This is a really noob question, so bear with me. I've never had to get recon before, and I'm planning to modify my wrx. Just wondering what those guys actually look for. Is it that all you need are receipts for things you buy and put on the car, and that will pass you? I have rims on the car already, but it isn't dropped and I'm not planning to. I also have a bov and cai. I was wondering about the exhaust, though. I was planning on going catless from uppipe through turboback. Do they really check, and do they really care? No, I don't have the safety check hookup, unfortunately. Any answers to my questions would help a lot, and assist in my exhaust purchases in the near future.

 

Lets see... Recon as a whole is a load of BS but for the most part this is what needs to be done. Your front/back plates have to be so high from the ground. I dont really remember but I think its something like 24"f and 26"r or something to that effect. Thats when they smile and say that your cars to low. Shouldnt matter much as long as you have an affidavit from who you bought it from saying that its street legal. The same goes for your rims, But I could be wrong cause they make their own rules as they go. Im not sure but they might give you s h i t about your fog lights. Something along the lines of "They are not oem and they dont say dot" again more bs. I rather just pay for the ticket than loose a day @ work than go down to get a (insert monkey here) sticker that doesnt even garuantee that you wont get harrased by the man. HTH

 

Recon:

Front licence plate 12+ inches off ground
Center of headlights 22+ inches off ground
lowest part of vehicle chasis no lower than lowest part of rim
35%+ tint
if lowered, no fog lights below 12 in off ground. (sometimes they check, sometimes they don't, and yes, that includes stock lights)
no clear corners or side markers (but dot/sae lights sometimes get below radar.... But usually you can get away with one but not both...)
affadavits for all mod items. Rims, tires, springs, shocks, etc.
No blue, green red lights on the front facing portion of the vehicle, including super whites, xenon look lights, etc.
Wings and body kits aren't under the recon law, so they are okay, so long as you retain the stock bumper braces, and inserts.

I can't remember anything else...

Good luck.

 

oops... Guess I forgot some stuff.

 

Oh yeah, when you add more mods that require recon, you have to go back and get it updated, (at least updating is for free. Initial cost is $20) Because if you are stopped by a cop and he wants to check your papers, and your mods don't match what is on your car, they can revoke your recon.
Oh yeah, don't forget, drivers license, insurance papers, registration, 30 day or less alignment papers (all in factory spec), and recon is only open 12-3 o'clock I think...

It sounds like a real pain in the *** which it is, but it could save you from alot of problems with being pulled over. Expect the total cost of getting all of the work done to be between 20-200 dollars, if you got hook ups.

 

damn I forgot alot!

 

Thanks guys, that helps a lot! Sounds like a total pain in the ***. Geez...just got my Vishnu uppipe too. Anybody want to buy it? Nah, just kidding! I'll see how it goes...

 

you only need the alignment papers if you've done suspension work. Rims are okay if they are 1 inch bigger than stock, I'm not sure if that means you can go with 18s or not. If your rims aren't one piece you're supposed to get a letter from the manufacturer stating that they won't fall apart or some shat. Make sure the load rating on your tires is as much as vehicle weight listed inside driver's door-jam.

They can't check your up-pipe cause they can't see it, and if you're planning to get full-exhaust, get the recon first. CAI shouldn't cause too much problems; don't quote me on that. Oh yeah, also no stickers on any windows whatsoever, that includes no tint strip across the windshield.

Basically, if they are in a bad mood, they'll find something to screw you for...in my case it was "cracks" in a taillight that weren't actually cracks, but just deteriorating plastic that looked "cracked" Iargued with em but they made me go and change em. Also my headlights weren't dot approved, so i swapped the tailight and headlights out with a friend, got the sticker, and then swapped em back.

Plan on going twice, at least that way you might get a surprise and pass the first time.

WillRX

 

Thanks WillRX. I actually tried for recon when I had my Integra, but all I had was exhaust, cai, and headers. They gave me back my check and said to come back if I put on wheels or lowered the car. They must have been in a good mood, yeah? Is there still the procedure; where you give them the money first and THEN they do the check? And if they find anything wrong, they'll send you away with no recon sticker and keep the money?

 

Don't vote for people that support this.

 

tint strip is ok if its 4" or less but the measure from the top of the rubber not the begining of the glass

 

Recon is better than emissions.
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