Quick summary: Californians can get $900 towards repairing your car to meet smog using the Bureau of Automotive Repair Consumer Assistance Program. Posting it here, as we First Gens deal with carbs and rats nests. Will also post to the Californian / West Coast forum.

Just went through the process myself, and it worked. Thought it may help others struggling financially to get a car through smog by posting a summary of what's involved.

- There is a household income cut off. Total income of everyone in your house needs to be below the amounts shown in the chart below. The state may check, so base it on last year's tax return. It's simple income, not savings or assets.
- The car must be currently registered, not salvaged or being transferred, and in the same name as the person applying for assistance.
- The car must have failed it's bi-annual smog check.
- The car must be able to pass the smog requirement for all smog control items such as rats nest, air pump and original spec carb to be in place. (I removed some modifications for the duration of the smog work)
- Application is online at https://www.bar.ca.gov/caponline/
- Response to your application is fast, right around one week.
- Repair and smog testing need to be carried out at the same STAR certified service center. There is a searchable map of STAR service centers on the website linked below.
- Book an appointment with the service center, and they will provide an estimate for repair work, and send that estimate to your state for go ahead. Again this was fast, under a week.
- The state will pay the service center the $900 directly, you pay any additional costs above that amount. Even with the assistance, your cut can be large... I had to add $1200 of my own money as both cats needed to be replaced.
- I dont know what happens if your car does not pass smog after the repairs as mine passed.

More info here. https://www.bar.ca.gov/consumer/cons...stance-program

Let me know if any questions.

 

That’s great to see!

Can a car that came with 2 cats but only has one, but passes the output test, pass smog?

 

Here in CA the inspector has a list of things that they should check are present and functioning in addition to the sniff test. I watched my guy do the test, he did not even look under the car but still ticked the ‘catalytic converter’ box. I just checked the paperwork and the test checklist says converter singular not converters plural… so maybe a tester may not even know there should be two? But as always, your experience may vary.

 

they are supposed to count them during the visual check, but they don't always. so technically it would fail, but in real life its kind of 50/50
it seems to help if the cats look original, that is usually good enough.