I picked up a spare 12a. Guy said it just got harder and harder to start. I can see the apex seals look okay, at least through the exhaust ports.

Now do I rebuild to stock and have a back up motor or build It to Brap? I live in California do one needs to pass smog, the one in the car runs good. With parts harder abc harder to find, what would you do???

 

It will not pass smog even in your dreams.

 

I always hear about the stringent smog laws in CA, but what are they exactly. In the more populated counties of PA (where I live) everything 1974 and newer gets a visual inspection and you're supposed to have your CAT, smog pump etc if originally equipped. But only cars 25 years or newer get a sniffer check, so if your car is 26 yo (like a 1993 FD) you could have high flow or hogged out CAT and any tune or jetting mods you want and they wouldn't mind. Because they didn't smog it - only looked for a CAT,... if that even.

My '85 is registered and tagged as a "Classic" and isn't subject to any emissions, only the safety checks (Brakes, Lights, Wipers, Seat Belts, etc etc). I could legally put any motor or engine mods under the hood that I like, as long as it's safe to drive. When I got it inspected this year I had RB intake w/Holley, RB header (no more CATs), and air pump / rats nest removed.

I'd think you either restore your RX and enjoy it as Mazda delivered it, or build a track car and enjoy it for all it has to give. I get the impression you can't hot rod in California, which is weird because I think of CA as surfers and hot rods.

 

how much time do you have? California has an extremely unfair system. the emissions standard you meet is done by county. some counties have no emissions checks at all for anything.

the counties that do checks check everything 1976 model year and newer. 1976-1994 cars, in the lower level counties they do a stationary idle and 2500rpm sniffer test (which is really hard actually), and in higher level counties they do a 15mph and 25mph dyno sniffer test (which is really easy). they test the gas cap, and then they do a simple evap test. 1995-up cars get plugged into the computer and it looks for codes, and optionally get a dyno sniffer test too. to tighter standards than most cars had when they were new...

all of this is ok, but then there is the visual.

they always check the timing, and then they check the presence of every piece of emissions equipment, and if needed the function as well. they have a book that lists everything, and then they have ID numbers too, so we can't just replace a cat, it needs to have the correct number on it. if they test something, and it fails you must replace it, with the certified part, if the certified part is not available (86-88 EGR valves), they have a guy who "rebuilds" them for $$$$ and you have no choice except to buy from him

and when you add the whole thing up it gets onerous (plus its $50 every two years)

the Rx7's are pretty nice to smog actually, they run really clean, and if i have one that fails its been O2 sensors, or the EGR valve or gas cap, something stupid.

 

Right... if I can get my good running motor to pass, then I can build the second motor with a port job and no emissions with a different carb, and just replace the entire motor every other year.

Or or have a second backup stock built motor since parts are harder to come by

which option you think

 

?!?!? F that, just move up to Oregon.

 

It's either engine swaps, or move states.... that's where I'm at.

 

i know people that have done the engine swap thing, it is a LOT of work. you are better off with something that is legal like an FC engine or something

 

https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/19370415.html

There ya go... CA legal engine swaps

 

Haha...perfect! Ls3 swap time

 

One thing to note as well.

I believe they're debating a bill in CA that will change the exemption laws from before 76 to before 81. Not sure how the progress is going but I know it's on the table as of a few months ago.

 

Seems like a political football. I remember when it was '66. Then '75. Then I think it was '81 for a while before back to '75.

What y'all need is to salt the fark out of the roads so that cars rust out before they are ten years old. That way the majority of cars on the road are new, and the only people who have old cars are enthusiasts who drive them so rarely that they don't matter.

(Note: Please don't do this. We need your failed emissions but still rust free cars in order to survive)

 

I can drive a flame throwing jet ski on the street here in Florida if I so chose to.

Move... We have beaches too!

 

You have 90% humidity on a good day 2-3 months a year and hurricanes... hard pass on that! :p

 

Not to mention land so flat that Kansas looks mountainous in comparison, and it never snows there (although it didn't snow here last winter either, but it was fun going drag racing on New Year's in subzero temps), and I've seen the kind of people who retire to Florida, I'm happy to not have to live around them.

Plus we have lots of beach here, too. Canada's on the other side of the puddle. And no worries about the water table getting sucked dry and getting refilled by ocean water, farking up the environment.

 

Florida has 3 kinds of people -
* Meth heads
* Old people waiting to die
* Tourists
In that order.

 

Well, they aren't all that bad, but some of the biologicals they have in the swamps is the sort of thing we make Australia memes over.

 

To port or no port that was the question?!?

Now im packing up the family in a Breaking Bad drug wagon and moving to the swamps. I’m not one for humidity or salt, plus the wife can’t handle any bug bigger than a fly..... so California it is.

 

I am Florida man. Be warned!