My name is Joey, and I am thinking about buying a car with no engine, I live in California, and am required to smog my vehicle to register. I read your story of the guy with the Mazda Miata, and the used engines from Japan, and was wondering if you knew how much hassle if any? it would be to get one of those engines to pass a California vehicle emissions test?
Joey
Hey There Joey,
I hear the laws in CA are pretty tough on smog, and I have no personal experience with that so I would not be the best one to ask. I can tell you that the reason those “take out” engines are being sold in the US is because they were deemed “polluters” in Japan and their government wanted to get those engines off the road.
I live in Texas and we have installed many of those engines and I have never had a problem with them not passing the Texas smog check system. I would bet there is some kind of smog item that is missing on these engines that is required in California.
Blessings,
Austin Davis