My car trouble just got worse with the installation of new, supposedly cheat-proof, high-tech equipment touted as the industry standard. It is a system that gives old autos, such as my rust-never-sleeps '85 Dodge pickup truck, and my middle-aged mechanic, Nick Velardi, a run for the money.

To make a long story short, the truck went to Nick's Saturday morning. Seven days and $345 later, he got it to squeak by the $35 inspection.

Nick and his family have been fixing cars in Rockaway Beach since the end of World War II. He has never failed me, my brother or my mother-in-law. He's a good, honest mechanic. That's why the shop has been around for the last 50 years and why it would be a shame if Nick gets driven out of business because he does emissions inspections.

How could that happen? Because the equipment used in the inspection costs $40,000; Nick leases it for $900 a month, and a single car like mine can tie up his shop for a week. Logic might say get rid of the inspection station as part of your business. But if a service station doesn't do the job, a customer will go elsewhere because the annual inspection is a must. So, for the little guy, such as Nick, it's a lose-lose situation.

I can appreciate the safety end of the inspection. I want a safe vehicle even if it means a getting a big bill. But safety wasn't the issue with my truck. The six-cylinder Dodge that spewed no smoke couldn't get through the grueling emissions examination. After much time and tinkering, though, Nick finally got it to pass.

Was the truck a better truck for its fraction of a fraction better emissions reading? Was the machine that tried to kill my truck calibrated properly? Was Nick trained well enough on the machine to get an accurate reading? I don't know.

Nick says he needs more training. He says most mechanics need more training and support for these computerized gadgets that cost so much and "go down" easier than a kid on roller skates. By the way, when that machine goes down - as it often does - Nick starts losing money, big time.

New York state should wise up. First, legislators should remember that these pop-and-son shops provide a service by doing inspections, so the state could give small businesspeople some relief from the leasing fees. Or, even more practical, emissions inspections could be given for free at a centralized New York state facility by highly trained emissions experts. That would leave safety inspections to regular mechanics. This is how our neighbor states Connecticut and New Jersey do it.

I'm done for a year, the bill is paid, the Dodge is legal and I hope Nick will still be in business on May 10, 2000, when the truck's emissions sticker expires.

So when you bring your car to your mechanic for a simple inspection and he either can't do it because there isn't enough time in the day, or his Dynamometer is off line, remember: The problem might not be under the hood - it might be in Albany.

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