Narnian

Oh I see! So the idea is to make sure I drive through some mud a few days before getting tested!

cv67

there ya go

383vett

There is no such law "requiring" engine replacement at a certain mileage. That is a urban myth propagated by importers and car owners who simply don't know or understand the situation in Japan. The high taxes (annually assessed), insurance premiums, gas costs, and especially the safety inspection/registration (occurs biennial) combine to keep turnover of vehicles high.

For example, the Safety inspection for your typical car (say Camry/Accord type) can typically cost $2,000....each time! New vehicles have a 3 year grace period before they are required to submit for the Safety Inspection. In other words, for a 10 year old car, you will have already paid over $8,000, in just Safety Inspection fees! Don't forget, gas over in Japan is also typically four times the cost of here in the U.S. Mileage is kept low on the vehicles as EVERYONE (unless your fabulously rich and patient) uses alternative transportation to get around. Most folks use the trains for local and medium distance traveling/commuting.

JrRifleCoach

Driving thru a mud puddle. PERFECT!!!

Like I said. Make it look stock!

leesvet

I'm certain the the 30K number is not entirely accurate and that its more a question of quality than quanity for the cut off pt in Japan, but the 'myth' is not totally inaccurate...I've been to the warehouse in LA harbor (or Long Beach?) where all the imported Japanese engines come in on ships by the thousands, and seen the rows and rows of every imaginable Japanese engine ever made...with 123 more just like it. I think the 30,000 mile number is more of an avg age of the engines that are discarded. Not actually where each one was forced into retirement. The high cost of ownership there is also a factor. The working class there use public transportation as you described and its the middle class and up that enjoy car ownership more.
What I saw was pretty incredible...If anyone is ever curious, they always have an ad in the auto-trader. Actually, there are several Japanese companies that do this and a couple American importers as well.
It was like a shopping mall of used engines. Thats who described where and how they accuired them. Not saying that there are not certain "liberties" taken with the story as it gets passes around, but the basic tale is true....The standard there is much tougher than it is here and what they would throw away, we can still utilize. Thats why those piles of engines are here, and not there.

leesvet

In SoCal, I heard that a "baby on a board" sticker helps....


Around Sacramento, a Hug a Whale sticker gets you a pass....

Narnian

I have to say, I've never met so many socially-environmentally conscious people in my entire life. Is it contagious?

OK, here's a related question to the original thread.

Can anyone put numbers to the change I can expect from putting on a stock CAT and mufflers? For example, has anyone timed the difference from 0-60mph on an L98? Quarter mile? Measured the horsepower on a dyno?

What are the best CA legal modifications I can make for less than $400 that will make me feel better about what I imagine I'm giving up by putting in a cat and mufflers?

The ONLY mod I've done to this car is one of those throttle body airflow bolt-ons, so there is lot's of room for improvement. I just don't know what's worthwhile without breaking rules in Cali. All I want to do is beat my father-in-laws Skye Redline when I get my car here. His 0-60 is supposed to be 5.5, mine is supposed to be 5.7.

jeffp1167

here is the complete magnaflow system I bought for my 1990 real nice system, I know your probably not up to spending what I did but it is a guaranteed sniff pass and new exhaust.

265.00 for the front Y-pipe
169.00 for the main cat
310.00 for the catback

bill mcdonald

I have no idea.... but I do know the stock exhaust manifolds are so restrictive that I doubt you will notice cats or no cats.
When I pulled mine off, I was shocked. the primaries looked about 1" to 1.2" I ground mine out, trying to leave enough weld to keep them connected (they are welded on the inside) and I saw from 1.2 to 1.5 on my best try. There is also that air injection tube running into the manifold about 1-2" in. I cut those flush to the outter wall.

Most ask if they should get headers with 1 5/8" or 1 3/4" around here.

Aside from nitrous... I dont think 400 bucks will get you anything then a cold air intake that will make you feel warm and fuzzy.

If you get 3500 you could get a cam, intake and heads. then you will have to come back and discuss how your stock exhaust is restricting your new found power.

Cali rules are really simple.
1. have stock and functioning emissions equiptment.
2. if you have a modded part, have a carb# to show.

Now what you do with those rules are up to you.

BTW your car will be looked over by a mortal man. It is always a mixed bag.

and as far as running someone... which sounds like 0-60... it will be the driver on similar cars that makes the difference. I think the sky is rated at 5.6 0-60... so I just gave you .1 seconds to play with.

cv67

Cant spot an internal mod and those ones really count.

There are runners and intake bases that appear stock

Strokers that can appear as a 350.


Wasnt it Beach Bum who was running bottom 12/high 11s with his Superram/219 setup
thats not exactly slow!

All kinds of fun stuff you can do, just costs money.

bill mcdonald

super rams CARB# and legal
zz9 or 219 cams both pass.
Heads look like heads.

all that is left is exhaust. And I know beach is not running those times with stock exhaust.

my 355, zz9, AFR heads, super ram passed 6 smog checks.
It is the stock exhaust makin me slow to the smog station.

