Texas Inspection STINKS!!!

[77-4speed]

Hello all,

I have to put out a cry for help. I purchased my 77 in Oklahoma with true duals and no cats. Perfectly legal in Oklahoma. However, here in Houston, Texas, there are about a million laws regarding inspection. I can't afford to put 2 cats and a closed element air filter on my car. And I definitely can't let her sit in my garage! Also, my 1997 Expedition didn't pass inspection because my $800 tint job (3% ABOVE the required light limit in Oklahoma) is 3% too dark for Texas. Light enough that you can see everything inside at night, but apparently not light enough for Texas state troopers. They charged me $40 to not pass and told me to take the tint off.

Does anyone live in the Houston area that knows where I might find a more lenient inspection station?

I can't tell you how mad it makes me to pay money for vehicles and vehicle accessories that are perfectly legal in one state, only to be told I have to remove them in another.

Arrghhh!

Thanks,

-Russ Fulks

 

[page62]

Your car is over 25 years old. It is exempt from emissions testing in the Houston area! Find a inspection station that knows their stuff!

To quote the DPS website: "Vehicle must be between 2 - 24 years old (This means that vehicles between year models 2000 and 1978 are subject to emissions testing)"

Get it from the horse's mouth: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/

 

[Stingray74CC]

Some of the smaller towns around Houston may be able to help you out. Tomball, Magnolia, Conroe, Hemsted. I know there are stations in Navasota that will do it for you. I grew up there and there were always people getting pasted on older or specialized cars. Navasota is about an hour and fifteen minutes north on highway 6, but any of those smaller towns should work.

Good Luck,

Anthony

 

[vetteengnr]

Thanks for the website page 62. I've been worried about putting trual duals on my 76 in Travis county. We don't have emission testing yet, but we do fail ozone action days with regularity.

 

[Her 92]

Russ,

YOu can come over to Pt. Arthur and also, contact me and I'll let you know of a station that will pass you.

 

[page62]

My car came with NO smog equipment, not to mention true duals. And I'm 1½ years from being exempt.

No testing here in San Antonio, but it's getting reeeeal close. It'll end up being a horse race to see which comes up first: my inspection sticker or emissions testing!

By the way, there's also a 5000 mi/yr exemption for all you weekend drivers!

 

[Her 92]

page62,

With as many as we currently have, only the 98 gets more than 5,000 miles a year on it. The only others that require inspection now are the 82 and 92. In fact I need to check and see when the inspections are due on those 2 because the 82 hasn't been driven in awhile. I forgot to check the 92 when I had her out a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Bullitt]

Remember, even though your vehicle may not be subject to the emissions based testing program, your vehicle does receive an emissions component check and a gas cap test, during the annual safety inspection. Air quality is a concern for all Texans, so do your part in keeping Texas' air clean.

I'm not sure if they failed you becuase the cats were missing upon visual inspection. Perhaps, you could pull some from a junkyard, hollow them out (be careful: asbestos!) and mount them for visual appearance. The closed element cleaner could also be sourced from the wreck yards and all can be easily removed afterwards. If you don't want to cut up your exhaust, I have my old exhaust pipes laying around collecting dust from my BBC. The mufflers and tips will go on Ebay, but the pipe is there if you want them. I'll have to measure the diameter if you're curious.

The tint is a bit confusing. My brother's Cadillac has some pretty dark tint and he usually doesn't run into problems, but those are on the back windows. The fronts are lighter, so maybe that's why they hassle a two-door car. There's a place off of Hillcroft and Westheimer that did his windows and has done my father's cars. No tickets whatsoever.

My brother said that there's an Exxon off of Hwy.90 in Sugarland across from the Sugar Mill that's pretty lenient. They only do safety inspections, though.

Let me know if I can help.

--Bullitt

 

[77-4speed]

Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone for your posts!

I should clear a couple of things up:

1) they failed the vette because of no cats on visual inspection. I thought about picking up some junkyard cats as suggested. But it is such a pain and a real eye sore.

2) The expedition failed because the front window tint was too dark. Apparently you can spray paint all of the windows on your vehicle black except your windshield and your front windows.

Did you know: all vehicles are required to have fully functioning windshield wipers, but no vehicles are required to have windshields!!!!!

Sounds like I'll be making a trip outside of Houston for an inspection roundup.

Thanks again all.

Russ

 

[page62]

Tell us where you went to get your inspection -- so we can avoid it! Here's why:

1. Your Vette is TOTALLY exempt from emissions inspection! That includes visual inspection for cats, etc. Anyone that tells you otherwise should be reported to the DPS.

2. Any station that fails you based on window tint needs to get a life. But you should go on a road trip outside of Houston just to see how nice the rest of Texas can be!

 

[Her 92]

I agree, the Beaumont, Pt. Arthur area is super friendly.. I live about 15 miles north of Beaumont if you're ever in the area post to me and let me know when you're coming I'll make time to meet you if at all possible. I'll be in Houston June 3rd thru the 6th. My daughter will be attending Cheerleading Camp at Rice University. I'll be staying at a Holiday Inn Medical Center Suites about a mile away, on Main. I don't let her go to camp without me being close by. She's a flyer and there's to much of a chance of her getting hurt this early in the new cheerleading year.

 

[Tom73]

1. Your Vette is TOTALLY exempt from emissions inspection! That includes visual inspection for cats, etc. Anyone that tells you otherwise should be reported to the DPS.

I think we are talking about two different things here. Cars 2 to 24 years old must have the emissions test. All '68 and newer cars that came from the factory with emission equipment will have an emission inspection done as part of the safety inspection. Check it out here: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/ins...mdrop=Exhaust+Emission+System&rejectsubmit=Go

Also, there is another wierd law in Texas. "Texas law prohibits any person from selling, offering for sale, leasing, or offering to lease any vehicle not equipped with all emission control systems or devices in good operable condition. Violators are subject to penalties under the Texas Clean Air Act of up to $25,000 per violation. Buyers are advised to have the vehicle checked for all required emission control devices prior to purchasing a new or used vehicle." This from the TNRCC site at: http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/ms/tampering.html#tamp3

tom...

 

[page62]

Hmmm...sounds like time to take a trip out of the city!

BTW: According to that law, if I ever get nailed, the dealer who sold me the car might be liable for emissions retrofits...

 

[Hijinx]

Drive it to any outlying area around Houston and get a small shop to do the inspection. Never had a problem in Texas doin that. Anyhow, I wonder how any shop in Houston can even get by doing a test. The air down there is so thick from industry smoke, the test would never be valid!