It is rummored that illinois will end pollution tests on vehicles older that 1996 due to problems in the testing procedures.If this is truley the case , it will make it easier on all of us that drive cars older than 96 for dailys.The law used to be 68 and newer but now they are only testing vehicles with the ob-II computors.This is suppose to start Feb. 1st 2007. HIP HIP HOURRAH, NO MORE WAIVERS. MIKE
Oh thank the Lowered! I have to fight with them ever year over my street driven race car ('82 AMC Concord wagon!)
That is good news. In this part of the state, they never had testing to begin with, but it's good to see they are moving "backwards", anyway. I was always nervous about putting a bunch of money into a car, only to have it become illegal later on. (My 318 powered d50 comes to mind.) Hopefully now I won't have to worry about finding all the missing emission bullshit for my late 70's New Yorkers, too. I'd hate to try and fix that lean-burn crap!
Did someone say "street driven '82 AMC Concord wagon race car"? Dude, I have GOT to see a picture of that! Tell me it's Butternut yellow with woodgrain side panels and a roof rack and I will call you my hero.
Do you have any links to that info?? It's great news to us automotive enthusiasts and the right thing to do.
i had my friend at work ask his buddy who works for the emmision nazis , and he confirmed it. i will poke around and see if i can come up with a link or two. mike
Woo Hoo. Now I won't have to register my daily driver at my brother's place (in a non-emission area)!
Probably delusional, he likely meant to say "...AMC Concord wagon rust bucket..." BTW, has anyone in Chicago noticed the Chrysler/Jeep dealer on Grand with the AMC sign still up on the used car side?? It's out near Sayre. I grin every day...love the balls that takes. Cosmo
Yep - post those pics even though its way OT. I won't bitch to the HAMB fuzz. I wanna see this. Better yet drive it down to my house in April (garage is full o' Packard and parts) and help me swap out the 196 in my '62 Rambler American wagon.
O.K. boys here it is, by request. I'm not a photo hoarder, and always kick myself for not documenting my projects. Good thing my wife is in charge of pictures of the kids! It's an old picture before the lift off 4" cowl hood was added. Instead of paint the new 'glass hood is covered in vinyl wood grain with a PERGO logo on the nose trim, thanks to my friend Greg at Sticker Dude Designs. Now sports Weld Drag Lites wheels. Otherwise paint and faux wood is original, still has roof rack and burnt orage interior. Its my rolling joke, thumbing my nose at the typical notions of muscle cars at the local cruise nights. Some point and laugh, some shake their heads, but I get lots of thumbs up.
I can just see you and Greg pulling into a car show. Him in his 8 second CJ-7 and you in the Concord.. So do you give Greg a good run with yours? As for the Testing, when I tested my 68 bronco they told me goodby we'll never have to test again.. It was about time but will miss watching them try to figure out how to drive "Three on the Tree" HA HA HA
No John, it won't stay up with the evil CJ, nowhere near his league. But really fun to cruise the two side by side. Lotta people breakin' their necks doing a double-take! Ever been in the Jeep? I shit myself just thinking about that launch!
Yep, but it was a while back, I made Greg a Tweed door panel when tweed was Hip for the Evil one. We were going to do the whole inside with tweed but the rollbar in the way man was it tight in there.. He took my neighbor out one time, still talks about the Launch and that was 10 years ago. Luke and Greg shared a shop with my other buddy Matt.. It's a small world .. Do you have a 304 in the Concord or need a 304?
Dude! I think I've both of those cars! Is the CJ an aqua color? I remember seeing/hearing a bad ass CJ at the Shell station on River Road in McHenry last summer.
Yes it's aqua and VERY LOUD but by the sound you know is a nasty motor. You know, the kind you can feel inside your chest !! I talked to Greg a few weeks ago and he was saying he got a new dart motor in her, 468ci SB Dart or something like that. I thought I would have seen him at the Drag Expo..
Damn! Woodgrain and all! Now tell me it's got an AMC 360/390/401 instead of the ubiquitous SBC and you're REALLY my hero!! I drive mildly hot rodded 63 Rambler wagon. Think I have some pics on here somewhere... if not, go to http://hotrodders.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/3942. The flamed wagon is it. It's AMC derived powered anyway -- storked Jeep 4.0L (to 4.6L), EFI, four speed auto trans, Jag rear axle, 90s T-bird R&P.
