For years, my neighbor and I have enjoyed modifying our beloved vehicles with superchargers and turbochargers. Both of our vehicles have a long history of passing emissions tests and maintaining all required emissions components. Despite this, we’ve recently been forced to remove these modifications due to changes in local regulations.

Our vehicles are not only a hobby but a testament to our dedication to maintaining environmentally responsible performance enhancements. Having complied with emissions testing for over a decade for one vehicle and more than 15 years for the other, we are now being unjustly burdened with costs exceeding tens of thousands of dollars. The modifications we are being asked to undo involved parts that are now difficult, if not impossible, to source. Our vehicles' electronics and systems remain compliant with emissions standards, demonstrating they aren't harmful despite the enhancements.

In Ogden, UT, classic vehicle enthusiasts are facing an alarming trend: our cherished modifications, which have proven compliant, are no longer considered valid (they do not have a CARB #, even though Utah is not a CARB-following state). Additionally, the parts also do not have an EPA #, which is not something the average enthusiast would know to look for at the time of vehicle purchase. Let's face it, 99 out of 100 of you would likely not know that the vehicle you want may have an illegal or non-compliant part installed onto it. If you buy the vehicle at a dealer and they pass your car's emissions testing, you may not realize until you renew the next year that it won't pass because it has a supercharger, headers, turbo, or another non-compliant part you didn't know about. Now you are left with a car you cannot afford to fix, drive, enjoy, or return to "stock." What can you do? At this moment....nothing. You are screwed! Your only options are to commit fraud and register it in a county that doesn't have emissions standards (24 of 29 do not), move out of state, or sell the car and hope you can recover some amount of money that pays off your loan. There has to be another way. I hope we, as automotive enthusiasts, can come together to advocate for reasonable exceptions and allowances so vehicles can be enjoyed by their owners and health departments can be assured the vehicle is not needlessly polluting the air. 

These modifications are integral to our automotive culture and history, and it’s unjust to penalize responsible owners who have maintained compliance with legal standards for years.

The emissions standards have evolved, but they should not require individuals to reverse modifications made by prior owners or to purchase vehicles without knowing those modifications were illegal. Our vehicles should be grandfathered in, given their longstanding compliance record. A vehicle with more than two years of prior compliance should be allowed to retain the modifications, and the owner should still be required to maintain the vehicle to ensure continued compliance. 

We request that the legislation be amended to recognize the vehicles' compliance history and allow them to retain their supercharger, turbocharger, and other modifications. This is vital not just for our community in Ogden, but for maintaining the heritage and culture of responsible automotive enthusiasts everywhere.

Please sign this petition to protect our rights as vehicle owners and preserve our local automotive traditions.