How to buy used vehicle; emissions

In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is there
any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the engine
will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how effective
generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's vehicles V-8s,
Ford 350 in particular.

freddie wrote:
> In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is there
> any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the engine
> will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how effective
> generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's vehicles V-8s,
> Ford 350 in particular.

You won't need expensive equipment for this test, but it will cost a
little to find the answer. Tell the seller you want the car to pass
the emissions test in your state before you trade dollars. Or take the
car for a test drive and take it into the local service station for a
quick emissions test. If it passes buy the car. If it fails, just
return the car and let the owner deal with the DMV and a recorded
emissions test failure.

In article >, freddie > wrote:
>In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is there
>any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the engine
>will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how effective
>generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's vehicles V-8s,
>Ford 350 in particular.

Those 1970s vehicles didn't HAVE any catalytic converters to replace, so
that's no solution.

Part of the issue is also that the emissions standards changed considerably
over the decade, so a 1971 car that spews out a cloud of toxic waste may
be perfectly legal in your state while a 1979 vehicle that is better may
not be.

What state are you in?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"freddie" > wrote in message
...
> In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is there
> any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the engine
> will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how effective
> generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's vehicles V-8s,
> Ford 350 in particular.

As John H. says, predicate the sale on the emissions test. No pass, no
sale.

I thought VW and maybe Chrysler got by for a couple years after everyone
else...?

nate

Shep wrote:
> Cats are in all cars from 75.
> "Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>In article >, freddie >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is there
>>>any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the engine
>>>will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how effective
>>>generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's vehicles V-8s,
>>>Ford 350 in particular.
>>
>>Those 1970s vehicles didn't HAVE any catalytic converters to replace, so
>>that's no solution.
>>
>>Part of the issue is also that the emissions standards changed
>>considerably
>>over the decade, so a 1971 car that spews out a cloud of toxic waste may
>>be perfectly legal in your state while a 1979 vehicle that is better may
>>not be.
>>
>>What state are you in?
>>--scott
>>--
>>"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
>
>
>
>
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Cats are in all cars from 75.
"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, freddie >
> wrote:
>>In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is there
>>any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the engine
>>will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how effective
>>generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's vehicles V-8s,
>>Ford 350 in particular.
>
> Those 1970s vehicles didn't HAVE any catalytic converters to replace, so
> that's no solution.
>
> Part of the issue is also that the emissions standards changed
> considerably
> over the decade, so a 1971 car that spews out a cloud of toxic waste may
> be perfectly legal in your state while a 1979 vehicle that is better may
> not be.
>
> What state are you in?
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."



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"Shep" > wrote in
:

> Cats are in all cars from 75.


Only in the US. Canada didn't get a blanket cat requirement until the 1981
model year.

Oddly, my 1975 Toyota Corolla's Owner's Manual specifies repeatedly that
catalytic converters were only installed on California-market cars.


--
Tegger

aarcuda69062 wrote:
> In article >,
> Nate Nagel > wrote:
>
>
>>I thought VW and maybe Chrysler got by for a couple years after everyone
>>else...?
>>
>>nate
>
>
> Yup. BMW also.

If you're going to count cars with "thermal reactors" didn't Porsche use
them for a few years too?

nate

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replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
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(Scott Dorsey) wrote in
:

> > wrote:
>>In buying older vehicles, other than obvious signs of smoking, is
>>there any way to determine, without expensive equipment, whether the
>>engine will pass emissions? On a marginal vehicle that fails, how
>>effective generally is replacing the cat converter. Talking 70's
>>vehicles V-8s, Ford 350 in particular.

Should have been more clear. I also have a late 70's dodge 318 that just
fails and I cannot get it to pass. Will new cat make much diff?


>
> Those 1970s vehicles didn't HAVE any catalytic converters to replace,
> so that's no solution.
>

In article >,
Nate Nagel > wrote:

> I thought VW and maybe Chrysler got by for a couple years after everyone
> else...?
>
> nate

Yup. BMW also.