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California Smog Nazi's

1K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  CJ 
#1 ·
Hey I need some help. I am stationed overseas and my 81 CJ-7 needs to be smoged againin California. I usually live near Modesto (central valley). It has a 401 in it and I know its illegal as all hell. In the past I used to get it done illegally but being over here I dont have the resorces to find someone. My question is what do I do. Do I put the smog crap on. In which I really dont mind but I'm just not sure what a 1981 304 needs(the jeep had a 6 cyl when I got it) or do I try and find a pre 73 title off a cj-5. I did this with my Chevy truck and all I had to do was un pop riviot the vin numbers off the cab and swithc them. Is a jeep this easy and can I get away with a funny looking long CJ-5.
What do you all think.
 
#3 ·
Yea I can pass it as a 304. All AMC look the same. I know I will have to put on a smog pump (but Im going to hate drilling into my Doug Thorleys), cady converters, closed air cleaner and stock carb and ofcourse the points distrib. But what else. How much vacume lines did the V8's have in 81 I know the chevys were full of those fawking lines
 
#4 ·
that sucks. Can you get some manifolds off a junker? I just did manifolds to headers to manifolds on my '89 firebird this summer because the exaust system got damaged and I didn't want to deal with that car anymore. You could try taking another jeep with the factory 304 stuff that has smog in and maybe put your licensce plate on it and vin stuff?
 
#5 ·
It would be easier to go with a pre-smog pink,or put a non-op on it till you get back to the states.Waggoneers in 81 had 360's but they are loaded with computers vaccum lines etc.ect. . Even if you put all the smog crap on it you would still need to go thru a Referee to get it legal.
 
#7 ·
He would still have to go to the Nazi ref's. Any engine change has to. They will run the VIN off the back of the block and know it's a 360 and not a 304. I am currently going through this with my YJ.
 
#8 ·
I'm also in the military. If you are going to be active duty in CA, you can designate a 'home of referance' and register your Jeep there. I'm stationed in Monterey CA, but my Jeep is registered in New Hampshire. No problems (and no state income tax).

If you're looking for parts, I have a complete smog legal 360 I'll sell you (carb, air pump, manifolds...). The biggest problem you'll have is that the CJs didn't offer a V8 in '81 so you're pretty much screwed.
 
#10 ·
newt said:
I'm also in the military. If you are going to be active duty in CA, you can designate a 'home of referance' and register your Jeep there. I'm stationed in Monterey CA, but my Jeep is registered in New Hampshire. No problems (and no state income tax).

If you're looking for parts, I have a complete smog legal 360 I'll sell you (carb, air pump, manifolds...). The biggest problem you'll have is that the CJs didn't offer a V8 in '81 so you're pretty much screwed.
newt, I believe you're incorrect. Jeep offered the 304 V8 through
1981 in CJ's. He could pass off a 401 V8 as a 304 V8 at a regular
smog check since they don't look at the casting #'s on the block.
Look here for more info.......http://www.jeeptech.com/engine/amc304.html
 
#14 · (Edited)
newt said:
I could have sworn '80 was the last year the CJs had a V8, but I may be wrong. I thought the wagoneer was in a different class due to GVW (or something like that) and therefore you couldn't legally swap in its engine. Does anyone actually know for sure?

newt, the idea about a wagoneer being in a different wieght
class gets me to thinking.:eek: I have always been told that
a "CJ" was considered a passenger vehicle and that to be smog
legal you could swap in any motor/trans combo from a passenger
vehicle of the same year or newer. Supposedly included in the
"passenger vehicle" category are pickup trucks, 1/2 ton and below.
I would be interested to know if this is in fact true.

Edit: Ooops, forgot to say, I think wagoneers are considered to
be 1/2 ton.
 
#15 ·
Do you have a friend with a 76 to 81 CJ? If so the smog is the same on those years. You can swap the vin numbers and plates, and call it yours.
After 81 the smog changed and it would be harder to pass off as yours.
Or do what I just did and put all the crap back on.
 
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