Limited-prod car maker (EPA 75?)

[Gary Derian]

Small manufacturers have to meet the same emissions standards as the big
boys.  The only leniency is in reporting documentation. They can get
assigned easier mileage standards and may be able to get limited exemptions
from safety standards.  Becoming a small manufacturer is definitely NOT the
easy way.  You have to move or register your car at an address which has
different inspection criteria.  Here in Ohio, the inspectors only inspect
for a catalytic converter  They don't even open the hood.

Gary Derian <gderian at oh.verio.com>


>At 09:36 AM 3/15/99 -0800, Ward Spoonemore wrote:
>
>>Chris. I think you missed the point, or else I failed to make it. The OEM
>>testing runs 4 - 5K$, and this assumes passing on the first try.
>>
>>The end all be all is not a simple IM240 (gas station test) or what ever
>>they require in your state. The IM240 test are designed to insure
compliance
>>with a much more rigorous standard. Obviously we cant expect Joe Lug
Wrench
>>to do the OEM tesing every state required period.
>
>I guess I did miss the point. I thought you were saying that a small
>company (me) could register as a limited-production car maker, and then
>produce a small # of  cars (1, in this case) which would be tested
>against a relaxed standard. (Relaxed compared to the usual OE testing
>standards, probably still pretty tough compared to the tests it has
>to pass after someone owns it.)
>
>Mainly what I was looking for was a way for the car to be judged on
>the basis of what comes out (or does not come out) of the tailpipe,
>rather than what emissions hardware it does or does not have, or what
>mods it has. (And $1000 would not be too much to pay for the privilege,
>though $4000 is pushing it hard.)
>
>   Chris C.