I have an '82 Firebird T/A with the folliwing specs (as far as I know):

Small Block 350
Edelbrock Performer RPM
Carter Competition AFB
Pete Jackson Geardrive
Edelbrock heads and cam (?)
4 spd Automatic tranny
Thrushmaster performance exhaust
Edelbrock Exhaust Manifold (not headers)

Other than that, everything seems to be stock. These are the things I plan to do soon:

Dual electric fans
Dual snorkel/ram air
carb rebuild and TBI coolant bypass
exhaust bypass

I've had this car for several years, without bothering to put much money into, so I also need to clean up and repair things that have degraded over the years.

I'm also moving to California in a few monthes, so I want to try to keep it near emissions legal, if I can.

What else, besides typical restoration, would you guys recommend? This needs to remain low-budget operation, and I'll probally try to get most of it from a junkyard.

 

In California there's no such thing as "near" emissions legal. It either is, or it isn't; and if it isn't, you don't get to buy a license plate for it. A few things can sometimes slide through as "near" legal, such as CID and cams, if all the other requirements are met; but just because they'll pass the inspection, doesn't make them fully "legal".

You'll need to strip everything off from the heads up, and put the factory intake (or a replacement one with all emissions hookups and a CARB #) and carb (there is no substitute at all for that) back on it. Additionally, if the heads don't have the exhaust crossover passages that (among other things they do) supply exhaust to the EGR system, they might have to be replaced with ones that do.

You'll need the AIR pump and management valve back on it, which means you'll also need some exhaust system that has the hookups for that, and a cat. Whatever cam you have might or might not be able to pass the dyno HC and CO and NOx tests.

You'll need to have the ECM back in there, hooked up and functioning, and it will have to light the Check Engine light correctly when turned on and not running, extinguish the light when it's running, and sit idling for at least 10 minutes without lighting it. Of course, it will need to stay out during the remainder of the test as well.

There's no TBI bypass on a carb car. No exhaust bypass either, unless you mean a cutout like you'd use at the track; which of course must be closed for the tests.

Good luck... it's not much fun sometimes.

Ask me how I know this, if you haven't figured it out.

 

If I'm going to have to put everything back to stock, I might as well just keep it registered in Ohio, but I'm not too worried about that.

I just want to do what I can to make my car run better...

 

You might want to keep it registered out of state, They get pretty crazy here in CA. The edelbrock heads and cam would obviously pass a visual, but you would fail for your intake manifold and carb alone, Also it is pretty tough to meet their emissions requirements.
Good luck!

 

Here's a question for you translocators. What if a Federal vehicle is moved to Californica? Does it suddently have to meet CARB limits, or only the Federal limits in effect when the vehicle was manufactired? I've always wondered.


BTW - Somewhat related - Why doesn't the State simply blow a big friggin' hole in the side of the mountain range and let all the nasty air escape, rather than remain trapped in the Valley? I think we could find a few surplus thermonuclear devices that would do the task nicely...

 

They inspect Federal cars to Federal standards, thank goodness. But, the car has to meet every Federal standard..... all devices installed and operating, federal emissions specs, the same rules about engine or induction system swaps, etc.

It's against state law to transplant a Federal car under a certain age into CA; I guess they figure if you're going to buy a new car, you have to buy a CA car, not a Federal one. I think it was 2 years but I could be wrong.

Some Edelbrock heads will pass, some will not. The Performer heads will, the RPM and Victor won't. Same for intakes. Look for a CARB EO number on it. It will be stamped or cast or have a label with that, or you can look itup on their web site. You'll need that number when you get it inspected.

It's not real wise to keep a car registered out of state.... in every state, if they catch you dooing that, it's the same penalty and all as not being licensed at all. Most states, if you have a utility bill or phone bill or other residence-type expense, and get pulled over with out-of-state plates, you can get a no-plates ticket. It's almost a guaranteed award certificate if you have a driver's license in your new state and your car plates in another, above all in California. They are quite **** about people trying to dodge their laws out there.

One thing I did notice out there, compared to other places.... cars as a whole are far better maintained. You don't see a bunch of trailer-trash stuff like exhaust systems falling off, clouds of blue smoke from cars, parking lots that look like the Exxon Valdez has parked there, etc. If you can't "afford" to keep the emissions stuff up to spec, you can't "afford" to have a car in California; so in general, there aren't any of those lovely unguided-missile type of road bombs you see everywhere else.