Hey Scotty! I'm moving to Nevada with my 1973 Buick Regal and recently found out that it'll need to pass a smog check if I want to drive it more than 5000 miles a year. Is it possible for a car that old to pass smog or is it a lost cause? If so, do you have any tips?
-Taylor
It depends on how stringent the test is and what standards they are expecting the car to meet. If the engine and carb are in good condition and the state is doing a simple sniff test on the tailpipe to see it's somewhere close to 1973 standards you could be OK. If they do a more in-depth check (run the car on a dyno at different speeds, do a visual check on emissions equipment) you're more likely to have problems. If they expect a 50-year-old car to meet today's emission standards, forget about it. In any case if there is visual smoke out of the tailpipe I would expect that to be an instant fail.
I have a 73 Fleetwood here in AZ. You should be able to register it as a historic car which waves emissions. Drive it 5000 mi. No one will follow you to determine ur mileage.
@jfalk Please copy and paste your answer into the "Your Answer" box below, instead of hijacking Chuck here. Thanks.
Move to Comufornia where they only smog inspect vehicles made from 1974 onward.
