My son plans on moving to California in the near future. Will his 73 Duster require a tailpipe test every year for inspection? If so, what would we need to do to get it to pass? Is there something in advance we can do and how would we check the emissions? Hopefully it is grandfathered like in most states. Thanks for your help.

I'm not sure about entering the state (to get it registered for the first time), but afterwards you don't have to worry about it as 73 is grandfathered in...

Check out the CA DMV site for specifics.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Copy and pasted from here
If you were the owner of the vehicle and registerd under your name in your state, you may not need to register it in cali if I'm reading this right. Not sure how your insurance will work out then though.

Don't quote me, but I think that the only thing required is an inspection to verify that all the smog devices are present on the car, I don't beleive there is any smog test required, but as you will probably learn, the DMV in CA.has a lot of schitzophrenic employees and rules, a lot of the time it depends on who you ask at the DMV. The best thing to do is to try and find a very small DMV office and deal with them, in most big cities or urban areas don't just show up (unless you like waiting for a couple hours) get an appointment, which can be made on-line.

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1963 4dr Dart 270 225 six w/3speed column shift

If you belong to the auto club (AAA) they can deal with it.............

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

In cali, 75 and older cars are smog and inspection free. All you need is title/reg and insurance.

Cut and pasted this from the CA DMV on-line: Some things won't apply, as your son is already the registered owner, there is an inspection, but I beleive it's just a VIN check. Hope this helps:

How To Register A Nonresident Vehicle
Definition of a nonresident vehicle
A nonresident vehicle was last registered outside the state of California. Anyone who brings a vehicle into California, or purchases a nonresident vehicle while in California, should be aware of the registration requirements.

NOTE: California law prohibits importing and/or registering a new vehicle with less than 7,500 miles at the time of purchase unless it meets or is exempt from California Emission standards. If you acquire a 49-State vehicle (manufactured for all states except California) from another state or country, you may not be able to register your vehicle in this state.

Reference:Health & Safety Code Section 43151(A)

When fees are due
Commercial vehicles and any vehicle owned by a California resident must be registered upon entry into California unless a special permit was obtained. Visitors whose vehicles are properly registered to them in their home state may operate their vehicles in California until they:

Accept gainful employment in California.
Claim a homeowner's exemption in California.
Rent or lease a residence in California.
Intend to live or be located here on a permanent basis (for example, acquire a California driver license, acquire other licenses not ordinarily extended to a nonresident, registered to vote).
Enroll in an institution of higher learning as a California resident or enroll their dependents in school (K-12).
Fees must be paid within 20 days of entry or residency to avoid penalties.

NOTE: Nonresident military personnel stationed in California or their spouses may operate their vehicles with valid out-of-state license plates from their home state or the state where the military person was last stationed.

Fees must be paid within 20 days of entry or residency to avoid penalties.

Registering the vehicle
The following is required to register a nonresident vehicle:
An Application for Title or Registration (REG 343) signed by all registered owners, showing the name and address of the lienholder (legal owner), if any.
Last issued out-of-state title, unless held by the lienholder/legal owner (This applies only if there is not a change of registered owner.)
Last issued registration certificate, if the applicant is the same as the registered owner shown on the out-of-state title and the vehicle entered California with valid out-of-state registration, or if the title has been lost.
Bill of Sale if the person from whom you are buying the vehicle purchased it from the registered owner shown on the title.
Odometer disclosure statement signed by the seller and buyer if the vehicle is less than ten model years old.
The vehicle must be inspected by an authorized DMV employee, law enforcement officer, or a licensed vehicle verifier. These inspections are most easily obtained by bringing the vehicle to the nearest DMV, where there is no extra fee charged for the inspection. For faster service, make an appointment.
Smog certification, if applicable
Weight certificate, if applicable
Declaration of Gross Vehicle Weight/Combined Gross Vehicle Weight (REG 4008) form for commercial motor vehicles (pickups with unladen weight of 8,000 lbs. or less are exempt from this requirement)
Appropriate Fees

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1963 4dr Dart 270 225 six w/3speed column shift