1. In Texas when you take your car in for inspection their computer dials in via modem (yes it's '80s technology) to a server in Austin. Anywhere you take your car, they will be able to see your test history.

2. Texas has a multi-level emission program, with emission standards based on the county your car is registered in. Harris County is one of the counties with tighter emission standards. Driving to a neighboring county with less restrictive emission standards to get your car tested won't work (see #1)

3. Texas recently cracked down on pay-to-play emission test fakes and fake stickers. A station caught faking a test loses it's accreditation and can't do inspections any more.

4. How did you ever afford this car in the first place?

 

It depends who buys it, if someone from Florida buys it there is no emissions testing. Hell here I could do whatever I want to a car and the state doesn't care. Also someone in your state could buy it as a track car and never have to worry about it.

Just a little info from the texas DMV website, much like Cali was.

"If your car fails the emissions test, you will need to get the problem diagnosed and fixed at your expense. The inspection facility may advise you on this, but their word is not final. Instead, you will be provided with a list of recognized emissions repair facilities.

You do not have to use only these repair shops. But―and this is important―if you do use a recognized emissions repair facility, then all costs of labor and parts will be counted toward the total you are required to spend to fix the problem before a waiver may be issued.

If you can't get your car to pass the inspection, you may be able to have the inspection waived if the repair costs get too high. If you do the repairs yourself, or use a shop that's not among those recognized by the state for emissions repairs, the money you spend will not be counted toward your total. This could amount to hundreds of dollars."

 

At the time, 18 years ago, our household income from two very good stable jobs was around $200K and we didn't yet have kids. We also had excellent credit at the time. My, how things have changed.... :-(

My wife still has a good job and her income pays for our home mortgage payment, monthly living expenses and not much more. My part time jobs income of around $180 a week pay for everything else including car repairs, gas, and incidentals for the kids. We seem to be living our economic lives in reverse over our almost 30 years of marriage. We quickly worked our way to a good life and then over the past 4 years have seen it all go to heck along with the economy.

 

I'll just reiterate whats already been said: You need to sell your car. With the amount of money you're able to set aside for upkeep and repairs you're going to ruin it, might as well get out while you can at least sell a running vehicle.

Unfortunately you've already stated that you're not going to sell the car, so good luck.

 

Any relative live in other states? My 96 MX-6 won't pass emission in IL because I removed all emission related part and turbocharged it. I went to school in IN and I had the car register under my apartment address so I don't have to deal with emission bullcrap, and I told the DMV to use my IL mailing address so I still get all the renewal letter. I graduated 3 years ago and my car is still register under that same address, and I'm able to renew it every year.

Either that or get a cheap beater, I paid $1,000 for my 94 MX-6 with 145k on the clock 3 years ago, it now has 196k and is still running strong, still gets 32mpg. I've seen MX-6 in better condition with less mileage than mine go for $700-$800. But again, any other car you get you gonna have to deal with inspection, so that's another risk, I know for sure none of my car will pass emission except the new Mazda3. If you gonna sell the car sell it quick, wait a year or two it's gonna worth nothing, it's a car so it's not going to hold the value.

 

quit fooling yourself that it can be a quick fix, it won't be without spending at least a few bills. but to me it sounds like you won't let it go, no matter what i or anyone else sais.

you don't have to spend $4k on a used car, this is an economic low and with that comes cheap cars. of course they may need work but even a $1k honda that may need $1k in work a little down the road will be a running, smogged, legal car that will leave you with money to spare to fix it later on.

 

If your household income is 200k 18 years ago and you still have a mortgage payment now you either have a million dollar house or somethings wrong with your financial management.

 

I'm not sure why everyone is still on this guys nuts about his finances. It's been covered and i doubt he's going to take the advice.

 

Thing is.... nothing needs fixing except that little piece of sticky paper on my windshield.
I have a perfectly good and running car right now without spending another dime. The only problem with this car are the liberal green freak regulations passed by bought and paid for legislators who only care about their far left elitist buddies without regard or consideration for the common folk who just might need to continue driving older cars that they know cannot pass the silly knee-jerk reactionary Gore-ish regulations they instituted.(that might have just set the compound sentence without punctuation record for this forum?)

I know my car's driving and maintenance history and would need to get something costing $6k to get something of this equal in someone elses old unknown problems. Still, just for the heck of it, I contacted a salesman friend and he said used car prices are through the roof due to the economy and folks like me needing a cheap car. They don't even have a car under $5500 on their lot for sale and this is the highest volume Ford Dealer in the region for the last 12 years.

Update: Coolant leak turned out to be a loose hose clamp on the bottom of the AST that I recently installed. I guess that when the system got hot and pressurized, coolant was leaking out of the bottom of the new AST. We rearranged and tightened the clamp and leak is now gone. Of course, it was this rookie who replaced the AST so no wonder... :-D

We bought/built the home and the RX7 within a month of each other but re-financed the home about 8 years ago to take some equity, pay some bills and set up college funds for our kids. As for our homes value, it has taken a hit since Obama took office but we still have enough equity in it so that when we sell it after our kids graduate HS, we can pay our creditors and use the rest to buy a beach hut and fishing boat big enough to run a charter fishing business in Belize. :-D

 

While I agree at how dumb these regulations are, they are the law and should be followed.
Look at craigslist, of course dealers are going to be bumping up price, they are in the business to make money. They don't sell the real cheap cars, those go to the auction. I have worked for a dealership and my father is a Ford master tech, we both had access to cheap cars. The dealership I worked for was the largest used car dealer in the world, we would buy a car for 1-2k, it would be sent out to be fixed and if it met their requirements it would be back on the lot for 5-6k most of the time more than that. Buying directly from someone will be much cheaper because you are bypassing the middle man. I looked at the Houston craigslist ads, there are plenty of cars under 2k that look fairly decent.

