I arrived at the "No Appointment Necessary on Saturday" testing facility a few minutes before they opened.

The proprietor/operator, Sean, an Emissions Tech instructor at the local community college, was standing outside waving me in. I said, "You must have been expecting me." "Yes," he said, "Your friend (the one who told me about this place) told me you were on your way with a nice old Jag. He was right."

I released the hood and he raised it correctly. I liked that. Then he saw the engine. "A conversion!" he said, obviously delighted. "That's the way to go with these, put a nice reliable Chevy in them." His words not mine! "This is a very nice job. Was it done locally?"

Then we chatted a bit about how she came to me that way, that it was done not locally but in Huntington Beach some decades ago by a company called Interjag. "That explains it," he said, "the nicest work comes out of Southern California. Probably something to do with the money there."

Then down to the business at hand, testing. First he wanted to see the BAR sticker. I showed him where it is on the door. "Oh, that's been updated. I can't use that. It's not legal anymore since 2015 when BAR went to a different form. You need to go to the Referee for a new pass. Here's all the info you need to do that."

At first I was quite dismayed because the Tehama County guys have tested it and passed it twice since 2015. Obviously they are not keeping up with The Latest. And then I thought, This is good. It will be Up To The Minute, fulfilling all the legal requirements for such a vehicle. And this guy has been Very helpful, said to come back next Saturday or the one after that.

But the very best part, by that time several other guys were standing around waiting for testing, and as we were finishing up, Sean called out, "Hey, you guys! Come and look at the most beautiful conversion in the world!"


(';')

 

looks like one of Sanchez' conversions, very well done engineering jobs at the very least. I bet that wasn't an easy job.

 

Circa 2001, I removed the dead DOHC from my car and installed a GM LT1. I used a kit from Johns cars.. Stuff from jaguar specialties and suncoast. Plus other stuff.

Easy, no way. But, I am immensely proud of it.

it took til 2006 before I got the CA to approve the installation. More fun

Last SMOG test Issues with whether or not the CATS were CARB approved!!!

Jeep SMOG pends. Same issue? Same shop installed it's failed cat...

 

Today, THREE WEEKS after this Adventure began, Nix and I are Victorious!

We have done a Pitched battle with the dreaded BAR (Bureau of Automotive Repair, a division of the California Air Resources Board), which can be downright Draconian at times, especially for the Common Man (or woman) and we have Prevailed!

Everything worked as it should have in the first place, thanks to my smog tech in Tehama County, BUT.
Some of the vacuum lines were NOT IN THE CORRECT ORDER!

I do understand these guys' position. Everyone has to cover their behind. Everyone must be able to point to a Printed Reference to back up whatever passes through their hands. If they can't point to such a reference, any old reference will do, self-preservation dictates they bounce it until the vehicle matches up with a published reference.

So now, Nix is powered, not by some plain old generic mid 1980s Chevy 350, but by a 1976 Corvette 350 (Does this mean I can drive even FASTER!?) and she has the BAR sticker on the door to prove it!!

Today, at the No Appointment Necessary Saturdays From 9-12 emissions testing station, Sean re-routed all the vacuum lines to match up with the Referee's requirements (from said Published Reference), stuck the probe up her tail pipe again, expressed gleeful surprise at the minuscule numbers and signed her off.

>WHEW<
(';')

 

I would invite Sean and crown him King Of Vacuum For A Day, serving him with all kinds of goodies as he sits on the throne.

 

KUDOS !!

My jeep test still pends. Fees paid !!!! Not driving. Dread the revisit to the SMOG place. Reminders of the adventure with the Jaguar. Got the Jaguar through.

Pandemic restriction on me as well.

I am for clean air for sure. but, this car SMG thing just gets me...