true. I'm just trying to figure out if swapping to a newer turbo setup requires a BAR sticker, or if its legal without. Will do.
new member Hello, I live in california. I'm looking at buying 1987 GN. I am unfamiliar with Cali smog check. I am new to Ca. Wondering if someone out there could help. Don't want to buy the car only to have trouble registering it! I live in the Central Valley area code 559. ANY help would be appreciated. I have pics of engine, but cannot seem to be able to include inthis post. T/ADiff cover for rear axle Air Bags for rear coil springs Hotchkis Rear Sway Bar Replaced all bumper fillers front and rear with new GM parts Replaced electric window motors with new GM ones Replaced antenna motor with new GM one and it works! New inside sun visors,new outside window rubbers,inside window sweeps and new rubber door sills Scanmaster Moser rear axles Eaton posi-unit in rear axle RJC front mount intercooler Stroker kit for the 3.8 with 4340 steel crank and 210/215 hyd roller cam with new lifters,arp rod bolts and main cap bolts 80lb Deka injectors high Z BHJ Balancer Champion Iron Heads,ARP head stud kit and hyd. rooler cam upgrade kit Intake has been polished and ported to the champion heads Quick time electric cutout Power logger scan tool w/LC-1 lambda cable with 02 sensor Front and rear body braces from poston New poly body mount bushings including the ones GM did not install New Hooker 2 1/2 exhaust with a 3inch houston down pipe New dual electric cooling fans New aluminum radiator High perf boxed rear lower control arms Underdrive pulley set 3 Turbo Tweak chips Walbro 340 fuel pump w/hot wire kit and fuel pressure regulator Alky Injection by Julio Knock gage,boost gauage,oil pressure and water temp guage Windshield had some scratches in it so replaced it with new one New with less than 200 miles are 15-8 1/2 rear and 15-7 chrome torg-thrust wheels with 275/60/15 MT Drag/street radials and new tires on front New Bilstien shocks front and rear RJC power plate 2800 stall converter from dusty at PTC Engine Block Girdle 6262 billit wheel turbo from full throttle New vacuum brake system--- no more powermasterWindows Live™Home front and rear with new GM parts Replaced electric window motors with new GM ones Replaced antenna motor with new GM one and it works! New inside sun visors,new outside window rubbers,inside window sweeps and new rubber door sills Scanmaster Moser rear axles Eaton posi-unit in rear axle RJC front mount intercooler Stroker kit for the 3.8 with 4340 steel crank and 210/215 hyd roller cam with new lifters,arp rod bolts and main cap bolts 80lb Deka injectors high Z BHJ Balancer Champion Iron Heads,ARP head stud kit and hyd. rooler cam upgrade kit Intake has been polished and ported to the champion heads Quick time electric cutout Power logger scan tool w/LC-1 lambda cable with 02 sensor Front and rear body braces from poston New poly body mount bushings including the ones GM did not install New Hooker 2 1/2 exhaust with a 3inch houston down pipe New dual electric cooling fans New aluminum radiator High perf boxed rear lower control arms Underdrive pulley set 3 Turbo Tweak chips Walbro 340 fuel pump w/hot wire kit and fuel pressure regulator Alky injection. Thanks for the help in advance..... Frank
anything that doesn't look stock will not pass the visual. this all depends on how "blind" your smog tech is. otherwise, you just have to pass the sniffer. done. keep in mind if a cop ever looks under your hood and sees something is "off", he can send you to the smog ref. if he does, you are not allowed to drive the car until it's been inspected and passed. how do you get the car to the ref if you aren't supposed to drive it? yeah. i never said it made sense. LOL on the bright side, cops in our area (559) are very forgiving when it comes to domestics, especially classic hot rods like ours. if you get the car, do you mind if i check it out so i can see what the engine bay is supposed to look like? LOL i have a mess of wires, vacuum lines, and plugs that have nothing on them. i'd love to see how things are SUPPOSED to go.
