A couple of things:
Don't know about the whole one time only emissions test for vehicles over 30 yrs old./Antique tag stuff...
At current time, anything prior to 1975 is exempt from the testing.
Vehicles built prior to 1995/1996 get a tailpipe test and are checked for "Evidence of Catalyst Tampering" and the gas caps are checked for proper sealing.
Later cars get a little more.
Around the 1996 model year, it became a federal law that all vehicles offered for sale in the U.S. have generic O.B.D. capabilty (On Board Diagnostic). These later systems are generally referred to as OBD II (second generation). Same plug for all cars with generic codes that apply to all vehicles and expanded codes that are vehicle/manufacturer specific (VW has a BUNCH of these).
This is why when you need to scan a computer on an early fuel injected car you needed different scan tools depending on what kind of car you had
or at least, you needed a Snap-On style scanner with a crap-ton of leads.
The reason that Anthony's beetle wouldn't pass the emissions test is simple, really. The air-cooled beetles were NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SOLD HERE. Therefore, while they might pass the tailpipe test, they do not have the required OBD II Plug. No ability to check for emission related fault codes, no passie emissions test.
The day he discovered this, he brought the bug by work and he and I spent a few minutes crawling around the interior and engine compartment but were not able to find the correct plug-in. We did however find some capped off leads that appeared to have some purpose (diagnostic or whatever) but they were of no use to us...Perhaps they might help old Juan in Mexico.
Ive heard a lot of complaining about this testing business, but all I'll say is that we shouldn't have spent the last hundred or so years killing our environment. Not trying for the hippie angle, just being honest.
Quite honestly, this test we have in Hamilton County is really not as bad as it's been portrayed.
If my out of tune, beaten up '84 Rabbit GTI can pass the tailpipe test with a mere 1/4 to 1/3 of the permitted emissions, I don't think the majority of VW owners have anything to worry about.....If you've got tags about to expire on the old '78 Camaro, sell it or start spending money.
Just be thankful you don't live in California. They've been in ther own little emissions world for over 30 years now. In fact, new vehicles sold in the U.S. are divided into two categories labeled as either "Federal" or "California" emissions vehicles.
Oh, and by the way, David....like Zen said....my mother's maiden name was Wudarcki.
Keep it up and I'll park my dasher on your freshly laid concrete.
