I found a rebuilt, slightly modded carb on craigslist a few months back. I'm in CA also, and my sammy wouldnt pass smog. Picked up the carb, still attached to the intake for $150.
Passed smog with ease.
Look around, there are deals out there. The cheapest rebuild I had found before finding this was over $400. As a matter of fact, the guy who sold me this carb also sold me another rebuilt carb for really cheap. Its just sitting in my shop, I had forgotten all about it. Where in CA are you located?