25 Aug 97 08:49, Puleeeeze Brer Don Guy, Dooooon't trow emmisions in dat der 
Briar Patch!
 DG> Greetings Roy!
 DG>
 DG> A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Roy Witt wrote to Don
 DG> Guy:
 #RW#>> They did that here at first.  Whenever a vehicle was sold as
 #RW#>> used, it had to be retro-fitted to pass the current smog certs.
 #RW#>> My 1970 Firebird had a do-dad on it to shut off the vacuum
 #RW#>> advance and the ignition was retarded to 0ø crankshaft.
 DG>
 DG> Argh. Just what did the do-dad do, shut off the advance permanently,
 DG> or only under particular conditions?
Gee, that's been a long time ago.  I'm trying to remember, but all I can 
remember about it was a warning tag on the speedometer that said something to 
the effect that if you didn't drive it right, you could damage the engine.
 #RW#>> I removed it and went to a smog station. The guy told me he
 #RW#>> couldn't test it, since it wasn't retro-fitted with that gadget.
 #RW#>> I told him I was the original owner, then he agreed to test it.
 DG>
 DG> What I'm worried about, is if I'll ever be required to put catalytic
 DG> convertors on the '68 Mustang that I'm going to dust off and start
 DG> restoring next spring. I haven't looked closely, but I don't think
 DG> there's much room under there for one of those things...
I doubt it.  Although the CARB has started a retro-fit to 75-81 cars. Those 
were, if you recall, the cars with all the smog devices that didnt' work 
well.  They've come up with a small computer, some sensors (oxygen, etc) and 
a new catylitic converter to help these cars pass the smog tests.
So far, it's free to the first 1200 cars that qualify.
A friend of mine had his 75 Camaro, 350/350 done.  It seems to run smoother 
and he says it gets better milage.  Course they made him do a tuneup first 
(plugs and wires)...that may have helped the milage.
 #RW#>> Well, there's no smog on the moon...yet.
 DG>
 DG> ...and no atmosphere. :(
Bottled propane, oxygen and an old clunker could change that.
... Three out of four people make up 75% of the population.
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