Moving to Texas, how bad are the inspections for older cars?

[Mongo]

Starting a new job down in the dallas area, noted that you need several inspections on your vehicle in order to register.

Anyone have a hard time with emissions and saftey check on their comanche? mechanically it is in good shape, but I havent had to mess with emissions ever and my cat converter is just a shell.

any info is appreciated.

[wyk]

http://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/common/jsp/txdot_vtr_main_menu.jsp?language=eng

http://www.registeredtexan.com/

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/

 

The inspection requires your brakes work, parking brake work, lights all work, and both windshield wipers work, and that you possess insurance(any printed form claiming such is fine). In Tarrant county they will also do a tail pipe test. My 1986 Blazer did not pass this until I replaced the carb. In the mean time, I went and registered it in another county that had no smog requirements at a friends address there(I think the cost was $17 for the inspection there). You must have it inspected in the county that the vehicle is registered in(although, I have heard of a few that have gotten away with inspecting in Bexar when it was registered in Austin - a smog county at the time). If I recall, ya have a certain amount of time to restest it after you fail for no extra cost(I think it was $28 at the time). If you can, have it inspected in a county that does not do the smog test. The sticker they place on the windshield is valid state wide. At the inspection place I used in North Austin once, they didn't care whether the check engine light was on, only what came out the tail pipe. YMMV.

 

If it is a truck it will cost you something like $64 to register it the first year, plus another $64 or so in administrative fees since it is a new to Texas truck and must have a new license plate issued. After that it drops to sumfin like $41-$48 per year depending on the county.

 

WYK