It's no rumor. Notices will no longer be sent to owners of 1995 and older vehicles that have a current vehicle emmissions compliance certificate with an expiration date AFTER January, 2007. Exempt status has automatically been applied to these vehicles. Effective November, 2006. Stu
thanks stu, i was looking but could not find any links to back up my story. i guess the state of illnoise doesnt want any one to know the truth. mike
we have emmissions testing here in Austin. I found a way to get my old Dodge D250 to pass with flying colors. Now keep in mind that a few (cough, cough) of the emissions control parts havent "worked" in years, i.e. the light weight cat-con, the light weight smog pump, the very rusted EGR valve. Also keep in mind that this old turd has has had to endure over 230,000 miles of my "tender" driving and "routine" maintenance. In other words, I have no idea why it still runs. When it was time to run it through emissions testing for the first time this year I didnt think it would pass, something about the cloud of smoke it emits every time it starts. I think we all are convinced by now that this truck it worn out. Anyway, I ran the fuel tank down to next to nothing and added 3 gallons of methanol to the gas that was left in the tank, I figure about a 50/50 mix, drove it straight to the check station and the damned thing passed with flying colors. All of the gasses they were checking for were less than 10% of what they would allow before failing. From there I went straight to the gas station and filled it up sibce I knew what the methanol would do to the rubber parts in the fuel system if I didnt, that and the old dog had even less power that on regular gas, but it didnt ping. LOL Seriously, if you have a car that has pieces that "look" functional but still wont pass a sniff test, it is worth a try, hell, 3 gallons of methanol is only about $10.
from the horse's mouth: http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=29&RecNum=5675 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 29, 2007 document.write(''); Illinois’ Vehicle Emissions Testing Program Undergoes Major Change on February 1 1995 and older vehicles currently in compliance with emissions law will no longer need to be tested SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) announced changesto the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law, that take effect February 1, 2007, and will impact thousands of motorists in the northeastern Illinois and Metro-East St. Louis regions whose vehicles are currently required to undergo regular emissions inspections. Test notices will no longer be sent to owners of 1995 and older model vehicles that have a current vehicle emissions compliance certificate with an expiration date after January 2007. Exemptstatus has automatically been applied to these vehicles. Owners of 1995 and older model year vehicles that have not yet passed their most recent emissions tests or received a waiver, will be required to test their vehicles. Those vehicles that have not yet passed their most recent test cycle will receive an idle exhaust test and a gas cap test. The emissions testing program will continue to test 1996 and newer model year vehicles using the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) test. The change to the Vehicle Emissions Law was passed by the General Assemble in 2005 as P.A. 94-526, signed into law in August 2005. 1996 and newer model year vehicles registered in Cook, Lake and DuPage counties and much of Will County are subject to the program; along with the eastern third of McHenry County, the eastern half of Kane County. In the Metro-East area, much of the western half of Madison and St. Clair counties and the northern tip of Monroe County are included. Boundary lines are determined by zip code, not by county or municipality boundaries. The change in the emissions testing program is a result of technological advances in vehicles being driven. Beginning with the 1996 model year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required manufacturers to install standardized OBD systems on all light duty vehicles. These systems continuously monitor emissions-related components for malfunctions and/or deterioration. These systems notify the driver of a problem by activating the vehicle’s “Check Engine” light before the vehicle’s emissions have increased significantly. They also store this information allowing the Vehicle Emissions Test Program to retrieve the data in place of performing the current tailpipe and gas cap tests. The number of OBD-equipped vehicles is increasing every year. Currently, over 75 percent of vehicles are OBD-equipped, with this number increasing to approximately 95 percent by 2012. The Illinois EPA began phasing in OBD testing for 1996 and newer vehicles in 2002 and fully implemented OBD testing on July 1, 2004. The Vehicle Emissions Test Program plays an important role in reducing air pollution in Illinois. Automobiles and trucks are one of the single greatest sources of air pollution in the Chicago and Metro-East areas. Gasoline powered vehicles emit exhaust pollutants such as hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO². Vehicle emissions are responsible for a substantial portion of NOx and other emissions that form ground-level ozone in major metropolitan areas. Driving a malfunctioning vehicle is probably a typical citizen's most “polluting” daily activity. Motorists with questions regarding the exemption status of their vehicle can contact the Illinois EPA at 847/758-3400 or 217/785-7449.
Wow, finally a reasonable pice of legislation regarding emissions testing, taking into account the % of vehicles on the road that aren't the major source of tailpipe pollution.
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