While that is good that you found the leak, the biggest problem is that it overheated. As others have stated once it over heats it is just a matter of time and usually not very long that it will need to be completely rebuilt. Then you are looking at a couple G to get it going again, or if you decide to sell then you are looking at losing at least a grand there. Right now with it running even in the condition it is in you can get probably 4-5k out of it, with the motor blown you are looking at half. Then even if you put the money to get it fixed it is never going to be worth much more, the body needs a lot of work and its an auto.

that would be the perfect time to get back into a new 7 also. Save where you can now till you get back to a more comfortable situation. I really hope everything works out for you, I know personally how hard it can be but we all gotta make sacrifices in our life.

 

Sigh, there IS something wrong with the car other than the 'sticky paper', its one or more of a myriad of things: Cat, Airpump, ACV, one of many solenoids, thrashed ECU, to mention the usual suspects. Hopefully its an easy fix, however it may not be and many of those issues can lead to destruction down the road.

Now, go check all those things and stop using your busted *** car as a soapbox when it seems as if your real problem is that you don't know how to manage your finances and now its kicking you in the *** with the realization that you may have to give up your toy.

Ugh 'ists' make me ******* sick no matter what side you're on.

 

Fun read but it all boils down to sell it, let it sit or take it to a rotary specialist and have them give you an estimate. If you've had the car for 18 years and don't know where the oxygen sensor is you probably don't have the time to figure it all out yourself.

 

I would recommend hanging on to the rx7 and paying VERY little on a daily driver that can either pass inspection or is old enough to not require emissions. I daily drove an '86 crx that was perfectly reliable and only cost around $500.

Also, there are only select counties in the state that require emissions testing. If you have family ties to another county in the state, you can register the car in that county and receive inspections there as well. This is not illegal, but you will need to have a valid address in that county where the car will now be registered. My dad did that for a long time with an old suburban -- not illegal as far as I'm concerned, hope the mods don't disagree. Currently I have a K5 blazer registered and sitting in New Braunfels TX and don't have to mess with Harris County inspections.

 

Thanks for the help!!!

New Braunfels isn't that far away from me and I have a cousin who lives there. Didn't know that there was any Texas county that didn't have emissions inspections??? Sounds like Monday would be a good time to pay my cousin and his family a visit. :-D

 

You will probably have to transfer the title into his name, unless you have proof that you live at that address which would require bills being sent there. Then with it in his name since Texas is an insurance required state, he would need to have the insurance in his name. He would probably require you to pay that monthly, and you need insurance since you are licensed or the state takes your license. So you are going to be paying 2 insurances, I am sorry to say but you seem to be a lost cause.

 

This is what Magnaflow lists as an OEM "California CARB legal" replacement cat for the FD, only $97

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MPE-38004/

Which could be an alternative to dropping $450+ on a high flow cat

 

If a cat is the only problem you think you have, just borrow one. I'm sure there are several guys in the TX area who could help you out in that manner. However, I think your car has got more issues than just a catalytic converter.

 

Get your phone bill or credit card bill send over there for month, just change your address online and change it back after you get a couple letters. That's what I do with my MX-6, registered it in Indiana, just find an insurance company that didn't care my car is not register in IL and you are good to go. I had to tell the Indiana DMV to send my renewal letter to my IL address because I'm not at the Indiana address a lot for school reason, and they did it, but the fact is I don't live in IN anymore :P In your case is even easier since your cousin lives there so he can forward you all the renewal mail.

 

You're still worried about getting a carb sticker??

I really hate be a nagger, but I don't think you are comprehending what everyone is saying.

What you have described with your leaking AST story and following symptoms is *textbook* coolant seal failure.

1) Your AST cracked
2) You lost all coolant
3) After 'fixing' the problem you need to add coolant daily/often

Im completly believe the car drives beautifully and doesn't seem to have any other 'known' issues - but the fact is; the coolant seals are toast and will work until they don't.

That means, one day you will be driving, then something will be 'wrong' followed by a fair bit of white smoke. You'll still be able to drive it home - but once you shut it down - it ain't starting back up.

You'll then have to decide whether you rebuild or replace the motor. End of story.

 

i love NY now , we pay way to much tax on everything

but when it comes to car inspections

1995 and under cars don not get emission tested
they check _ brakes, tires, lights and signals 20$ and you good to go



my car is totally illegal by ny law...with straight 3" exhaust but its 94 so they do not have to look at it

move to NY it will pass no problem

 

Thank you to everyone for the continued advice and help!

Matt,
Thanks for the advice, but you missed where I said I found the coolant leak. It was the clamp on the botttom hose extending from the AST which I installed. We readjusted the hose and clamp, tightened it good, and no more leak and haven't had to add any coolant so far after driving it for the last two days. Gonna check it again tonight when it cools down, but so far so good with no coolant seal leaks.
Thanks again for the help though.

 

That is not entirely true, you must live upstate out of the NYCMA.


See link http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/vehsafe.htm



John

 

Hope you have a fund for the inevitable rebuild, even one overheating leads to warped housings.

 

^
Your over exaggerating.

To the OP, you can source the parts on a budget through the 3rdGen FS section. Try Throwing up a want to buy for the parts you need.

 

Yeah, honestly man. I'd say sell the car or trade it and get cash on top.

You can always buy another 7 or just deal with not getting it smogged for a while and gather some cash together.

If needed part it off, little by little just to get enough to fix your car up.