65sohc

As I see it, there are plenty of mods that are legal, so what would be the point? You can get 500 rwhp with a perfectly legal supercharger. Removing the cats nets you about 8 hp. Not an impressive figure. My Mustang is the first car I have owned in the 35 years I've been driving that has actually been smog legal. I finally decided that the stress of paying for phony smog certificates and driving around paranoid was not worth it.

06GTwJUICE

true.

mrkabc

It (the onramp smog meters) works and it's legal. The L.iberA.l Times had a writeup on the new "smog fighting" tactics and this was discussed.

It's legal, and the burden of proof is on YOU to show that your car isn't a "gross polluter". Once you get THAT tag your car's resale value pretty much goes in the toilet.

06GTwJUICE

Some people who don't live in California have no idea how hard they make it on car guys/gals sometimes...

TacoBill

Us guys who installed an O/R H or X could care less for the 8HP, we install mid pipes and axle-back exhausts for the sound.

Webba

I live in Maine and I know it isnt quite as tough as cali but its getting that way. And remember this. You live in Cali, the first state from West to East in this country. The last state being Maine. Guess who gets all of your pollution??! Now Im not a tree hugger and I dont roll in the granola but I dop think we have a responsibility to our kids and whoever the hell resides on this planet after us. And if we dont do something about it there wont be anyone. The arguement you made about the sh*t box cars smoking in front of you and the crap cars out there arent your deal. The only thing you can do is what is under your control and that is your car. You are using the he jumped off a bridge and got away with it so I can too mentality. The $$ spent on immigration way out weighs the smog $$ but that doesnt make that right either. You guys have a big issue with that I hear out there too

TacoBill

Are you through? Good, now let's talk about GT Performance.

LEO_06GT

Thanks Captain Planet.

mrkabc

I doubt that smog from CA makes it all the way to ME, and how would you know if it did? I'm tired of the "think of our children" argument. It's way overused to justify onerous new regulations which are mainly designed to restrict our freedom and cost us money.

Sooo... that being said... I doubt that a few enthusiasts removing their catalytic converters will cause the Earth to suddenly explode and fall into the sun. As a matter of fact, by having a newer fleet of computer controlled, fuel injected, aerodynamic vehicles in CA running unleaded fuel, we would STILL put out less pollution then say, Mexico City even if we ALL took off our catalytic converters.

Stick THAT in your pipe and smoke it - and focus your enviro-**** vitriol for those third world toilet countries that do NOTHING whatsoever to safeguard your Mother Gaiea.

06GT4RAD

First off no muffler will effect the emissions. They have nothing to do other than sound. Next is there are plenty of CARB Legal mods that you really should not even concern yourself with it. JBA makes a set of CARB legal Headers yes they are shorties but they are still headers and they will give a small increase not as good as long tubes but since LT are not legal why bother. Bassani makes a 50 State legal Short X Pipe so that is another option. Faord Racing now has cARB certification on there CAI and tuner.

Someone said something about registering teh car out of state well that is illegal and you are required by law to have your vehicle registered in this state within 30 days of residancy. So do not even try that it is not worht the fine you risk. And they can impound your car and put a mandatory 30 day hold on it and the fees to get it out will be absurd.

Richard

nynvolt

I'm keeping it California legal, although it is illegal to change the timing which a SCT will do, it's just too hard for the police to detect. So I've done that. They can and will ask to inspect your car on routine traffic stops, if they want to. Basically anything that doesn't have the C.A.R.B. exempt sticker under the hood is illegal. You will be fined, they can impound and you will be forced to remove any illegal parts.

As far as the exhaust, you have to have c.a.r.b exempt headers, cats and all your o2 sensors have to work. The axle backs just need to meet oem standards and be within the legal db limits. It's technically illegal to make your car louder but it's really not practical for them to enforce it unless it is really REALLY loud.

I know I don't have to bother with smog until 2011, but it's my daily driver and I really don't want to have a garage full of parts I have to change out when smog comes up.

Obviously you can take your chances and I'd bet you'd get away with it up until smog comes up, atleast in southern CA. Cops too busy to bother you cause you tinted your front windows or your cars loud.

Webba

Wow, the mentality of some on here gets lower all the time.

06GTwJUICE

I know we all don't agree on the environmental/smog thing, but I'm not asking for a debate on that or fighting.

I asked the question because it's an issue wiht anyone living in California who modifies their car.

Thus anyone in CA will feel my pain, and those looking in from outside the Peoples Republic of California most likely wont.

With my import there was not many CARB options for major power adders and those that were, didnt give enough gains to justify the money. I dropped 3300$ on a turbo kit and pushed my car to 300whp, up from 145hp.... the kit, not smog legal. A smog legal s/c for the same car was more expensive and gave maybe 60whp more over stock.... not worth it IMHO.

I want Bassini exhaust but don't see it as being CARB certed. SLP long tube headers... nope. Most Xpipes, NOPE.....

06GTwJUICE

Thats true... The People's Republic of California is one of the only countries to have smog restrictions. Do any european countries have smog laws?

hmmmmm

emperorjordan

+1

mrkabc

I thought you didn't want to debate...

Suffice it to say that as a resident of the future Nation of Aztlan I totally feel your pain. I guess that when Mexico finally conquers us here in SoCal I will be able to bribe the Federales to overlook my smog-illegal mods...

OK, back to topic. I can't do the mods like 06GT either, thanks to our liberal Gaiea hugging, Haight-Ashbury refugee, terrorist-appeasing, Commie pinko Democrats that run our once-great state.

65sohc

People seem to confused as to the role of CARB, which is the California Air Resources Board. All they are concerned about are issues that affect air quality. CARB has no interest in anything on a car that does not pertain to emissions, ie. anything downstream of the catalytic converters. You can use an h-pipe, x-pipe, or z-pipe for that matter and CARB couldn't care less. There is no such thing as CARB certification of a part that does not affect emissions. The only reason a muffler would be illegal is if it is too loud and that is at the discretion of the police. As someone earlier said, technically any muffler that increases noise is illegal. By the same token, all side window tint is illegal as well. If someone is dumb enough to black out their driver's door window they're going to get pulled over. However, if you use a little common sense you can get by with a subtle tint. Same thing with exhaust. If someone is so starved for attention that they must put on the loudest pipes they can find and drive around at 5K all day, they'll get noticed alright.