So I drug the MR2 out last week..

[wolf_walker]

I would strongly consider doing just that if I had more capitol and/or a place to put em.

I have resources for transporting cars(but it still isn't cheap), and wouldn't be above getting a truck and
trailer for it if it was a viable biz.  There are some really, really killer deals on
niche market cars out here.  Cheap stuff that regular folks want. 
Pretty much every forum you see the "man if that was
on the east coast" and "no rust!" comments.  Stuff does rust here, and the sun beats it up,
but it's not nearly as bad as back east, especially NE.

240D's are a dime a dozen here, boatloads of 80's Euro sports cars, Alfa's, Triumphs,
Fiats, etc.  It goes on and on, and the domestic cars that aren't rusted, boy.
Hell I think just buying stuff that failed smog might be worth something, move em
out of state.

I'm firmly of the opinion that CA has a long term agenda designed to remove old
cars from use here.  Between the smog and reg fee's and un-reg non-op BS and
the offering to buy cars that fail smog (and trash em), it's all perfectly geared to
get everyone in newer BS cars.  I see a lot of pre-smog stuff here on the road, classics
and such, and a lot of new stuff, but not a lot of in between (80's).  Not hard to see why.
Near as I can tell it's going to cost $1500 to register and smog the MR2 here.  Wouldn't be worth it
if it wasn't a SC car.  NA's are all over in nice shape for $2500ish.

[rs899]

It's one thing to put your own capital at risk and another to become a consultant and provide clients with a honcho service.  You may not be able to make a killing that way, but still could be enjoyable and lucrative....

[nwcali6]

A Yugo was little more than a Fiat re-badged... I'm no FIAT fan either.  The X1/9 did crash really well due to some quirky laws that never made it on the books (but FIAT did make the car to pass those laws) but the added weight and crap engine killed its performance.

  The Fiero 2.5 had a different head setup than the S-10's..I have one in a Jeep (Fiero) that I bought (already in it).  Its way better than the POS 2.8.. Mine has a 2 barrel, mallory ignition, and headers, so its probably putting out 110 HP (about as much as you'd want to get out of it).  Given the gears of that Jeep (5.38) its way more motor than the RPM range/speed can handle.  What would really be nice is a SD4 engine in a Fiero (my valve cover says SD4 as does the intake.  SD4's put out over 200 HP (some way more) from the same design (2.5 liter GM). 

  I would prefer the MR2 over both... Better yet the next Generation MR2 supercharged. 

  Why VW hasn't sold a little spyder with a TDI in it is beyond me.. I bet done right it could get 60+ mpg...and low 0-60 times...maybe because they don't want to ruin Porsche's market with a fast and cheap VW?

[mystery3]

I really want my AAZ in a Scirocco, and was told it is possible to arrange an inspection
and have a title re-classed as a diesel somehow, but I'm sure it isn't cheap.

That sucks..  I just re titled a Jetta from gas to diesel, and it was a free form online sent to my governments emissions department. Done.

We could retitle a mkI or II jetta easily enough so long as all the emissions related bits were in place and functioning, but those were offered in both gas and diesel formats. The difficulties arise when trying to swap engines into cars that the cars never had them from the factory ie: diesel scirocco builds, late 2002 1.6td swaps etc. The pre-smog models are always more expensive and usually have better looking bumpers.

There are a couple of tdi and aaz powered corrados here in California but I think there were many hoops through which the owners had to jump.

[bajacalal]

I really want my AAZ in a Scirocco, and was told it is possible to arrange an inspection
and have a title re-classed as a diesel somehow, but I'm sure it isn't cheap.

That sucks..  I just re titled a Jetta from gas to diesel, and it was a free form online sent to my governments emissions department. Done.

We could retitle a mkI or II jetta easily enough so long as all the emissions related bits were in place and functioning, but those were offered in both gas and diesel formats. The difficulties arise when trying to swap engines into cars that the cars never had them from the factory ie: diesel scirocco builds, late 2002 1.6td swaps etc. The pre-smog models are always more expensive and usually have better looking bumpers.

There are a couple of tdi and aaz powered corrados here in California but I think there were many hoops through which the owners had to jump.

There is nothing particularly illegal or even difficult about doing that in CA. The basic requirements are... the engine is supposed to be newer than the car, the engine is supposed to have the emissions equipment specific to that engine installed, the engine must be from the same "type" of vehicle (meaning you can't use an L8000 dump truck engine but anything under 1/2 ton pickups is the same class) and must be EPA approved for highway use. This last part, I think legally precludes the use of AAZ engines because they were not sold here. Additionally, you can't put a 3 cylinder Kubota engine out of a small skid loader, it was an "offroad" engine. These are all federal laws, by the way, and apply to the entire U.S., but California just happens to be among few places that bother to enforce them. But a 1.6 TD from a 1984 Jetta in a 1982 Scirocco meets all these requirements and would be acceptable.

I've done it and it was relatively painless. Your results may vary.

