Thanks for the update Mr Internet !

 

OK, as discussed ad nauseum, ANYTHING IS ILLEGAL UNLESS IT HAS A CARB NUMBER.

The sniffer is moot, that's easy ****. Most cars would pass a sniffer with one hi-flow cat.

It's the ECU. It's the intake EGR system routing, it's everything. Will most cops know the difference, or even notice? Probably not, but if you get pulled and sent to the ref, the ref will figure it out.

Again, there's what you can probably get away with, and there's what's legal. If a smog tech actually cares about his job, and, more importantly, if the smog machine, (that communicates directly to DMV and can't be bypassed by the smog tech even if he wants to if the ECU is throwing error codes internally or reporting the car incorrectly) doesn't think your car is legit, you're screwed in terms of dealing with it. It's a royal PITA. An EJ25 shortblock is somewhat safer, because the car appears to be stock.


That said, I may be trying to legitimize a JDM swap at some point in the wagon, we'll see

 

california law actually does not allow head swapping, so even that would not be legal. now whether or not a cop who pulls you over will be able to tell that you swapped on new/different heads is a different story. lots of cops know hondas pretty well, but scoobies? when you go to the state referee to get the engine legalized though, that might present some problems.

and by the way, it is possible to have a jdm motor and get that BAR sticker. you do have to run a USDM ECU, and you'll have to make sure that your engine has all the smog equipment appropriate for your year (IE: EGR valve, charcoal canister, anything else that's required for the version of OBD that originally came on your car.). you are required to run at least the version of OBD that your car came with stock, or better. if your car was originally OBD1, you can run OBD1 or OBD2. you cannot however, convert a car that was OBD2 to OBD1 and stay legal (not in california anyway).

i've seen many a Civic with JDM motor swaps that had been approved by state referees. one was even a '99 hatch with a '97 ITR motor, which would typically be illegal since the motor was from an earlier model car. somehow the dude managed to get that sticker though.

generally speaking, it is on a case-by-case basis with JDM motor swaps (same with european motors by the way). if you run a USDM ECU, run all the appropriate smog equipment, have functioning catalytic converters, and no CELs, you should do okay.

whether or not you'll pass the visual inspection when you go to get it smogged, that's a different story.

 

Well its not just the BAR, but a state referee who needs to certify it, which is seperate from regular smog testing. LIC has managed to get a couple of JDM swaps ref'ed and certified by using USDM ECU's. After that point, theres really "illegal" about it becaue at that point it will be legalized. If you want more info, its probably best to ask them.

But from what you are saying, about the head swap, you could probably "get away with it" but it wont be technically legal. (If you just swap the heads, nobody will be able to visually tell the difference that easily, and then have the stock usdm ECU re-maped so it runs properly it would probably work, but I wouldnt do it)

FYI, when I had my car smog tested this year, I didn't tell the testers right away and they almost failed me because of the swap until they finally saw the sticker on the door (all the smog equipment didn't match the older smog equipment on the motor, so they knew it was wrong). But once they saw the ref sticker, I was good to go.

 

So what I'm gatherin is that you are taking a risk/chance of getting a fix-it ticket everytime you mod your car. Which sucks because I don't like taking chances with my money. Soo much for getting hyped about modding my car. Anyone get one of these fixing tickets before? Did you HAVE to put the car or problem back to stock, or could you just pay a fine and keep it as is? Dumb question I know...but I'm looking for expieriences to see if it's worth it or not.

 

Just make sure you get valid CARB approved parts if you're that worried.

 

I love how my one question was answered with so much wonderfull information.

 

Hmm I live in roseville, and drive my sti through it all the time. I have yet to be stopped. I have yet to be even followed, I have yet to even be stared down at from across the street... I guess it's because I don't drive like a jackass and am normally going under the speed limit(this should be good, because on this site im a hardcore street racer that stop light races), but all that aside I have never had a problem in my STI which is very much "legal"..... My camaro on the other hand....

I went 3 months on my STI with NO PLATES AT ALL, and no one said a word to me. I drove my camaro for 2 weeks without any plates(still had to smog my car), and I got pulled over 4 times!!! I had a cop even ask me
Cop: "Do you know how fast you where going?"
me: "Umm ya... Like 30-35, because I was eating...."(this was in a 40mph)
Cop: "So why don't you have any plates?"
Me: "I just bought my car and I haven't smoged it yet"
Cop: "Do you have your liscense/registration/proof of insurance?"
Me: "Yup, right here sir*hands him the stuff*
Cop: "An Arizona Liscense...? How long have you lived here!! I can right you a ticket for this!!"
Me: Umm, Actually I'm a full time student....
Cop: "Oh well, i'll be back...."
Me: *eats my chicken quesidilla while he walks away
Cop: "Alright here! You can go!"

******* cop for no reason

 

so he gave you a ticket for being an out of state driver? As in for not changing your residence?

 

mmmmmmm... chicken quesidilla.

 

you have like 60 days to relocate you records if you move here. I lived in IL for 6 years and had to get Ca lisence when i moved back.

 

Actually, if you are a registered Full Time student, you don't have to ever switch over your residency because you could be living here just to be in school and then moving back right after, so as long as you are in school you are good to go!

So ya I got out of that whole thing with no tickets, all 4 times i was pulled over I was let go because I have nothing illegal on my camaro nor was I driving it illegally, but they definately didn't hesitate to pull me over

 

Yeah true. I know this is probably going to happen to me if I ever get pulled over at school in PA. I'm just going to say that it's not my primary residence there, so I don't need to swtich over.

 

Out of state students and military don't count. I only got rid of my CA lisence cause CA wanted me to keep register my car here too. that included the wonderful smog program.

 

, I tried to register my car in Arizona right when I bought it, but they wouldn't let me, that would have been awesome.... My county's smog law in Arizona was, "The Car had to have a cat...." That was it.... NOTHING else, so i ran a highflow cat off a Porsche 996 on my GTI and cops never said a word