Moving to Colorado Springs in the spring

[Rob Patterson]

My wife and I will be moving to Colorado Springs sometime around March or April this coming year. I have been a silent member of for a while. We will be moving from Germany. She was in the Army until this past May and I am still in the army; and I am currently in Kuwait until the first of the year. I don't know if I am staying in the Army or not; but we are definately moving to the area. The last place we lived in the states was Florida, so we are looking forward to all the 4 wheeling.

I'm looking forward to meeting some fellow Jeepers and hitting the trails once I get my XJ up to speed. Also, could someone tell me about the sniffer requirements for vehicles in the area. I have a Mustang with no smog equipment and need to make some mods or plans before I move it out of Florida. Any other tips or advise about the area would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rob Patterson

 

[Frank Z]

First and foremost...A huge THANK YOU to both you and your wife for your service!!
Here's a link that might help a bit with your emissions testing questions.
http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/wrap.asp?incl=99emiss/rule9

 

[Rob Patterson]

Frank,
Thanks for the website, that really helped. It looks like I will have a lot of work ahead of me.

 

[TJ_Shunk]

Hey Rob. You don't have family in Mass and N.H do you? Anyway... It's a little of a culture shock coming back to the states. I was at Ramstein (well E-hoff really) for 4 years. Just over a year ago I move to Cheyenne (3 hrs. north of the Springs). There isn't much for wheelin in that area of Germany. Got that red dirt tint on the engine and underside of your XJ yet? There's an old humvee course just outside the west gate of Ramstein that you can do little wheeling in. It has some deep water though.

-Matt

 

[old_man]

Only certain counties have smog equipment requirements. I thought I heard that next year they were going to drop the emissions testing.

 

[planefixer]

Only certain counties have smog equipment requirements. I thought I heard that next year they were going to drop the emissions testing.

Emissions is supposed to go bye-bye at the end of 2007 IIRC.Colorado Springs (El Paso County) does have emissions testing.Dont know what the exact requirements are.If your mustang is 25 years old or older you can get collector plates and I believe it is emissions exempt.

 

[Rob Patterson]

Looking for good area to buy house

TJ-Shunk,
I've been in Germany for 4 years now. I live near the train station in Ramstein. I've been to the CTS by Ramstein a couple of times, I think my wife has been there more than I have. It isn't much, but it is something. I've had that red clay on my XJ for a year now. My wife goes out there but doesn't wash the truck. I guess the clay keeps it together. I have met Joachim over here and I went to a weekend event at some kind of pit. I am really looking forward to getting back to the states. I have loved Germany and the culture, but I miss my Mustang and all the Jeep parts I have sitting in storage. I am part of the Medevac unit up on the hill in Landstuhl.

No, I don't have any family in NH or Mass but I did live in Worcster for a year back in the late 80's.

Others,
I hope the emission testing stops soon. Is the test just a sniffer test or is it also a visual inspection for equipment? My Mustang is a 1990 5.0 convertable that has been converted to carb. A 650dp with no choke was just fine in the flat warm climate of Florida, but I know it won't work well in the cold with lots of altitude changes.

We are also looking to buy a house in the area in the range of $150,000 to $175,000. We are looking for a 3 bedroom house with a 2-4 car garage or larger :laugh3: . We have been working with an Agent who has been showing us places in CS (mainly inthe school district of 2,3 and 11) and Fountain. We have no kids and don't have any plans for them; but that is the only way I know how to identify the areas we have been looking at. Are there any other towns or communities in the area that are worth looking into? My wife is a nurse, so we want to be close to a large medical facility or many small ones. My wife was out there last week, and we made an offer on a house but we couldn't come to an agreement.

I hope to meet you all in a few months.

 

[TJ_Shunk]

Re: Looking for good area to buy house

TJ-Shunk,
I've been in Germany for 4 years now. I live near the train station in Ramstein. I've been to the CTS by Ramstein a couple of times, I think my wife has been there more than I have. It isn't much, but it is something. I've had that red clay on my XJ for a year now. My wife goes out there but doesn't wash the truck. I guess the clay keeps it together. I have met Joachim over here and I went to a weekend event at some kind of pit. I am really looking forward to getting back to the states. I have loved Germany and the culture, but I miss my Mustang and all the Jeep parts I have sitting in storage. I am part of the Medevac unit up on the hill in Landstuhl.

No, I don't have any family in NH or Mass but I did live in Worcster for a year back in the late 80's.

I too miss the German culture. I lived in a little town called Horingen about 10 min past Otterberg. It was about 35 min from Ramstein AB. I didn't get my TJ until I was about to leave there so I wasn't in the wheelin scene to long but the wife had her XJ before I got mine so hers got all the red dirt stuck to it more then mine did. Her undercarage is still tinted red and it's been over a year since we moved here. If Ramstein wasn't such a busy base for my job then I would gladdly go back. Mybe I'll try to get to Spang instead one day.

Good luck finding a house with what you want for that price. Housing is expensive!!

-Matt

 

[old_man]

You can register the vehicle in a county that does not have emissions testing. You would be an automatic failure since you went from FI to carb. I have done lots of engine swaps and had them blessed by the state, but each had to be a newer engine and have the smog stuff. The tests are computerized and automated, so a different setup crashes.

 

[Rob Patterson]

commuting from Black Forest or Woodland Park area

The offer didn't go through on a house we were looking at in CS so now we are expanding our search. Are Black Forest and Woodland Park area within a 30 minute commute? Are there any other nice areas that are within communting distance to CS? After I return from Kuwait in the beginning of the year we will be taking a trip out to CS and the local area. If anyone could give us any advice on other areas to look at in the Springs area, we would appreciate it.

Thanks,