Chevy & GMC Vans

Hey guys,
For the life of me, I can't find the hot rod clause for Ontario Drive clean. Before digging in I want to make sure I can swap the 350 into my '98. If anyone has a link, I'd appreciate it.

TIA,
Dave

The hto rod clause is more for licensing / insurance and safety purposes. IIRC drive clean doesn't have one any more. So in other words the v8 would have to pass as well.

This is why I want to find an 85 or 86 safari so I can do a front end swap and such to make it look new but It wouldn't be covered by drive clean. Oh and starting this year they are getting even harsher on older vehicles and trying to force an upgrade program to A. get people to stop driving "polluting" cars and B. to help out the auto industry. Funny part is if you look at the statistics cars are only 1% of the total emissions in canada. Your furnace ( if it's gas) produces more emissions over the course of the winter than most peoples cars do.

I am pretty sure they test it bassed on the motor... so if you had a 98 vortec 350 in your 98 astro it would get tested bassed on the motor.. If you can save the VIN from the donor vehicle... If it is a good running motor it should have no problem passing, if you get the swap done and you have a lot of trouble getting it to pass let me know, I am pretty sure I still have a connection for a couple hundred bucks to get it passed.

Cool. I'm sure I won't have a problem passing as I'm retaining the fuel injection and emissions equipment and will install it as stock. Once I see what it tests out at, I may throw a cam at it.

Or you could move to some place in Ontario where they don't do drive clean yet. I haven't gotten a drive clean requirement for any of our vehicles yet.

Rileysowner wrote:Or you could move to some place in Ontario where they don't do drive clean yet. I haven't gotten a drive clean requirement for any of our vehicles yet.

Pretty much anything north of barrie or most of bruce area. Like kincardine doesn't have drive clean yet. I'm thinking of registering my vans there as I have an address in kincardine

Hey, Kincardine eh?! Yep I have an address there too ! Maybe time to head down to the MTO

Astro4x4 wrote:Hey, Kincardine eh?! Yep I have an address there too ! Maybe time to head down to the MTO

Last I heard ( in april) they still didn't and didn't have any plans for it yet. I havne't talked ot my family down there in a few months but It doesn't hurt to check I guess.

AFAIK we don't have it in Exeter.

ok i just read this thread and i will answer all your questions due to the fact that i am a drive clean inspector. yes any safari no matter what year it has a 350 it will be considered a hot rod. yes the 350 will have to pass but the safari will be put into the hot rod classifcation and the limitis are huge so you will have no problem passing.

I know in B.C. if you have a v8 you have to meet the standards for the year of the van and the size of the engine. So if you put a 350 in a 98 you would have to meet 1998 350 standards. It should be the same kind of rules back east. You could always Email the drive clean program and get the exact right answer as to what standards you would have to meet.

knucklehead wrote:ok i just read this thread and i will answer all your questions due to the fact that i am a drive clean inspector. yes any safari no matter what year it has a 350 it will be considered a hot rod. yes the 350 will have to pass but the safari will be put into the hot rod classifcation and the limitis are huge so you will have no problem passing.

Thank you for helping out with this information. I am sure that our members will have a few questions for you. When we find out the hot rod classification rules for Drive Clean I will make the post a sticky for our Ontario members.

I am wondering if a well tuned carbureted V8 will pass if it is not too radical a build up (ie a high compression ratio and lots of cam). I am also wondering if many vehicles have passed without a catalytic converter.

Sounds like your project will be on track soon Dave! Good luck with your van!

knucklehead wrote:ok i just read this thread and i will answer all your questions due to the fact that i am a drive clean inspector. yes any safari no matter what year it has a 350 it will be considered a hot rod. yes the 350 will have to pass but the safari will be put into the hot rod classifcation and the limitis are huge so you will have no problem passing.

Nice, just what I was hoping to find out. Thanks for the info

Hey Pots, speaking of the Kin, are ya headed up for Old Boys Renunion ?

Here is the URL for Ontario Regulation 361/98, Motor Vehicles. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/e ... 0361_e.htm

If you read through it, you will find the catagory "hot rod" (I'm not kidding). Section 1, subsection 1 is Definitions. You will find the description of "hot rod" in this section. Farther down is a section entitled "Emission Control Equipment for Kit Cars, Rebuilt Cars and Hot Rods". Section 4 subsection 2 describes how the test is applied. I am in the process now of completing a 2005 Silverado LM7 5.3L into my 1998 Astro. According to my local (and hot rod oriented) Emissions Test Center, my 98' Astro regulations were pretty open as compared to the 2005 model engine, so it will easily pass the test. The later model engines are more efficient, and produce less emissions than our Astro's. They tell me that I will not even require a "hot rod" catagory, as the emission will be far less then the Astro ever was. The Catalitic converters ARE required.

Hope this is helpful.

Welcome Astrovan98, and Welcome to the V8 club within ASV.