<What amazes me is that friends in CA say that no safety inspection is
required -- just pass emissions and you're fine. In VA they'll fail
you for torn boots or worn bushings or a pit in the windshield.

john>

John,
    What you need to do in Virginia is look around for the oldest (age) state inspector you can find. I used to take my cars to a local garage where the inspector was about 70+ years old. He would always do the basics, lights, wipers, horn, etc. Then he'd ASK me if my brakes were OK. He would always close the bay doors, and even told me one time we had to wait at least 20 minutes in case the "state (police) boys" were watching him. Sadly, he retired and that garage now has a young guy in 20's who checks everything. Actually, my biggest problem with Virginia's "safety" inspection is that it's done by independant garages and it gives them a blank check to rip you off. It used to be every 6 months in Virginia, and when they changed it yearly, the Gas Station Retailers Assoc. in Virginia said yearly inspections were "going to cause a bloodbath on Virginia highways". Gimme a break. Yeah, if you get a crooked inspector you can always report him to the state police-good luck with that!
Jeff