I remember going to college in 68 the CHP would set up cones to block the road and direct cars into a tailpipe sniffer for emissions! In my owners manual I read that Shelby got the 427 cobra and the GT350 " exempt " from California emissions! There's an unrestored green 66 on BAT" that still has the passenger side lower windshield with its " exempt " sticker still!! I was fortunate enough to find the exempt " sticker still on my car when I bought it in 97 ! Does anybody else have one and was it just 1966 or was it later years as well ( the orange one found on my windshield and the blue is what you got after you were inspected)
Cool find... :)
Thanks for sharing.
I believe the red EXEMPT sticker was from 1974-ish, and was a result of needing to have an aftermarket NOX system (which basically retarded the sh*t out of the timing) installed or not.
AFAIK, CA did not have those red stickers in 1966.
I definitely do recall the CHP's pop-up vehicle safety and muffler check stations. I don't recall if they actually tested emissions or not, but they were on the look out for missing smog equipment and loud mufflers. Several times, I made a hasty u-turn in the middle of the block to avoid them.
Also interesting in the doc that cob4ra posted about Cobras and Shelbys being exempt must have had something to do with small-volume manufacturer regs, and certainly not because the cars were emissions clean.
CA didn't have many smog rules until the PCV requirement in 1966.
Quote from: Side-Oilers on July 12, 2019, 07:25:11 PM
I believe the red EXEMPT sticker was from 1974-ish, and was a result of needing to have an aftermarket NOX system (which basically retarded the sh*t out of the timing) installed or not.
AFAIK, CA did not have those red stickers in 1966.
I definitely do recall the CHP's pop-up vehicle safety and muffler check stations. I don't recall if they actually tested emissions or not, but they were on the look out for missing smog equipment and loud mufflers. Several times, I made a hasty u-turn in the middle of the block to avoid them.
I remember those as well. One time when I saw them up ahead I made a quick right turn on the street before and they had one set of there as well. Got pinched for missing retro smog equipment on my '57 Fairlane.
Those sneaky CHP guys!
A friend of mine who had a 427 Cobra, back in the day, got nailed by one of those stations for loud exhaust. The fix-it ticket needed a way to get fixed without having to actually change the exhaust system at all.
So, he went and got his girl friend's new-ish car and went back on a different day to the pop-up check station. The new car didn't have any trouble getting a passing sticker, so when he got home, he heated up and pulled off the sticker and put it on the windshield of his Cobra.
Somehow, that sticker worked its magic and some officer signed off on the ticket.
After that, the Cobra got waved past any CHP check station...so long as my friend had the clutch in and the revs down to an idle.
Yes they definitely had tailpipe devices that they stuck up into your tailpipes! How many 66 Shelby's have this " exempt sticker? And remember that these were not " passed emissions stickers " these were only for cars that were exempt " like the 427 cobra and GT350's ( both my 66 Shelby and this one on BAT " have this sticker "; so any 1974"cars have them that you know of ?? Curious!
I wasn't driving in 1968, so your memories of the CHP using sniffers is more accurate than my perception. Thanks for the clarification.
As far as I have been able to research, the CA Department of Consumer Affairs (the name shown on your red EXEMPT sticker) was formed in 1970. That's about the time I remember seeing those (blue not red) stickers on older cars. I'm not arguing that those blue or red NOX SYSTEM stickers weren't used as early as 1966, but I'd have to say they probably didn't have "Department of Consumer Affairs" printed on them.
Can't say for 100% certain that I recall any EXEMPT stickers in 1974. But I definitely remember on my car, and those of my friends in 1974, we had to put the stupid NOX devices on our cars, then we drove down and got a very similar PASSED official (blue) sticker on the windshield, and then went home and promptly removed the NOX device and reset the timing until next time.
I don't remember anyone owning a 66 Shelby at Mt. sac in walnut or cal poly Pomona : I'm wondering what the exempt cars had on them in 68-69 so they weren't pulled into the CHP cones other than whipping out their owners manual and showing them that first page? And if our GT350's both have them to show exempt doesn't that make sense?
