In the State I live in your Mom would be exempt from emission test because she is a Senior Citizen, and drives less the then 3000 miles a year. Have you checked California emission laws to see if such a exemption exist? If not perhaps California would like to provide free transportation 24-7 for your Mom if they wont let her keep her car do to emission.
These were some of the best highway cars ever built but remember it has a problem that other cars don’t use. Unless it’s been changed the ign is controlled along with the mix by a ‘Lean Burn’ system. This is on the side of the air cleaner and controls the advance as well as emission. this can be taken off and a standard point distributer from an older model installed with very little wire change. Maybe her mech is familiar with the system. LEE
Here is an interesting article on Chrysler’s Lean Burn System, and one man’s soluion.
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/lean-burn.html
No…A rich condition results in unbalanced combustion which produces excessive CO. HC or unburned hydrocarbons points to NO COMBUSTION or misfire.
CO is a product of rich combustion. But combustion took place.
HC is the result of no combustion, the gasoline passed into the exhaust unburned, there was no ignition.
If the mixture is so rich black smoke starts pouring out the exhaust, HC will also be elevated as there was not enough oxygen present to burn all the available fuel and some will pass into the exhaust as HC, unburned hydrocarbon…
Yes, I see. So, incomplete oxidation will result in the formation of CO (carbon monoxide) and other products, right? Whereas, raw fuel will result in HC (hydrocarbons) not even partially oxidized? And, no oxidation takes place in the catalytic converter?
americar, the law in your state is much more fair that ours. In fact, that’s a rant I won’t go into, but California’s smog testing laws are very unfair because they don’t take into consideration the amount of miles driven and other issues, such as whether a person can afford another comparable vehicle.
There is no exemption in California that I’m aware of and I have researched it. But the state offers her $850.00 every year to buy it back from her.
Isn’t that sweet of them?
It could be timing as others have mentioned. A tune up wouldn’t hurt also. I believe that most of these cars had a 400 cid engine, which I think was derivative of the 440 big-blocks of times past (but I could be wrong), absolutely choked to death with the primitive emission controls of the day and running a “lean-burn” computer, which basically was an analog computer I think.
i believe the cordoba had a 360ci engine(5.9L)w/ a 2bbl carter carb.my grandmom had one,too.hers was a '76 silver with a silver vinyl top.it used to stall-out when you turned left(no joke!)so you had to prepare for it 'cause that power steering would tighten up something fierce.the later models had a 400ci(infamous ‘smog motor’ mopar)a friend of mine from H.S. had one,it was pale metallic green w/green leather interior:P