I will be moving to Massachusetts this summer and my DD miata is boosted. My sig has pretty much all that i've done except an intercooler and new rad will be installed in the next couple of weeks. I'll go through all ive done though
96 1.8 swap
begi-S kit @ 6psi
RRFPR begi
dual feed fuel rail
2.5 catless exhaust to ebay can muffler
air bag removal and quick disconnect steering wheel
racing seats plus 4 point harness
blacked out tail lights
boost, egt, and AFR gauges
intercooler, cx rad, and oil temp, water temp gauges to be installed

The laws for mods on vehicles in Kentucky and Indiana are more relaxed than those on the coasts. I've looked on google and on the Mass DMV website but can't find anything specific as to what they check for when testing my car. I'm pretty sure all they will do is the exhaust pipe sniffer since it's a 90, but is there anything else i need to change back to stock to be legal?

 

You need a cat for sure.

 

thanks I forgot to mention that I have one I just need to put it in. Does anyone know if I would need to put my stock wheel and airbag back in and how loud can the muffler be? I might need to find a stock muffler also

 

wheels shouldn't matter noise might not sure though I would just put the stock exhaust on get it tested then take it off

 

Join the Navy, go through flight school in Florida, become a legal resident while there... enjoy never having to smog a car again.

 

MA is really cracking down on loud exhausts (lame)

also you will need to pass an OBD2 scan test, and a visual check to make sure your cat and other emissions stuff is still there.

 

I dont run OBD2 so i don't think I have to worry about that and I don't have any check engine lights on either.

If I put on my exhaust, airbag, cat, etc. and then take them off after the test and am pulled over, do they give you a warning ticket like a fix these within a certain time? I know Kentucky does that if you are pulled over for exhaust.

 

http://www.mass.gov/rmv/faq/inspection.htm#1


# What do they inspect on my passenger vehicle?

* VIN Number/Registration/License Plates
* Windshield
* Wipers/Windshield Washer
* Headlights/Headlight Aim
* Turn Signals/4-Way Flashers
* Tail Lamps/Brake Lights/Backup Lights/Other Lighting Devices
* Rear View Mirrors
* Horn
* Exhaust System
* Tires
* Body Panels/Fuel Tank
* Frame/Unibody
* Service Brake
* Parking/Emergency Brake
* Seat Belts/Air Bag Operation
* Ball Joints/Steering/Suspension
* Visible Smoke
* Emissions Test/Emissions Components (if applicable)

 

Keep it registered in your current state if you can. Parents/family live there? Work something out with them? I do what SamNavy does, except my car is registered in WI. Funny that I'm currently stationed near Pensacola, though.

 

i was reading too fast, i saw 96 and assumed you were obd2... missed the part where the car is a '90 lol.

 

As of about a year ago Mass. is really easy for pre-OBD2 cars. It's just a safety check, no emissions. I suppose you might run into a really conscientious garage that looks underneath with a mirror to check if you have a cat, but I've never seen that, even back when they did use the dyno and sniffer.

96 and up it's just safety and the OBD2 ECU happiness check.

You should install a cat though, just so you're not a douchebag.

 

Cat - Check
Airbag - Check
Exhaust loudness - ?

Do they check for how loud your exhaust is? I have a 2.5 to 3.5 with only an egay can at the end. It's not the loudest exhaust out there but it's definitely not subtle.

Should i find a stock cat back exhaust also?

 

I am not a MA resident, but I live about 10 mins from the border. Because of this I can only go by the hearsay and rumors from my friends etc. What ive heard is that technically anything that is not stock is illegal, and you can be pulled over and ticketed for it. There have even been cases of stock SRT4's (which apparently have loud stock exhausts) getting ticketed for exhaust noise despite being stock. The judgement of stock/not stock, loud/quiet falls to the individual occifer that pulls you over. Personally, I try to avoid any non-highway travel in my escort in MA... basically I drive through it to get to and from the dragway and that’s about it!

As for the inspection itself, I never really asked. If I had to guess, I'd suggest that you probably should put a stock muffler on there just to be safe.

 

I don't think the airbag matters. I've passed inspection a few times with an airbag fault light.

Whether the exhaust is an issue will depend on the shop you go to for inspection. First of all, pick a "mom & pop" type place, not a chain. Second, if you are a regular customer they recognize, your inspection may go smoother than otherwise. I get full service gas at the neighborhood garage I use for inspection on a regular basis.

You get a free retest within 60 days, and they give you an "R" sticker to get you by, so you might as well take your chances with the exhaust.

 

i wish they would drop the OBD1 tailpipe sniffer test in CT. of course, then we'd be left with no test at all. right now they check for emissions but not safety, as long as the car works well enough to get from the parking lot to the dyno it's good to go. so f'n backwards...

 

The sniffer and dyno equipment they used to use was a nightmare. It was always breaking down. I lost track of how many times I brought a car in for inspection, only to find out after they brought it into the bay that the smog system was down. Besides people like me with multiple OBD1 cars, the shop owners especially were very happy about the change to the OBD2 only system.

Until I wised up and started going to the same place every year, I had all sorts of funny experiences when I showed up at some random shop with my 1994 AWD car with no spark plug wires. Normally they put 2WD cars on the 2WD dyno to do the automatic driving cycle. For AWD cars, they had an inductive pickup for engine RPM, and the technician was supposed to follow the instructions on the screen to bring the car to X RPM, etc. I don't know how many cars had COP and AWD before 1996, but it was a small enough number that nobody knew what to do.

 

I'm in MA and while my car isn't really modded, inspection is pretty damn easy for a 20 year old car. Being pre-OBD-II you don't have to worry about a sniffer test nor scan test. Last time I brought my Miata in they just checked the lights and gave me a sticker. I even completely removed my Air Bag light since it was blinking and they never said a word about it. Also note that some shops are more lenient than others.

 

Fixed

 

Well that's good to hear i might just buy me a not so flashy steering wheel for the test and put the stock exhaust and cat on and see what they say.

What part of Mass do you live in?

 

I'm in Salem up on the north shore. I plan on putting a new exhaust on soon with a test pipe and honestly I'm not worried about them failing me for that. Most places are too lazy to look under the car. So unless your exhaust is really loud, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, if you fail, THEN go get the new exhaust and get it reinspected at the same station for free.

I still find that only 10% of shops even check ball joint play. (just pointing out how lazy most inspection station workers are)