And to think I was going to scrape this sticker off #1124! I guess you never know. Seems to be a hot topic here and on BAT. Maybe I'll have some new ones and slap it on 5S081! Lord knows I get pulled over enough for "modified exhaust," gotta love the communist republic of Ca!
Probably will be sold out in a few more hours due to this thread;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1970s-California-emissions-NOX-device-Exempt-Sticker-Muscle-Car-dual-quad/254292868859?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
My car was in Kalifornia from 1967-1992 so I grabbed one. He had 10 when I bought.
This is crazy stuff!! Man, I live in W. North Carolina and we never had any of this "sniffing" stuff going on until well into the late 90's/early 2000's IIRC.
My 67 has had one of those exempt stickers on the windshield since I bought it in 82...Fly in the ointment is it's not the original windshield(tinted at top) ,and I don't know when it was replaced.. :.My understanding was that for early Cali. Emissions testing that multi carb vehicles(like my 500 )were exempt...Had trouble with the BAR later and someone actually suggested that I take off my single 4 bbl and put the dual quads on it to get it exempt...(after they began visual checks)... ::)
Can't you just picture me and 6S1680 cruisin down PCH Hwy 1 and as I look over my Le Mans stripes smiling because of the amazing hood scoop and listening to my solid lifters singing one note because I just adjusted them and I catch a glance of some pretty bright orange cones up the road with black and white CHP dodge polaras parked and Standing CHP drill sergeant hatted guys waving everyone into their special lanes for the big sniff and inspection? But As I draw closer the CHP sees my sticker on my windshield smiles and waves me through with a big thumbs up !! another great day on PCH with my Shelby as I Catch a glance off at Catalina island 26 miles across the sea!! Thanks for my "Exempt sticker
That's a great story! Score one for us Shelby guys!
Man this side-oilers guy is hip and cool thanks man hope to see you at a stoplight on PCH ! 👍
The stickers were for NOX only and not issued as early as 68. You couldn't add the NOX kit to a car with a mechanical advance distributor. It restricted the vacuum line. I'm certain that the exempt letter in the front of the owners manual had to do with the first 66 GT350 being 1965 cars that did not have the thermactor air pumps. Once the letter was received they probably just ordered the 66 cars as 49 state cars without the CA required parts. Also air nozzles were in the exhaust manifolds not the heads on the early Mustangs and would have needed to be welded into the headers.
Quote from: cob4ra on July 13, 2019, 05:15:01 PM
Man this side-oilers guy is hip and cool thanks man hope to see you at a stoplight on PCH ! 👍
Thanks, and you too! Let's lay down some rubber in honor of no more CHP emissions check stations. I haven't seen one since the late 1970s, I don't think. CHP just does DUI checkpoints these days.
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on July 13, 2019, 06:42:11 PM
The stickers were for NOX only and not issued as early as 68. You couldn't add the NOX kit to a car with a mechanical advance distributor. It restricted the vacuum line. I'm certain that the exempt letter in the front of the owners manual had to do with the first 66 GT350 being 1965 cars that did not have the thermactor air pumps. Once the letter was received they probably just ordered the 66 cars as 49 state cars without the CA required parts. Also air nozzles were in the exhaust manifolds not the heads on the early Mustangs and would have needed to be welded into the headers.
Makes sense. And yes, on the NOX system needing a vacuum distributor. It reduced/prevented vacuum advance, and also required retarding the initial timing settings, so emissions were a slight bit better, but at great expense of driveability and performance.
There was even a little sticker from the NOX device maker that said something to the effect of "Do not exceed 60 mph in this vehicle." Now there's some fun times.
Everyone I knew took all the NOX crap off as soon as they were around the corner from the inspection station and had their blue sticker.
My experience was only from 1974-newer, because '74 was when I got my first car.
The original stickers were short lived and often were used on 49 state vehicles being resold as used cars coming into the state. In the following decades there were cars that were not legal to be licensed in the state while others had to have a certain number of miles before they could be reregistered as used cars in the state.
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on July 13, 2019, 06:42:11 PM
The stickers were for NOX only and not issued as early as 68. You couldn't add the NOX kit to a car with a mechanical advance distributor. It restricted the vacuum line.
