I read various articles on the forum about owners that have done all kinds of work on there Vettes. What exactly can I do to my C5 and still be smog legal in CA. Can I change Cams, add headers, etc.

 

I'm in California as well...LA area to be more specific.

Pretty much you are hosed. I've got two C5's. What you can get away with legally is short.

1) Cold Air Intake from one of three makers.
2) MAF sensor for more air
3) Improved exhaust system (catback, X pipe recommended)
4) Headers...doubt it. PITA to put in and they make your car real loud and your passenger compartment a lot hotter.
5) Better tune-up helps of course.
6) Better wires is a bonus as well.

Whatever you do, stay away from Granatelli Motorsports in Oxnard. I have purchased a number of items from them and found that all but one are NOT CARB/SMOG legal and I'm in the process of taking them all back off to pass smog.

I have contacted the president of Granatelli three times now with my concerns to rectify this and I have been ignored. However when I was in the pre-purchase buying cycle Joey Granatelli wrote me via email to assure me his C5 upgrades are CARB legal.

That turned out to be a complete lie, now he won't answer my emails to rectify the $1400 plus I spent with his company.

If you need some help to get what's legal, and has a VALID CARB/SMOG legal upgrade # in California, feel free to email me. I've got a list. I can also recommend a good Vette mechanic local to Whittier, CA. Not sure if that's close to you or helps, but I at least have the other information you need.

Jim

 

What year is your Vette and what trans?

* Ported Heads (243 or 799 Castings)
* Medium Cam (may posts here about cali guys passing emissions with a medium sized cam)
* LS7 Exhaust Manifolds/Downpipes/Hpipe (OEM C6Z06/ZR1.. search my posts for the install and dyno on my '04 Z06)
* Catback mufflers or Z06 Ti mufflers (if you like the OEM look and mellow)
* Custom "Lean and Mean" Tune
* LS6, Ported LS6 or Fast 92 Intake manifold
* CARB Approved Cold air intake (Or put stock air box in for smog test)

Should put you in the 420'ish hp range and be smog friendly. A set of rear gears will make it feel a little faster as well.

S

 

A&A's base Vortech supercharger systems are CARB-certified. Slap one of those puppies on and you're good to go. They are 50-state emissions-legal.

 

That would be a great upgrade to your car.

 

 

I bought an '02 coupe back in 2005 from a CA resident who was a CF member. The car has a Vortech supercharger (S-2 version), SuperChips tune which came with the supercharger package, and Corsa Indy Pace Car cat-back system.

The car dyno'd at 443 rear wheel HP and about 403 ft-lbs of torque. I think that makes flywheel output somewhere around 510HP??

It will run high 11's and I can break the tires loose in 3rd. And it still delivers over 31MPG in 6th gear at 72 MPH and that's calculated the old-fashioned way with a pencil and paper, not the digital readout.

 

I had the same issue wanting more power in california with my 99 C5. I put in a A&A supercharger system to get more power and still pass a cali smog check. Have not had any problems passing a smog check. Their SI kit is 50 state legal.

 

I SuperCharged mine at A&A. Passed smog the next week.

Do that. You won't be depressed/bored anymore!!!
Except you'll have to buy bigger rear tires.....

Don

 

I was once depressed in Ca. Then I moved to Nevada. I was cured.

 

BINGO! We have a winner!

 

Here is a CARB link where you can look up parts and find out if they are CARB approved:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermk...es/amquery.php

 

Whats A&A ?

 

Thanks but been there done that

 

Well I wasn't depressed in CA but I kind of like living in Las Vegas

 

Might want to consider swapping in a motor from a later Corvette. Won't make as much power but will probably have fewer headaches. If you consider the price of an LS3 is around 7000, and that you can sell your LS1 for over 2000, then the price comes to around the same.

 

I mulled over the supercharger idea from A&A, I know my local forum member donald4972 did it to his C5 and says it's great.

What kept me from doing it was that I just couldn't figure out in So Cal traffic where I could open it up and have some real fun with it for more than 30 seconds before running into traffic, CHP or some idiot in a Honda Accord/Civic changing all four lanes on the freeway and slamming into me.

To test the thought I went out after morning rush hour was over (around 10:45-11am) and hit the 60 freeway going west towards downtown LA from the 605. I made it to 95 pretty quickly and right into a traffic jam.

I'd need a lot of open road to enjoy a supercharger upgrade to it's fullest...and a constant re-order of rear tires the way I like to go WOT.

 

The key to building in cali is hidden parts. Ported 243 heads and a 224/224 114lsa cam are undetectable to the eye and emissions compliant. A K&N intake is 50 state legal and an LS6 intake is a stock replacement if you dont have one already. Any axle-back exhaust is legal and a x-pipe can be welded in because its behind the cats. The TB can be ported out which would also be undetectable. Looking under the hood with all this would show nothing but a K&N and out back youd see an exhaust. I made 390whp in my auto like this without headers. Passed emissions and was totally legal.

You can also do tires, diff gears, suspension, weight reduction, and a number of things to add major performance totally legally.

 

This:



https://www.aacorvette.com/

 

I moved to Oregon and in my town they don't even require DEQ (smog for you Californians). I could run open headers if I wanted.