Just wondering what steps you had to take to get your engine declared smog legal? How'd you know the work you were doing to your engine was acceptable under the law? Any good sources of info you can point me towards? Thanks for the info.

 

I'm not California specifically, but I used to live there and the Colorado regs are just as strict.

1st, use the best factory parts available. If carb, for instance, use a dual snorkel air cleaner, instead of the single snorkel. Another example, the factory dual cat was the best flowing system they made.

2nd, keep the aftermarket parts you put on CARB certified. Headers, intake, etc., fall into that catagory. Cam should be something the manufacturer tells you will work (yes, they do know).

3rd, you can use an engine/system from a later year (but not earlier). You just need to have all of the equipment intended for that later year. So, you could put in a '95 LT1 as long as all of the equipment a '95 LT1 had from the factory is on your car. Including the stickers under the hood.

Finally, keep it looking legal. You don't have to tell the inspector your original 305 car now has a 383 in it. As long as it "looks" like a 305 with CARB-certified parts added, and it "smells" like a 305 when they stick the sniffer up the pipe, it'll pass.

 

Pretty much the same emissions laws.
I passed!