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Pontiac Trans Am Transmission Swap

I have a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am with an Oldsmobile 403 engine. It is a California emissions vehicle. I know the reason at the time that these vehicles did not come with manual transmissions, but I really want to swap a manual transmission into my car. My main concern is will this cause me to fail the emissions test?

Answer:

Transmissions and transaxles changes, without the swap of a matching engine, are not legal in California. Your can perform the swap of the transmission alone, but your vehicle will not pass a smog check and will not be allowed to legal be driven on public roadways. A transmission swap such as this is usually done on vehicles where the owners intend to convert the vehicle into a performance off-highway vehicle, and not one which will be used as a daily driver. Transmissions and/or transaxles can only be changed along with their matching engine. The total engine transmission package must conform to California's engine change requirements. posted by SmogTips Support

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