82transam

iTrader: (18)

Ok, I know there have been numerous threads about modding a 12a. But most of those threads are about modding a 12a by installing a aftermarket carb, massive porting etc. What about us in NJ or CA? You can't do any of that here, legally anyway. I know I could always mod it and when inspecion time comes around put it all back to stock, but I don't wanna do that. What can I do to a 12a that will keep it legal? Just trying to bounce around some ideas.

riffraff

k & n air filter. msd coils. or bonez hi flow cat.. that is about all that you can do.

RX7 8U

iTrader: (1)

In CA just register the car in a non-smog county and you're done. Find a buddy, mailbox or whatever. It's easy! Just surf the ca.gov website and you'll find which counties are exempt.

oops just noticed you're in NJ. Sorry can't help unless they do it by county too.

i_piss_on_hondas

BIG TURBO BRIDGE PORT STRAIGHT PIPES...

82transam

iTrader: (18)

I wish NJ had exemptions like that, but no luck. there are plenty of gas stations that do inspecions that will overlook certain things, but it still has to pass the sniffer test. mechanical secondaries, and an electric fan are two more. what else?

nucentz

hrmmm there goes my plans.

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

What about the ignition? Maybe a MSD 6A or Jacob's Rotarymaster? Anyone in NJ or CA use one of these?

Maguire

iTrader: (1)

NAAAAAAWWWWWWWWSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

pvc

Not that these free up a lot of power but no one has said anything about underdrive pulleys and loosing weight.


And there's always lighter flywheels.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

you can mod the stock carb, cat back, you may be able to get away with headers and a cat like this
http://mazdatrix.com/e-gray.htm

oh and a note to californians, this year every county gets smog testing

mike

riffraff

where did you get this information? reliable source?

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

yup, our local shop has been told that every county is getting smog testing, and more places are getting the dyno testing. its a bummer i know

mike

mar3

iTrader: (8)

When you say street-legal, does that mean it just has to pass the sniffer or does it also have to pass a visual inspection? In Tarrant County here in TX, the visual part was nothing more than the guy looking for a heater hose going to the air cleaner and a belt on the air pump. Having never seen a rotary up close and for real, he had no idea what is supposed to be on it, so he ignored the header since I had fabbed a crude trap and heat-riser tube assembly around one of the tubes. It passed the sniffer part. Engine was a BIG streetport 12A. 2" primary tubes into a 2.5" collector that went into a high flow 2.5" 3-way cat.The air pump was still functional. RP used a "turbo" shunt valve to direct the air into the cat until about 3000 rpm whereupon a relay would click and shunt the air into the intake manifold. The Nikki carb itself was completely stock. The combo was good for 135 HP at the flywheel, choked by the 315 cfm airflow of the Nikki...

82transam

iTrader: (18)

Street legal as in sniffer. The 2 times i've been to the state inspecion place the visual consisted of them taking a mirror and looking for a cat under the car, thas it, no open hood nothing, and that was on both the rx7 and the loud *** TA, so I don't have to worry about visual.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

if you put a turbo 2 motor in the car with the airpump/acv/main cat it will pass smog

mike

82transam

iTrader: (18)

Thats a good point, maybe someday when I have a real job I'll look into doing something along those lines. For now I gotta keep it simple with the good ol 12a. I'll be interested to see if my friends cars, with RB exhausts, will pass inspecion. If they do then I'm getting one.

WackyRotary

No one wants to put on the stock crap for the test and then put your aftermarket stuff after you go home? How often do they test? I know to some this would not seem very in-practical, but any of us who build or fix engines much would find this pretty easy if you have access and time to switch back and forth once a year. For me, I take the engine in and out often enough. LOL!

If I lived in a emission tested area, I'd have to keep a spare stock 12a and put it on for the test as a bridgeport would never pass neglecting the sound probably not passing anyway. One snif idling, and you wouldn't need the gas analizer to tell you your pumping out 3000ppm+ HC's. Kind of like a snowmobile.

unreality

Hey, if you can afford an engine swap every time smog checks roll around, just save yourself money in the long run and get a stock daily driver painted the same color as your modded one. a few duplicated License and VIN plates later... you have registration, 2 for the price of one! Insurace, 2 for the price of one! And best of all, you can get one smogged, and have both taken care of!



in my own defense...no, i don't condone doing this, and i know there'd be complications with registration stickers and what not. I'm joking.

Cars a certain number of years old don't have to be smogged any more... just wait a while for the '85s to fit into that category, and mod the hell out of it. Hell, run it on alcohol.

riffraff

i seriously doubt that an 85 will fall in to the nonsmog catagory. (or atleast not for a bloody long time).. currently, in ca, it is 72 and older that donot need to be smoged. and it has been that way for some years now.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

We're lucky in TX....well, they did just start the dyno emissions crap, but we're lucky that the non'smog rule is for vehicles 25 years and older...as long as you got a functioning 3-way cat that's getting fresh air pumped to it, you should be OK as long as the stock Nikki is still there....that's been my experience so far...if you rebuild, go for the streetport, you'll still pass, just not as handily as a stock port...

riffraff

you are lucky... in california, you cannot even have a hard intake pipe if it didnot come with it origionally..

12aPwr

i thought it was 74 and under cars that didnt need to get smogged. just do what the hardcore racers do keep a spare around thats stock and the non stock one on the car once smog time comes (every 2 years here in L.A.) just put the stock one back in. thats the price you pay for wanting performance especially in Ca or you could put a t2 engine, remember you can go forward with the engine and not back but it has to have all the emissions still on it

82transam

iTrader: (18)

Here in NJ its 74 and under cars are exempt, everything else have fun....

mar3

iTrader: (8)

You realize '74 was the last year for the GTO and that's why you see that year pop up all the time for exemption, right? OK, I'm just trying to start a new urban myth, so spread it irresponsibly around...that's a bummer knowing that a rex will never be exempt in CA or NJ.. ..in 2008, my newly acquired '83 will be exempt, so I can tune for performance...I'll still keep the cat but the big numbers always seem to pop the HC to the 250-300 range which just misses being smog legal for that year....

82transam

iTrader: (18)

74 was the last year for the Cuda and a bunch of other cool muscle cars too. I know it sucks the first gen will never be free in this state, oh well.