Passing CA Smog with a 400i

They did have a 25 year rolling date and got rid of it after realizing their mistake.
The capitol in California is full of environmental zealots and have no desire to make it make sense or easy. In fact it is their fervent desire to drive all internal combustion cars out of the state. It is made harder every year for those reasons. If I still lived there and owned a gray market car I'd get rid of it before I was forced to. Selling out of state is the kindest thing so you are not just handing off the problem to some poor unsuspecting soul.

Forget about getting the zealots out of office. The worst of them are not elected and are subjected to no oversight authority. Those that are elected have enormous voter support.

California was the first and had the biggest car culture, I grew up in its heyday. They killed it and burned it in the public square.

 

These cars most definitely need to be adjusted to pass smog even with any CARB stickers. Then put back the engine tuning after the test.
Some shops in LA that repair these vintage Italian Cars also do the smog. Not cheap, I have paid $400 every other year to do.

My friend recently brought in a 1978 Jag from Europe that he wanted to register in California. He was told that he would need the CARB tests etc. But with cars this old the CARB test equipment and testing procedures didnt exist any longer. He was told to try three different CARB testing shops and submit the letters from each shop explaining they no longer had the equipment and procedures needed to test the car. The DMV then accepted these letters and allowed him to register the car WITHOUT doing the smog test.

I thought that was very interesting.