Hey guys! In a couple of months I'm going to be making a new home in the Chattanooga area, and have a few questions about my Rx.

First, I understand that Hamilton county (along with several others) require emissions testing. Great. What type of testing is it? Where they stick the probes in the tailpipe and measure CO2, CO, and NOx?

I currently live in NY but have been keeping my car registered in a county of WA that does not require emissions testing (I'm in the military and allows you to keep home-of-record registration). In WA, there was also a rule that anything over 25 years old did not require emissions. I thought this was standard in the world of testing, but to my ignorance it appears anything newer than 1970 or something requires emissions. Worst case if I moved to a state that required emissions, I give it a year or two and am good. Guess not.

So here's the rub. I have a '86 with a '87 turbo swap, stock turbo, stock ports. Rtek 1.7, 720cc secondaries, DIY turbo inlet, RB exhaust (no cat), all emissions removed, and FMIC.

If I put a cat in there and reinstall the air pump, do you think I'll pass? Can I pipe the air pump directly to the cat without going through the ACV? Any visual inspections? Safety inspection?

Also my plan in the future was to go with a little bigger turbo, streetport, and some type of stand-alone. What's the chances of being able to spend all that time and money and keep the Rx-7 on the road? Thanks for your help. I'm really looking foward to moving out there!

 

about 20 or so miles away from chattanooga going towards knoxville is athens and some others that dont require emissions. there are very few tn countys that require emiisions testing although more are on the way

 

I'm not aware of any counties around Knoxville/East TN that have emissions testing. Not sure about Chattanooga though. I know they have testing around Nashville but that's the limit of my knowledge on the subject. I doubt you have much to worry about, our state is really lenient about what you can drive. Quite opposite of NY!

Nice to meet another Pastafarian, by the way.

 

Hamilton county does have smog inspection where they sniff the tail pipe if you fail you have 30 days to pass. If I where you I would find a house outside of Hamilton county. Save you on taxes too.

 

I'm not too worried about taxes inside Hamilton county. Afterall, I'm living in NY (highest or second highest taxed state). I know in WA, some people would get a PO box in a county that did not do emissions testing and register the car to that PO Box. The state finally got smart about it and required registering the car to an actual street address, not just a mailing address. Anyone know if this is possible? I prefer not to have my car's exhaust determine where I live. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

"You might be an RX-7 owner if..."

I'm pretty sure you need an actual street address, at least that's the way it is in Knox County.

 

I live in Ringgold, GA which is 10 mins south of Chattanooga, the housing cost is relatively cheaper here, and we have no emissions testing. Also the crime rate is lower, if you have children, the public school system here in ringgold is better, because they dont bus inner city students to county schools like they do in hamilton county. Also gas, cigs, and beer is usually cheaper.