[V8] smog tests etc

[Roger Woodbury]

Here in Maine the only smog testing is done in York and Cumberland Counties,
which is the far southwest corner of the state. Those two counties are more
like suburbs of Boston rather than the Maine counties that we all knew and
loved.  Or at least I did thirty years ago.  

I have no desire to modernize my fleet.  The '94 Avant that my wife drives
needs some help this fall, but I see no reason why we can't continue to
thunder that car into our future. Now with 135,000+ miles, I was going to
have it refinished this fall, replacing the fog lights, fixing the radio so
it doesn't crackle in the rear most Bose speakers, fix the back up light
switch (why on earth did Audi put such an expensive part THERE?), and
replace the air bag computer.  

My bank just jerked up rates on one of my commercial mortgages, and it now
looks like the cosmetic work is going to be put off in favor of cleaning out
the garage and parking inside this winter.  (duh!).

The V8?  Well, I like the idea of prying it (and the next one that I want to
buy) out of my cold, dead fingers....

I am putting The Big Black Truck up for sale early in September.  Someone
will get a great deal, but one of the reasons to sell it, is because it is
too new.  All that wonderful technology (and I love the Vortec engine
management system) looks to me like a nightmare of expense when either some
gizzie gives up the electrons, or the State of Maine decides to smog test
everywhere, and that truck is just too new.

The Runt is a 1992, and I doubt that the smog curtain will ever fall that
low.  It has a new(er) transmission and a new engine (last year) and runs
very well.  Not perfect, but for plowing it does the job.

Now, what I really want is a 1978-79 Ford F250 4X4 regular cab pickup.  79
was the last year when Ford made real pickup trucks imho, and I would really
like to find a nice, clean rust free example.  In a pinch, I would take an
F150 if it was a six cylinder with manual transmission.  No smog tests for
one of those and very few electrons that ever had to find a place to go,
either.

Roger