Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 01:01:29 -0400
Reply-To: Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Subject: Re: John Wessels Glori's Import offering Zetec & Subie engine
conversions
In-Reply-To: <DC930B8B-A8A6-4121-9EF5-E82493D5020D@vickersdesign.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
No, unfortunately it's not possible to obtain an EO for swaps from
anything 96(OBDII) and newer simply because the CARB refuses to look
at it(a soft policy decision it seems). The zone III loophole and
potentially a case by case BAR sticker(we're working on an attempt)
are the only options in CA that aren't illegal outright, and things
are getting much worse for CA folks faster by the minute. Not only did
they roll out the LPFET(Low pressure Fuel Evaporative Test) and not
grandfather anything, they are quickly approaching new legislation
that is looking more an more like Japanese and German efforts to
legally force fleet overturn(which they really need in CA), but the
problem is even people that are trying to help are going to get caught
in the wave and pressed out. It'll be exceedingly difficult to own a
vanagon in coming years I would imagine.
The new legislation for catalytic converters just went into effect in
July making it impossible to buy a used certified catalytic
converter(which can be read big OEM bucks if you need a new cat, esp
since no aftermarket SULEV cats have gotten CARB certification either
which will start to matter for early 00 vehicles getting older), and
they dumped all CAP(consumer assistance program) funding repair
assistance, if it's done and you can't spring for it, you're done and
you have to buy another car which presumably you can't since you can't
afford to repair the old one. Jan 1, 2010 the new diesel emissions
testing for GVWR<12,000lbs starts as well, so if you have pie in the
sky dreams of a newer TDI in your vanagon that won't be able to happen
anymore either since there is no way you're going to be able to
maintain the full emissions system in a vanagon conversion with the
tdi. I always thought it was completely backwards that the diesel
conversions(which tend to be gross polluters by gas standards) were a
loophole, and you could convert to diesel from gas and not need a smog
check.. especially where they are so utterly consumed with particulate
emissions now.... but that's been taken care of and will stop in just
over a year.
Slowly and surely they are sewing up the loopholes, and getting more
cutthroat in their aim to remove old cars from the road... I can see
where they are coming from since the percent of cars over 100k miles
registered in CA jumped from 17% to 41% in only five years(95-00) and
caused a nice push for the legislation that is coming on-line today...
it is a perfect storm of popular cause, misinformation, doing the
right thing, and not caring(odd combo but it's working)... but
unfortunately as they try to reach the big goal, folks like us are
going to get crushed in the melee. It makes no difference that the
conversion is demonstrably WAY cleaner than not only the original
engine, but also the ej22 conversion which IS still legal. It also
makes no difference that we can make a light truck(vanagon) into an
SULEV in two days... they don't want a clean vanagon, they want a
clean new car. A clean vanagon doesn't put any money into the pockets
of the people they need help and understanding from(the car companies
and EPA, which is effectively the car companies again) to pass the
most aggressive mobile source emissions legislation in the world. They
are doing the right thing, and doing it for the right reasons, but it
still ticks me off since there is zero room to account for any scope
other than the fleet itself it seems. I would think there will be a
backlash at some point, but there seems to be no slowdown, and things
are picking up speed in the other direction still. I'm glad I don't
live in CA, I would feel ignored and betrayed while torn since it is
actually the right approach given the circumstances. We'll see what
happens when we get to a BAR ref when the time comes, but even then
there will never be a guarantee for the next guy... and it'll add
about $1500 to the cost of conversion. I still haven't given up, and
we will eventually find a solution that works for die-hard owners, but
not many will likely be left around by then it would seem.
*sigh*
Jim Akiba
On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 7:34 PM, Jeffrey Vickers <jeff@vickersdesign.com> wrote:
> Did Zetec get a a CA CARB exemption?
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
> On Sep 3, 2008, at 3:50 PM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
>
>> Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:45:42 -0700
>> From: Dave Mari <vw4x41987@YAHOO.COM>
>> Subject: John Wessels Glori's Import offering Zetec & Subie engine
>> conversions
>>
>> John Wessels Glori's Import shop is now offering Zetec & Subie
>> engine conve=
>> rsions, see below:)
>> =A0
>>
>>
>> --- On Wed, 9/3/08, euromog@aol.com <euromog@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> From: euromog@aol.com <euromog@aol.com>
>> Subject: [syncro.org] Now offering engine conversions
>> To: Syncro@yahoogroups.com, syncrolist@yahoogroups.com
>> Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 3:34 PM
>
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