From what I've been told, at the DMV, any DMV employee can access the screen in their Reagan era computer system that changes the motive power for the vehicle. Finding one, who knows how and will do it, is the largest hurdle, and somebody is supposed to look at the car and fill out a "Verification of Vehicle" form and make sure everything is ok.  In practice, I have not heard of any of them trying to verify compliance with the above, and I think it's an issue that comes up more with people doing gas v8 swaps and such where the information on the emissions sticker no longer matches what's found in the car, and the car is still subject to smog checks, in which case they refer you elsewhere.. I would volunteer as little information as possible, and I wouldn't attempt it in the bay area (maybe try Siskiyou county), but I don't think an AAZ or an m-tdi would throw up any red flags, VW engines all mostly look the same, as long as you don't open your mouth and say it's anything more than a diesel engine from a similar car as this one.

[wolf_walker]

I'm mostly just spoiled, in NC if it's older than 95 nobody cares.
In OK, pretty much nobody cares.

One of the reasons I deal with old cars is I don't have to bother with many clerical expenses or hassles.
This is less true here apparently.
This non-op crap is another good example of cali-brand BS.
As is the lack of safety inspections among all the assorted bloated fees and emissions
checks. 

[vanbcguy]

Up here we have AirCare, though that is on its way out.  AirCare seems to be really hard for a 1985 Honda to pass but reasonably easy for a 1967 Dodge, at least in my experience.  The testing is relative to the year of the vehicle so older cars are easier to get through, generally speaking.  Over the past decade or so I guess they decided that too many klunkers were passing and they tightened up the standards but a reasonably well running vehicle will pass ok. For a non-computer vehicle the hardest part seems to be the idle test - if the idle is at all unstable it generally isn't going to pass.

On the diesel side though it's trivially easy.  If you manage to fail a pre-ODBII diesel then you deserve to fail.  The test is just an opacity test - they go through a driving course on a dyno which includes some full throttle acceleration, you have to have less than 30% opacity across the test.  No cat check or anything like that.  Actually 1995 is the last year for non-ODBII so you can see why I'm keeping a 1994 body with Jezebel.  M-TDI (or any non-computer engine) isn't an option 1996 and later.

ODBII vehicles just get plugged in and checked for codes.  Since ODBII has been around for so long now though (and ODBII cars will go in to limp mode if they're failing their own internal checks bad enough) our emissions program is being scrapped at the end of next year.  Basically nothing fails anymore - someone finally realized that there were more emissions being generated by cars idling in the lineup to be tested than from vehicles that were actually failing.

One thing I will say though - you see LOTS of brand new tailpipes and mufflers on otherwise total beater vehicles around here!!

[wolf_walker]

My buddies back east are stuffing TDI's in early 00 GTI's and OM617's in Jeeps and 4BT's in Suburbans. I'm jealous.

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[mystery3]

My buddies back east are stuffing TDI's in early 00 GTI's and OM617's in Jeeps and 4BT's in Suburbans. I'm jealous.

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Considered moving?

[wolf_walker]

Just moved here last year. Not my idea, good schools for the Wife though so I'm stuck.

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[mystery3]

According to bajacalal getting a swap "bar'd" isn't too difficult. I might have to do some research on the necessary hoops and look for a mkI rocco shell and some stock bits to revert my engine to stock appearance.

I was just being an ass, I've not spent enough time in the SLO area but from what I've seen it's a nice part of the country for sure.

[wolf_walker]

Its a pretty place here, mild weather, happy people.

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[fdnyguy]

I would strongly consider doing just that if I had more capitol and/or a place to put em.

I have resources for transporting cars(but it still isn't cheap), and wouldn't be above getting a truck and
trailer for it if it was a viable biz.  There are some really, really killer deals on
niche market cars out here.  Cheap stuff that regular folks want. 
Pretty much every forum you see the "man if that was
on the east coast" and "no rust!" comments.  Stuff does rust here, and the sun beats it up,
but it's not nearly as bad as back east, especially NE.

240D's are a dime a dozen here, boatloads of 80's Euro sports cars, Alfa's, Triumphs,
Fiats, etc.  It goes on and on, and the domestic cars that aren't rusted, boy.
Hell I think just buying stuff that failed smog might be worth something, move em
out of state.

I'm firmly of the opinion that CA has a long term agenda designed to remove old
cars from use here.  Between the smog and reg fee's and un-reg non-op BS and
the offering to buy cars that fail smog (and trash em), it's all perfectly geared to
get everyone in newer BS cars.  I see a lot of pre-smog stuff here on the road, classics
and such, and a lot of new stuff, but not a lot of in between (80's).  Not hard to see why.
Near as I can tell it's going to cost $1500 to register and smog the MR2 here.  Wouldn't be worth it
if it wasn't a SC car.  NA's are all over in nice shape for $2500ish.

NY is nowhere near the $1500 price. Get a PO Box in Nevada, and register ur cars there. You might get ur balls broken for keeping an out of state car @ your residence. Come to Brooklyn. We have so many visitors from PA, NC, SC, VA that coincidentally park their Caddys, BMW's, Cayennes and other pricey carts and SUV's on the streets and in the project parking lots. And I wonder how many are illegal to boot.  NY isnt far behind CA in raping the average taxpayer. So do what ya gotta do . Good Luck.

Stay safe, stay well. Jimmy.

[homerj1]

Any thoughts of  putting a 1.6td or aaz in a mr2?

[wolf_walker]

Lots, or a fiero, which has been done. But it's the wife's car, so...

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