In practice many of us owners did use the NOX or $15 CarKit that one supplier provided to do just that. I installed a vacuum advance distributor and a close air cleaner to a 67 GT350 during one period since it was a better option than refitting (drilling) a valve into the nice COBRA intake.
The requirements, work arounds and requirements were changing all the time. If you could keep from going to a referee by doing some things it was often a better choice especially IMHO since the information on Fords BAR was often incorrect and misinterpreted overt and over
Even today systems are required thought they are not check or tested in an annual program. Do have my share of related manuals (for emission systems), training material and other books from Ford and the state. Use to get calls from owners on a fairly regular basis when they had issues and wanted to fallow the letter of the law and the state could use some help.
Fond memories of watching The Price is Right
Every time they gave away a car Rod Roddy listed the options finishing up with California Emissions
After all this fantastic info on my awesome " exempt " sticker; I went out to my Shelby and we had a wonderful moment ; and the Exempt sticker just took a bow and smiled at me ! Because it knew how historic it is and a compliment to it's California history of a bygone era never to be again!
Speaking of cruising PCH without a sticker on my 65 #81 when I pass a motorcycle cop on my way to cars and coffee. I let off the gas to quiet down the Webber's and I pass him right at the speed limit. I look up in the rear view and here he comes! Damn, he saw that I didn't have the EXEMPT sticker! Luckily I got off with a warning and a "cool car, I've got a red 66 and I'm on SAAC boards too!" Gotta
Love this community!
Let's all hope the world is ending environmentalists that run the sunshine state don't decide to rid the state of all those nasty old polluting cars in an effort to save the planet. California is already refusing to register 1991 and older heavy duty, F450 and above diesel trucks unless they are retrofitted with diesel pollution controls. They will stop sending out registration renewals for those vehicles starting in 2020.
So far we are lucky here, no bi annual inspections anymore prior to 1976, however all motor vehicles 1955 and up are still subject to the emissions laws that are in place and if a modification is found you could still be directed to the Bureau of Automotive Repair and told to make the vehicle compliant. Can't wait to get to northern Arizona.
Quote from: sfm5s081 on July 15, 2019, 12:11:26 AM
Speaking of cruising PCH without a sticker on my 65 #81 when I pass a motorcycle cop on my way to cars and coffee. I let off the gas to quiet down the Webber's and I pass him right at the speed limit. I look up in the rear view and here he comes! Damn, he saw that I didn't have the EXEMPT sticker! Luckily I got off with a warning and a "cool car, I've got a red 66 and I'm on SAAC boards too!" Gotta
Love this community!
Was this recently? I am surprised that a CA police officer would even know (or care) about an exempt sticker on a car that old.
Or was it pchmotoho and he truly did just want to look at your car?
Hope SEMA is tracking this issue.
Quote from: Side-Oilers on July 15, 2019, 12:57:18 PM
Quote from: sfm5s081 on July 15, 2019, 12:11:26 AM
Speaking of cruising PCH without a sticker on my 65 #81 when I pass a motorcycle cop on my way to cars and coffee. I let off the gas to quiet down the Webber's and I pass him right at the speed limit. I look up in the rear view and here he comes! Damn, he saw that I didn't have the EXEMPT sticker! Luckily I got off with a warning and a "cool car, I've got a red 66 and I'm on SAAC boards too!" Gotta
Love this community!
Was this recently? I am surprised that a CA police officer would even know (or care) about an exempt sticker on a car that old.
Or was it pchmotoho and he truly did just want to look at your car?
I was joking about the sticker! But it seemed appropriate. The officer is on the board and a fantastic member of the community. He wanted to check out the car and we chatted about them. We were actually supposed to caravan to the last SAAC at Sanoma, but I chickened out. Yes, he drove his car all the way up and back!
My Exempt sticker said that it met officer 👮 Poncherello and Jon on their KZ1000's on Whittier blvd on a Saturday cruise night! It got the glance and nod from them only and they lit up a 67 GT500 without one! Wondering what happened?