Sorry, I meant newer and as far as I know emissions tests are not part of the inspection. In VA, however, there's 3 tags applicable to my truck. Black Antique tags have restrictions but removes yearly inspections, orange/yellow antique tags require yearly inspections but have no restrictions (same as normal plates, no idea why this is even an option), and regular tags.

 

New links:
1st one was....

19VAC30-70-310. Air pollution control system or device.
A. No motor vehicle registered in this Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways of this Commonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system or device, or combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal laws and regulations.
B. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments or replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of engines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or propane, so long as such action does not degrade in any manner or to any degree the anti- pollution capabilities of the vehicle power system.
C. INSPECT FOR AND REJECT IF:
1. The air pollution control system or device on motor vehicles registered in this Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years has been removed or otherwise rendered inoperable. The conversion of an engine to utilize low polluting fuels such as natural gas or propane may result in the removal of some part of the pollution control system; however, if the engine is converted to utilize both low polluting fuels and/or gasoline no part of the pollution control system or device can be removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.
2. Any of the essential parts of the pollution control system or devices on vehicles registered in this Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years have been removed, rendered inoperative or disconnected. This includes any belt, valve, pump, hose line, cap, cannister, catalytic converter and the restrictor in the gasoline tank filler neck on vehicles required to use unleaded fuel.
NOTE: In order to determine if a motor vehicle was originally equipped with emissions control equipment, refer to the vehicle's emissions control information label which is usually located in the engine compartment.
3. The emission control system or device on motor vehicles registered in this Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years is not comparable to that designed for use upon the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment.
Any new or used after market catalytic converter installed on a vehicle after December 31, 1987, shall meet and be installed in accordance with specifications established by the Environmental Protection Agency. A catalytic converter so installed shall be identified with a visible, permanent, non-destructible label or stamp which will identify the manufacturer, vehicle application and month and year of manufacture. The label shall be in accordance with the following format:
a. New converters - N/XX/YYYY/ZZZZ
b. Used converters - U/XX/YYYY/ZZZZ
N - New converter designation
U - Used converter designation
XX - Manufacturer code issued by EPA
YYYY - Numerical designation of vehicle application
ZZZZ - Month and year of manufacture (i.e. - 0188 for January, 1988)
Statutory Authority

And the 2nd one was....

46.2-1048. Pollution control systems or devices. No motor vehicle registered in the Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways in the Commonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system, device, or combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal laws and regulations.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, as herein described, on the highways in the Commonwealth with its pollution control system or device removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways in the Commonwealth a motor vehicle, as described in this section, equipped with any emission control system or device unless it is of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use upon the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment.
No motor vehicle, as described in this section, shall be issued a safety inspection approval sticker unless it is equipped as provided under the foregoing provisions of this section or if it violates this section.
The provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments or replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of engines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or propane, so long as such action does not degrade the antipollution capabilities of the vehicle power system.

Bottom line is that I doubt you need something that didn't come as original equipment.

edit: lol missed that by moments of time....

 

See that's what I thought because of:

I still don't have a damn clue, I might just end up calling the State Police or something and getting a flat yes or no from them.

 

You could incorporate an aftermarket Cat into your exhaust system with little cost and it would be totally legal and legit.And about 1/3 the cost of an original one i they are available.

 

The way I read it (and I am far away from being an attorney) if you did put cats on it you would be in violation because that's not the way it came from the factory.
I think your right, you need to contact someone in the DEQ to get a deffinitive answer.

 

Mike, be aware of two things.

1) CA required cats beginning in 1977 on F100/150/250 and F350's with 351M/400's. Evap/Em was also required on F100/150/250 and F350's.

2) Some peeps knocked out the fill tube restrictors so they could use leaded fuel (*), but it didn't take too long for their vehicles to sound like vacuum cleaners headin' on down the road.

The lead in the fuel caused the charcoal inside the converter to melt, shoving it into the muffler, clogging it up.

Unless I missed it, the OP has failed to list the engine size of his 1979 F150. He also hasn't mentioned where his truck was sold new.

The Exhaust Model Application Chart begins in Text, Section 52.1, Page 1. With or without cat converters are noted.

* Back then, there were two sizes of filling station nozzles. The one for unleaded fuel was smaller in diameter, requiring a restrictor that the leaded fuel nozzles wouldn't fit into.

 

Hey Bill, Yeah, the OP is in Virginia (don't know where the truck was from new). He had an inspector flunk him because of no cat even though his truck is clearly a non-cat truck (engine label "non-catalyst", Fuel gauge reads "FUEL" not "UNLEADED".....I think a lot of these inspectors are so young, they've never seen a vehicle without factory cats., but then again, I'm just a crabby old so an so.

 

The problem is, these trucks are 33+ years old. So, who knows for sure if the engines are the original, the instrument clusters (consider the POS composition cluster backs!) are the original and/or if the emissions stickers are the original.

I just trolled thru the 1973/79 Ford Passenger Car Parts Catalog. I was pretty sure I knew the answer up front, but thought I'd better check.

Cat converters first intro'd in Passenger Cars in 1975, but may/may not have been required in all states initially.

btw: In case peeps are unaware, I live (and was a Ford partsman) in CA .. the state with the most **** emissions laws known to man and beast.

btw, part II: Ford did not offer dual exhausts for any truck (excepting Ranchero's) until the Lightning model was introduced, and then only on Lightnings.

Both exhaust pipes exited from the right (passenger) side, as the left inlet pipe crosses over to the right side well in front of the fuel tank.

FoMoCo didn't do it and IMO no one with a brain would route an exhaust pipe adjacent to a fuel tank. Madness!

 

Thank you! I finally figured out why he says I need cats.

Although my truck did not come with cats from factory it is also a "modified" exhaust. Because of that, by Virginia law, that basically nullifies the grandfather clause about cats. I knew the answer would come out at some point in time, it just took reading through you guys' posts for it to click in my head.

This works though, means we can drop the mufflers when we put cats on and re-run the exhaust to make it an even more noisy demon!

Really appreciate the help guys.

 

Catalytic Converter

AllFlow Non Catalytic Converter

 

^^^^^That's what I would do and it's totally legit. See it all over here,and we buy alot of cats too..Best bang for the buck.

 

My 1978 f150 Shortbox is a non-catalyst 351m with factory dual exhaust.

 

Sorry, there never were dual exhaust offered from the factory on these trucks. Any dual exhaust setup is aftermarket.

 

Mike o0o0o0o,

My truck definitely has dual exhaust. My grandfather is the first owner who ordered the truck as an F-150 custom in 1978. Knowing him, he did not send it out to an outside source to get an aftermarket exhaust. He is a "keep it factory" guy. I am the second owner and have never done any exhaust work on it. Either, A) Ford really did ship them with duals on request, B) The dealer put them on for some reason, C) My grandfather had some exhaust work done and for whatever reason they put duals on it. I hope somebody chimes in here with some more possibilities or an answer.


Thanks