. . .We currently have Leno’s Law 2.0 in the works to make it 35 years. . .
. . . Don’t worry we’re doing OK.
I think if you look at Leno's Law 2.0 (CA SB1392), you might become much disappointed - especially if your car is newer than 1986 and too old to have OBD 2.
The 'it' that you get at (the rolling) 35 years is just the privilege to obtain a collector car registration. To get that, you have to restrict driving to 1000 miles a year or get collector car insurance - which will also likely impose driving restrictions. The car can only be driven to collector events or shows not as primary transportation.
If you do register your car as a collector car, then:
- SB 1392 officially creates a rolling exemption. It provides a full smog check exemption for pre-1981 model years, and extends this cutoff forward by one model year each year until pre-1986 vehicles are entirely exempt by 2032.
- Cars newer than 1986
will still require a smog check every two years (with or without collector car registration).
- Cars newer than 1986 with collector registration can be modified all you want, but will need to go for smog check on the dyno with sniffer wand up the tail pipe every two years and pass the smog requirements set for the unmodified car. So if you stick a small block chevy in your 1976 914 Porsche, they will not care as long as it meets measured smog emissions specified for the unmodified 1.8L flat-4 car every two years.
You can continue to register your old car normally, drive as much as you want
if you get a smog check every two years (including physical inspection to verify that car is not modified with illegal smog equipment - or whatever) - as long as you can find an old-style smog check station with the expensive-to-maintain dyno and sniffer wand smog test equipment.
1975 MY cars and older continue to be unrestricted.
So your 1976 914 is set free of smog compliance as long as you restrict your driving. If you have a normal 964, this does not help much.
My 1988 Porsche (which will never become exempt from Leno's Law) will not pass - its emissions are about 10% off, and smog inspection is due in July. That left me when 3 options.
- park it.
- sell it out of state.
- fix it.
I took the 3rd option, I just ordered a brand new OEM Porsche Cat from Germany which cost $6,000. So I will not register it as a collector car.
Leno's Law 2.0 made things worse for me and anyone with a 1987 car up to about 1995-ish, when OBD 2 smog inspection became allowed because it lowers resale value in CA and because smog inspections will cost more and be harder to get.
The original intent of Leno's Law was to make pre-OBD 2 cars exempt from smog check so that the (for profit) smog inspection stations could get rid of the old, costly dyno and wand equipment. But it does not do that so, WTF?