I've been toying of getting a modified FD or just an EVO or STI for a nice performance project...but since I live in CA, I want to make it 50 state smog legal.

I want to focus on powerplant modifications to make as much CA legal HP as possible without Nitrous. What will be required? and what RWHP am I to expect?

Thanks!

 

Too many variables involved for anyone to suggest that if you do "this mod and this mod" that you'll make "this much hp" and still pass CA smog test.

 

If you're sneaky about your mods you could probably pass visual (and sniffer) while making 350rwhp without resorting to bribery (there are many "stealth" configurations that can do this). To just pass the sniffer you could have well over 400hp but visually it would be very obviously not legal. To be absolutely completely legal to the letter of the law, you couldn't make more than about 270rwhp (HF precat, HF cat, catback, greddy intercooler, K&N filter). These are of course ballpark figures, but the botton line is, there aren't many CARB legal mods out there.

 

There is also the difference between passing the smog test and being "SMOG Legal." There are plenty of modifications you can do that are not legal but your car will still pass the emissions test. A good example is getting a reprogrammed or after market ECU. The car can still pass and the tester will not know it is not stock. From my experience you can't do a lot to an RX-7 before you need an illegal part to keep from compromise reliability. It just sucks to modify car in California.

Edit: Punctuation

 

Hmmmm... I wonder why LA is the biggest mod scene... I guess we all just run illegally (Im from SF though)

 

HF precat!? Who makes that? Or is it really just a gutted precat?

 

Tri-point

http://www.tripointengineering.com/C...ages/other.htm

 

I think that's just the impression that people get from F&F. Last I heard San Diego was the capital of Illegal street racing (or at least a big contender). I rarely see anything that is truly fast. I haven't seen anybody spit fire (dosen't mean much just that it's not as common as people think.)

I've also gone to the illegals in Tijuana (mex). FAST cars man... No cats, straight pipes (fire!), big turbos and also NO SMOG LAWS.

 

Yeah I heard about those races in Tijuana and how crazy they get and how they have some really good sleepers out there like VW Rabbits with 350's in them.

 

the hks t51 kit is smog legal

 

I dono, I was not impressed at all with the car culture in SoCal when I was there all summer. Dallas-Fort Worth had more tuned cars than I saw there.

 

I thought manufacturers had to provide fuel and ecu changes with their turbo kits to be smog legal. It's not smog legal just because it allows use of the air pump.

EDIT: I just looked up on the CARB page, that turbo is not listed.

 

That's correct, the HKS kit is not smog legal. There are zero smog legal turbo kits for the FD, I think the HKS TO4 kit for the FC is CARB certified though.

 

This is true, there are some fast cars around but you won't find them at the illegals or even on the road very much. People with nice stuff know better than to waste their time with the kind of people that show up to illegal events, most of the modded stuff I see on the street is total garbage. That's why I leave mine in the garage 95% of the time.

 

I was saying LA to refer to that whole area. I have a good friend at school at UCSD, and he says that over the last year the cops got a lot tougher, so they go out into the Central Valley, etc to race.

And no, I wasn't getting that from F&F. WE don't need to start another thread complaining about F&F, there are already enough on the forum.

 

They also know better than to be anywhere near those boneheads when the cops start rounding up people and permanently impounding cars.

 

I think I know who you are talking about. A few years back I raced him in my Silver Fd (RIP). And that dude left me like I was standing still! my jaw just dropped... Serves my cocky *** right.

This dude had so much f'in torque that every time he shifted gears his car went side ways about a 2-3 feet (remember they are 1 wheel FWD). ******* awsome.

That wasn't the only time that I got bitched slapped. There was another it involved an FC T2 I believe. aaaahhh... good times


I wasn't meaning you. I ment it as a global statement, people in general.

And yes cops have gotten tougher but there were never/rarely any true fast cars to begin with. Just a bunch of hondas with a few mods and stuff.

 

...I'll be damned!

Thanks Nathan!