Narnian

12 years ago I spent $4500 putting a 300HP l98 into a 1986 Vette. I added cold/forced air induction, and a fancy exhaust system. I didn't take it to the track, but I had a friend time the cold air before and after -- 0 to 60mph. I seem to remember we averaged out at .3 seconds faster with the cold air. I know for certain that GM sold a cold air system for the L98 in the trans ams, and guaranteed a 15hp gain. Cold air systems aren't imaginary power.


I don't know if the cold air induction will have as much of an effect on a nearly stock engine as it did on that aftermarket engine, but I think it might give me the best bang for the buck under $400. That was a pretty good suggestion. I think there are cold air kits for around $200?


Incidentally, six weeks after I finished all the upgrading on that car, some yoyo with a Mack truck smashed it to smithereens. It took six months and a lawyer to get the insurance company to compensate me for the car plus upgrades.

MrVette90l98mt

I've had my '90 ZF6 since Aug of 2009 and have had to have it smoged twice. The first smog was for change of ownership, it just barly passed on NOx and very clean on the rest. The 2nd smog was last March and it failed on NOx by a couple hundred points. The only difference between the 2 smogs were stock cat forward w/muffler elim's, GS wheels/315's Sumitomos, a SPEC billet flywheel/kevlar stage 2 clutch and (1) 20 minute "hyperdrive" flat out session @ Infineon Raceway (9-25-10).

My first plan was to inspect EGR (code 32)...one can hope
-Replaced EGR valve and retest...Failed NOx- a little cleaner though
-Double checked all connections found hose/plastic line to be questionable. Replaced hose, retard timing to 5* BTC, over inflate rear tires to 55psi and retest...
Passed @15, Failed NOx @25mph...getting better, not good enough!
WTH!!!
Used Snapon MODIS (scaner) to see when EGR is active, Found out it dosen't come on until over 1900 RPM...smog test RPM in 2nd/3rd gear to be 1200/1900 EGR may or may not be active during the test.
Hooked up EGR to non-ported vacuum (bypass the solenoid) and retest...passed @15 mph, still boarder line @25 (pretest). I told the guy EGR won't come on until after 2000rpm and requested to test in 1st & 2nd gear instead of 2nd & 3rd (still in range of acceptable test rpm and speed)

Finally passed!!!!
Must have lost 30hp trying to get the darn thing to pass!...

But wait, there is more!!! Califonia doesn't like old cars...they are intentionally enforcing tighter standards our beloved C4's were never designed for!!!

The standards in 2009 15/25MPH MAX are:
HC-110/85 CO%-.71/.59 NOx-772/711
Measured: HC- 25/13 CO%-.01/.01 NOx-524/494

Standards for 2011: HC-77/59 CO%-.50/.59 NOx-541/498
Measured: HC-48/18 CO%-.42/.00 NOx-279/479

California IS NOT AND WILL NOT TAKE MY VETTE from me!!!
So if I can't pass smog in OEM form, I might as well put long tubes, heads, cam, supperram, dual exhaust and get it "clean piped" from now on.

I would suggest replacing or install all 3 cats, a nice long freeway cruise for 20 miles or so befor the test, and set rear tires to +50psi. After the test remove cats (to preserve them, Ca cats are double the cost to cover the state warranty)

Anybody eles noticed the standards are getting tighter?

anciano

Why don't you just lie about it like he does? Cheaper, and erveybody else is doing it anyway.

Narnian

Haha, the numbers for his car come from car and driver magazine. He isn't making it up.

Of course, if I put a rear spoiler on my car and some stickers from Japan, I will be able to do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, right? Or do I need to also get one of those mufflers with tips the size of Kansas that sound like a bee in a megaphone?

leesvet

A fart can on a Corvette?


you should be ashamed !


I used to carry a can of expanding foam sealant just so I could "silence" those things....works much better than jamming a russet potato up there..

Narnian

I went out and did some research on California smog laws. Apparently, Cali has a few new people in charge of this department, and they've decided to really crack down on hot rodders who make use of classic car status to rip off all smog protection, as well as hot rodders who test with one piece of equipment then take everything off after the inspection. The standards ARE getting tougher.

During that search I came across an article about E-Rod Crate engines from GM. I can buy a 430hp setup from GM that is completely CARB approved.

http://www.crateenginedepot.com/stor...P2496C534.aspx

Sooooo, I'm going back to my original plan. I'm going to get my vehicle through the inspection with legal cats and mufflers. I won't bother with bolt-on go-fast goodies. I'll save up some cash for one of these crate engines. In two or three years my motor will probably give up the ghost. When it does I'll get whatever E_Rod motor is available and install it. I'll have the power of a much later model Vette, but keep the body and interior I've grown to love. Seems like the way to go for me.

No Go-fast goodies includes no fart-can

cv67

Nice!!

GKK

That's a lot of $$$$$ to sink into a 21 year old Vette!...I wish I could afford it though.

3D87C4

I'm hoping to have an EROD installed this summer & will start a thread when this progresses to the money changing hands and/or parts ordered status.

An LS swap from a donor car can be done cheaper, especially if you do the work yourself (which I can't), and smog legal, but the EROD is easier in many ways and will get you a new engine with a warranty.

Other than that, it's stupid expensive & I make no attempt to justify it beyond I can and I wanna.