did you try search button? keyword: smog check, smog, emission..etc...

i'm not sure cuz i dont have a SR

but i THINK when you get swap, and you talk to the mechanic/shop about smog check certificate, they'll probably hook you up or something...i dont know...so that way you won't have trouble facing the pig who asks you to pop the hood

 

see where im from cops wont have any idea that my engine isnt the original when i get an sr, they wont even know what the turbo is, oh and they dont even bother looking under the hood anyway.....

 

if ur not too flashy and drive too crazy the cops wont pull you over, i've been driving an sr swapped 240 in socal for monthes now without anyone ever giving me a second look.

 

if ur not too flashy and drive too crazy the cops wont pull you over, i've been driving an sr swapped 240 in socal for monthes now without anyone ever giving me a second look.

What if you plan on gettin an s15 front end conversion and the works... rims, kit, etc etc etc haha THEN what would you recommend? :eek3dance :eek3dance :eek3dance

I love that smiley...

 

technically the police can't make you open the hood unless they are CHP, in which case you're screwed, cuz they usually know their stuff. But if you don't open the hood they'll probably make you go to a state smog referee in which case you're screwed. I'd say forget body kits and stuff and keep it sleeper, the best way to play it safe.

 

werd, personally im not going to put money into a conversion unless you want a show car, which i would keep off the street in anycase, if you are going to have a daily driver, i would keep with something that looks more or less stock, attention getting nowadays is not a good thing as to all the theives and cops targeting import cars

 

p.s if you want flashy and fast, i'd go with KA-T since there are smog legal ways of doing it such as the greddy turbo kit so if you do get pulled over, you'll still be safe

 

p.s if you want flashy and fast, i'd go with KA-T since there are smog legal ways of doing it such as the greddy turbo kit so if you do get pulled over, you'll still be safe

This is the type of answer I was lookin for. Thank you very much, you have been very helpful. I'll look more into turbo'in the KA.

:embarasse :eek3dance :embarasse :eek3dance :embarasse :eek3dance

 

no ka turbo kits are legal, only greddy is supposedly "pending"...
even worse if you're s13

 

darn this sux. what if u just replace the spark plug cover to the KA one? would that help?

 

you mean like coloring the redtop valve cover on the sr20 to look like the KA and somehow disguise the 'turbo' engraved on the cover? if you're pulled over by the chp and/or sent to the ref, you're still screwed...
1 reason why some people go kat is because it's so much easier to take out the turbo parts as opposed to reswap the sr

 

if it's a fat lazy cop he would'nt ask u to pop the hood but -.-; hmm i was asked once before when i had h22 accord and -.-;; he didn't notice at all -.-;; and i think as long as u have the stock dirty (important) looking cops wouldn't care ^^

 

haha damn u all got me kinda worried now, but i heard the cops cant make u pop the hood without a reasonable cause. like if u have a cat and eveyrhting u should be ok right? is a intercooler illegal? what are the penalty if u get caught with a sr20 redtop?

 

look it all depends. Fact is this.. Dont do anything stupid you dont get pulled over. Then again if the cops an asshole you cant do anything about it. I am in your boat. I got a red top, front mount and s15 front end on. To be honest cops dont care. And to be honest i dont drive it in areas i know they would. just be smart and wise. The second day i had the car i was pulled over... i told the cop, look i am sorry for what i did. I usually dont do that (spin the rear) and told him i was very sorry. he was looking at me and told me to pop the hood. I was like oh shit. So i did what he asked. He looked at me and said to be more responisble with what i have and keep it on the track. I was so freakin scared my heart literally stopped. It all depends. Its that simple. Just expect the worse. Oh and if your caught with a SR in cali to my knowledge u can be finded up to 10k

 

i dont think they can fine you that much, unless its some kind of felony...

I think what they can do is either send you to a state smog referee (where you WILL fail horribly), and revoke your registration. If you are caught driving an unregistered car, it is an automatic impound right there, and some crazy fee to get it out if you can't register it or get it smogged. Either way, the moral is, be careful, be smart and if you get pulled over DON'T say "what up piggy? you know what i smell? I smell BACON, that SIZZLING PORK FAT SMELLS GREAT", im pretty sure they won't like it.

 

listen nany:

you CAN legally swap in a newer engine to an older car, but not the other way around. for example if you had a 93 civic hatch (or 24) you can swap in a same year or newer motor, provided that you retain ALL of the smog equipment.

so with a 240 you're basically FUXED. the only legal engine swap that would be worth much is swapping a dohc ka24 into an older s13 that had the sohc...or something similar.

japanese engine swaps arent legal because they dont have the smog equipment.

im unsure whether you could swap in a jap ka24, if it was newer and you put CA smog equip on it.

ways around this garbage ca smog laws:
1) register car out of state somewhere where there is no smog, or where they dont care if you engine swap. problems, having a ca drivers license with an out of state registered car in your name, that iwll take some explaining gauranteed if you get pulled over.
2) register your car in a "basic" or non-smog area in the state (check the bureau of automotive repair website for a map and zip-code checker)....in basic area you have to smog every 2 years or when you sell, but a smog certificate can be bought, which you can then take to dmv in place of normal smog. in th eouter lying areas in the state (non-smog) you only have to smog car whenever its sold (or bough, same thing), but certificate can also be bought. problems: dealing with registration not being sent to your house (no big), and xplaining why you car is registered to an adress that your driversl icense isnt at (not hard).

yeah thats about the only way to get around smog...if you live in an enhanced smog area you have to chassis dyno smog your car every 2 years, and have the possibility of being sent to a test-only smog shop. test-only's are notorious for NOT selling smog certificates to non smog legal ccars.....not a single person i have talked to knows a test-only that will sell you a smog certificate. so if you're in an enhanced area (anywhwere with bad air) you are screwed.

as far as geting pulled over you can get screwed easily enuf if the cop finds out you dont have smog legal parts....basically in california the answer is "find the smog stuff and put it back on, no matter what it costs"

and finally going ka turbo is the easiest because its not toooo hard to take all the turbo stuff off, put the smog legal stuff back on, smog it, then switch back. going with an sr20 swap (or rb or whatever) and then having to get it back to smog legal (for whatever reason) would SUCK.

um yeah
l8tz

 

the whole thing with the same year engine as the car or newer is: it can only be a USDM engine.

so for instance, if you have a 89 S13 and want to swap in a 91 KA24, it's legal. if you have an 89 S13 and you want to swap in a 91+ SR20, it's not legal.

any engine not manufactured for use in the United States is illegal to have in a car (driving) on American soil UNLESS it has been legalized by companies such as motorex or RBMotoring or other such companies, and i'm not too sure how they go about legalizing such things.

but hey, i'm planning on an SR or RB as soon as i can afford it, so i'm gonna take my chances. i don't see why you shouldnt =]

and i live in san diego, we get fucked with the most when it comes to smog/popos.

 

IT is a 10k dollar fine in california and because it brakes way more than one law... also who said a TURBO is engraved on the valve cover... sorry to say but u must never seen a Redtop..or maybe u got a custom cover.... cause there is nothing that says turbo on my motor

Also like i said drive smart.... if you get pulled over act mature and keep appogizing...dont make it seem like your not telling some but dont tell them about ur motor and so fourth... And if your in Santa Monica dont TAKE IT...my friend in a STOCK honda Accord with intake and colored vacum lines got a state refree ticket and he is a very calm person thats 26 and the cops were both Asian in their 20's... but anyways be smart and keep your silencer in ....