1966 California Shelby’s

[Side-Oilers]

That's a great story! Score one for us Shelby guys!

[cob4ra]

Man this side-oilers guy is hip and cool thanks man hope to see you at a stoplight on PCH ! 👍

[98SVT - was 06GT]

The stickers were for NOX only and not issued as early as 68. You couldn't add the NOX kit to a car with a mechanical advance distributor. It restricted the vacuum line. I'm certain that the exempt letter in the front of the owners manual had to do with the first 66 GT350 being 1965 cars that did not have the thermactor air pumps. Once the letter was received they probably just ordered the 66 cars as 49 state cars without the CA required parts. Also air nozzles were in the exhaust manifolds not the heads on the early Mustangs and would have needed to be welded into the headers.

[Side-Oilers]

Man this side-oilers guy is hip and cool thanks man hope to see you at a stoplight on PCH ! 👍

Thanks, and you too!  Let's lay down some rubber in honor of no more CHP emissions check stations.  I haven't seen one since the late 1970s, I don't think.  CHP just does DUI checkpoints these days.

[Side-Oilers]

The stickers were for NOX only and not issued as early as 68. You couldn't add the NOX kit to a car with a mechanical advance distributor. It restricted the vacuum line. I'm certain that the exempt letter in the front of the owners manual had to do with the first 66 GT350 being 1965 cars that did not have the thermactor air pumps. Once the letter was received they probably just ordered the 66 cars as 49 state cars without the CA required parts. Also air nozzles were in the exhaust manifolds not the heads on the early Mustangs and would have needed to be welded into the headers.

Makes sense.  And yes, on the NOX system needing a vacuum distributor. It reduced/prevented vacuum advance, and also required retarding the initial timing settings, so emissions were a slight bit better, but at great expense of driveability and performance.

There was even a little sticker from the NOX device maker that said something to the effect of "Do not exceed 60 mph in this vehicle."  Now there's some fun times.

Everyone I knew took all the NOX crap off as soon as they were around the corner from the inspection station and had their blue sticker.

My experience was only from 1974-newer, because '74 was when I got my first car. 

[J_Speegle]

The original stickers were short lived and often were used on 49 state vehicles being resold as used cars coming into the state. In the following decades there were cars that were not legal to be licensed in the state while others had to have a certain number of miles before they could be reregistered as used cars in the state.

The stickers were for NOX only and not issued as early as 68. You couldn't add the NOX kit to a car with a mechanical advance distributor. It restricted the vacuum line.

In practice many of us owners did use the NOX or $15 CarKit that one supplier provided to do just that. I installed a vacuum advance distributor and a close air cleaner to a 67 GT350 during one period since it was a better option than refitting (drilling) a valve into the nice COBRA intake.

The requirements, work arounds and requirements were changing all the time. If you could keep from going to a referee by doing some things it was often a better choice especially IMHO since the information on Fords BAR was often incorrect and misinterpreted overt and over


Even today systems are required thought they are not check or tested in an annual program. Do have my share of related manuals (for emission systems), training material and other books from Ford and the state. Use to get calls from owners on a fairly regular basis when they had issues and wanted to fallow the letter of the law and the state could use some help.

[davez]

Fond memories of watching The Price is Right
Every time they gave away a car Rod Roddy listed the options finishing up with California Emissions

[cob4ra]

After all this fantastic info on my awesome " exempt " sticker; I went out to my Shelby and we had a wonderful moment ; and the Exempt sticker just took a bow and smiled at me ! Because it knew how historic it is and a compliment to it's California history of a bygone era never to be again!

[sfm5s081]

Speaking of cruising PCH without a sticker on my 65 #81 when I pass a motorcycle cop on my way to cars and coffee. I let off the gas to quiet down the Webber's and I pass him right at the speed limit. I look up in the rear view and here he comes! Damn, he saw that I didn't have the EXEMPT sticker! Luckily I got off with a warning and a "cool car, I've got a red 66 and I'm on SAAC boards too!" Gotta
Love this community!

[6s1802]

Let's all hope the world is ending environmentalists that run the sunshine state don't decide to rid the state of all those nasty old polluting cars in an effort to save the planet. California is already refusing to register 1991 and older heavy duty, F450 and above diesel trucks unless they are retrofitted with diesel pollution controls. They will stop sending out registration renewals for those vehicles starting in 2020.
So far we are lucky here, no bi annual inspections anymore prior to 1976, however all motor vehicles 1955 and up are still subject to the emissions laws that are in place and if a modification is found you could still be directed to the Bureau of Automotive Repair and told to make the vehicle compliant. Can't wait to get to northern Arizona.

[Side-Oilers]

Speaking of cruising PCH without a sticker on my 65 #81 when I pass a motorcycle cop on my way to cars and coffee. I let off the gas to quiet down the Webber's and I pass him right at the speed limit. I look up in the rear view and here he comes! Damn, he saw that I didn't have the EXEMPT sticker! Luckily I got off with a warning and a "cool car, I've got a red 66 and I'm on SAAC boards too!" Gotta
Love this community!

Was this recently?  I am surprised that a CA police officer would even know (or care) about an exempt sticker on a car that old.
Or was it pchmotoho and he truly did just want to look at your car?

[68countrysedan]

Hope SEMA is tracking this issue.

[sfm5s081]

Speaking of cruising PCH without a sticker on my 65 #81 when I pass a motorcycle cop on my way to cars and coffee. I let off the gas to quiet down the Webber's and I pass him right at the speed limit. I look up in the rear view and here he comes! Damn, he saw that I didn't have the EXEMPT sticker! Luckily I got off with a warning and a "cool car, I've got a red 66 and I'm on SAAC boards too!" Gotta
Love this community!

Was this recently?  I am surprised that a CA police officer would even know (or care) about an exempt sticker on a car that old.
Or was it pchmotoho and he truly did just want to look at your car?

I was joking about the sticker! But it seemed appropriate. The officer is on the board and a fantastic member of the community. He wanted to check out the car and we chatted about them. We were actually supposed to caravan to the last SAAC at Sanoma, but I chickened out. Yes, he drove his car all the way up and back!

[cob4ra]

My Exempt sticker said that it met officer 👮 Poncherello and Jon on their KZ1000's on Whittier blvd on a Saturday cruise night! It got the glance and nod from them only and they lit up a 67 GT500 without one! Wondering what happened?