CA exhaust
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Instructor
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CA exhaust
Hello all. I am moving from VA to CA and was wondering if anyone knew what kind of exhaust is legal there. I heard the cops now have a decible meter in hte cars and will stop you if they think that your car is too loud. I currently have long tube headers, high flow dual in/out cat, x-pipe and tips. Was thinking about throwing on some 3 chamber flowmasters to quiet it down some but will that be enough. Some people have told me that some ehaust systems are CA sound approved. Anyone heard of this??
Mtrhd329
Mtrhd329
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: San Pedro CA
there are restrictions, but they are federal...
the 95 db sound limit that police and DMVs follow is the same as the factories have to follow (IIRC).
The headers are not going to pass. Not in a million years. They are CARB illegal. Period.
Cars with Db meters? HA! They do occasionally set up check points to inspect motorcycles, tho.
There is a lot of misinformation re: California. Don't believe it. It's people who don't know jack.
Where in Cali are you moving to?
the 95 db sound limit that police and DMVs follow is the same as the factories have to follow (IIRC).
The headers are not going to pass. Not in a million years. They are CARB illegal. Period.
Cars with Db meters? HA! They do occasionally set up check points to inspect motorcycles, tho.
There is a lot of misinformation re: California. Don't believe it. It's people who don't know jack.
Where in Cali are you moving to?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
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I am going to be moving to chowchilla somewhere near fresno. I gues the long tube headers must go then....are there any good shorty headers out there? I like the acceleratipn i got from those and hate to lose that. Guess i could always register in AZ and get a PO box.... not too many restrictions there.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
There's a lot of new laws on the books, but none of them are enforced. Someday.. they'll start this crap, roadside sniffers and pullovers with vehicle inspections by cops. 
Might only start out in a few metro areas. Just don't redline it next to a cop and you'll be fine for now.
You'll need to pass smog to register it, which means no long tubes, and you've gotta have at least your precats in place, smog pump, and all that crap. Some people do the header swap every two years for smog renewal.
People try to register out of state, but the cops are really strict about that lately, and will bust your ***** and give you a fix it ticket if you're using it in California and don't have a good lie to tell them.
The bumfuk nowhere parts of California only require smog on change of ownership and maybe on initial registration in-state. If you're going to get around smog, that's the safer place to register it, but you need a physical address in that bumfuk town, not a PO box. (there are some p.o.-type boxes now that have a real street address)
Might only start out in a few metro areas. Just don't redline it next to a cop and you'll be fine for now.You'll need to pass smog to register it, which means no long tubes, and you've gotta have at least your precats in place, smog pump, and all that crap. Some people do the header swap every two years for smog renewal.
People try to register out of state, but the cops are really strict about that lately, and will bust your ***** and give you a fix it ticket if you're using it in California and don't have a good lie to tell them.
The bumfuk nowhere parts of California only require smog on change of ownership and maybe on initial registration in-state. If you're going to get around smog, that's the safer place to register it, but you need a physical address in that bumfuk town, not a PO box. (there are some p.o.-type boxes now that have a real street address)
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
No exceptions for military now, unless you're off base maybe.
I think you even have to have proof of smog to get a parking pass, no matter what state you're from, or how old your vehicle is.
I think you even have to have proof of smog to get a parking pass, no matter what state you're from, or how old your vehicle is.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Redding Ca
Guess i could always register in AZ and get a PO box.... not too many restrictions there.
This is very risky. I live way up in Northern Ca, about 2-hrs from the Oregon border. Oregon has no sales tax so for years many geniuses did the "I'ma Oregon resident" with a PO Box thing for big ticket items like cars, motorhomes, etc.
They are now getting busted regularly by Ca and the fines are VERY stiff. It's not hard to track an out of state license on a car that is seen regularly in Ca communities. Welcome to Cali!
This is very risky. I live way up in Northern Ca, about 2-hrs from the Oregon border. Oregon has no sales tax so for years many geniuses did the "I'ma Oregon resident" with a PO Box thing for big ticket items like cars, motorhomes, etc.
They are now getting busted regularly by Ca and the fines are VERY stiff. It's not hard to track an out of state license on a car that is seen regularly in Ca communities. Welcome to Cali!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
No exceptions for military now, unless you're off base maybe.
I think you even have to have proof of smog to get a parking pass, no matter what state you're from, or how old your vehicle is.
I think you even have to have proof of smog to get a parking pass, no matter what state you're from, or how old your vehicle is.
Because the last time I read about this (within the last 18 months, when I was bringing my car in to CA from DE), service people were excempt.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 590
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From: Boynton Beach, FL
I think your up the creek re the headers. I believe Fresno area is an "impact area", i,e, you get the rolling wheel dyno smog test, not just the visual and sniffer test. I ran long tube headers, a cat and straight pipes for years in the S.F bay area. With a little tweaking of tuning, I could pass the sniffer test so with a friendly smog station I could get my smog certificate. I don't think you'll make it with the dyno test.
Welcome to California. Take away the fruits and nuts and all your left with are the flakes.
Larry
Welcome to California. Take away the fruits and nuts and all your left with are the flakes.
Larry
Racer
Joined: May 2006
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From: Alpine California
Originally Posted by bogus
they changed this?
Because the last time I read about this (within the last 18 months, when I was bringing my car in to CA from DE), service people were excempt.
Because the last time I read about this (within the last 18 months, when I was bringing my car in to CA from DE), service people were excempt.
Last edited by Blownfuel1; Jun 20, 2006 at 05:54 PM.
Racer
Joined: May 2006
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From: Alpine California
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
The bumfuk nowhere parts of California only require smog on change of ownership and maybe on initial registration in-state. If you're going to get around smog, that's the safer place to register it, but you need a physical address in that bumfuk town, not a PO box. (there are some p.o.-type boxes now that have a real street address)
