Older car inspection (transporting, maintenance, live)

[Jessedl2]

So I'm trying to renew the state inspection on my 1977 Camaro. The previous owner had no problems in the past with the state inspections he had gotten. Today i went in to get it renewed. The mechanic told me he wouldn't pass it because it "Didn't start fast enough." He tole me it hard to start with just a few cranks of the engine. The car is Carburated and it's impossible for it to start right off the bat, it has to fill with gasoline first.

So what am i supposed to do now? Try a different shop?

[badger74]

You might be able to get collector plates that last forever and don't require an inspection. Look into it. I think cars over 25 years old are eligible.

[Jessedl2]

I've thought about that but you can only drive it on the weekends with classic plates. Plus the previous owner never had this problem and he had standard plates as well.

[VictoriaPat]

Try another shop. I don't know which part of the state you're in, but where I live some mechanics can be very lenient when it comes to certain rules (one even told me "we never fail anyone", but he may have been exaggerating...)

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Jessedl2

I've thought about that but you can only drive it on the weekends with classic plates. Plus the previous owner never had this problem and he had standard plates as well.

I don't think you are limited to weekends. We have antique plates and there are rules such as it can't be a daily driver and you have to stay within a 250 mile radius of your home, but they don't limit us to weekend driving.

[tgbwc]

Vintage or Antique plates can be used if the car is more than 25 years old:

Registering your vehicle either of these ways limits your use of the vehicle to:

• Participation in antique car club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, and similar events.
• Testing its operation, obtaining repairs or maintenance, selling the vehicle or trailer, transportation to and from events as described in number 1 above and for the occasional pleasure driving not to exceed 250 miles from your residence.
• Carrying or transporting passengers, personal effects or other antique motor vehicles being transported for show purposes.

You may not use your vehicle for general, daily transportation. This includes, but is not limited to, driving to and from work.

[robbobobbo]

You could try a different shop.

Any time I've had a car fail, the mechanic gave me a better reason with mechanical explanation than just something so vague as "car doesn't start fast enough." In fact, I had no idea that start-up time was an inspected item.

You don't explain if the car has difficulty starting. Cars with carbs should be able to fire up pretty quickly with a pump or two of the pedal. Does your car sputter, or crank a lot, before the engine starts, or cut out a few times after starting?

[Nebat]

A safety inspection is just that. What does the engine starting slowly have anything to do with safety? Or pollution? What a whack job! The guy inspecting your car obviously doesn't know much about cars since as stated already carburated cars take longer to start, especially if they are cold or not adjusted right. To some, these inspection places is just a job. I'd find one where they actually care about cars and know what they are doing. Or maybe you just need a new starter, which if you know anything about cars shouldn't be that difficult of a job. A dying battery might also have the effect of a car starting slowly. Good luck!