Question: 1990 L98: Failed California SMOG gold shield NOx tests

[Jeff P]

Boomer and Hib,

What does the full smog test tell you?



TedC,

She's not pinging at all. Very smooth and strong at 87K miles. I wouldnt know how to mess with the EGR on a running vet. My electrical and electronic engineering degree I earned at SUNY at Buffalo didn't cover this topic. ...

By the way, my other vet is a 1974 triple black I bought in Tonawanda right after graduation back in 1982. "Go in debt and buy a vette" was my mantra back then. It has no California smog hardware and doesn't need any. The 2005 law states 1975 and older dont require smog, but no longer do we have a rolling 30 year window to exempt aging vehicles. Makes these antiques even more unique now. Doesn't have A/C either, which can be hot this time of year. ...

So yea, I still have my first car, a Buffalo 74 that resides out here in La-La land.
See attachment for picture

View attachment 4272

(note to forum admin, note that the text carriage returns go away when I enter this with my iPad, but it comes out fine when I use my Apple PowerBook Pro?)

I'm from Cheektowaga...I noticed where your from....nice 74 in the driveway! Is that an '88 behind her? I have an '88 with 24,000 actual miles on her....Hello from Sunny B-LO!

 

[AV8R]

@ Jeff P of Cheektowaga NY

Hi Jeff,

Dear Upstate New York brother...
More pics of my two vettes:

1974 C3 (Buffalo NY car) Drove this one out to California when I was 21 to get my first job.

1990 C4 (Newport Beach CA car)

Together shot:

And my bro-in-law's C4 1995

@HIB
@NAVY
Thank you for your positive support.

Like I tell my kids, the difference between success and failure is often that one extra step forward. Hopefully this forum thread will give both hope and helps for some in the same situation.
Conventional wisdom and expertise didn't get us to pass, it was perseverance and out of the box thinking and workarounds that saved the day. Plus bucks and patience.

 

[boomdriver]

Good Job !

Success is the byproduct of effort & perserverance. I tried to explain to people when I was teaching them about emergency trouble shooting tactics (instant reaction to situations and thinking on your feet) and their personal knowlege base that when they were challanged and afraid that they would run out of ideas, the ONLY way to assure failure at that point was to end the effort. Giving up assures failure, everytime. Easy concept !

What was the single thing that made the biggest difference and got results? or was it several little things that together got you where you had to be?

BTW,
Darn fine looking cars you have there !