Is It Worth Making My Miata Cali Legal??
 

Hello All,

I am being relocated for work from NJ to California. Santa Barbara to be exact and I am wondering (although this breaks my heart) if it is worth trying to make my turbo miata California Legal. My car is awesome and currently custom set up for me including where I have had the seat custom bolted to the floor, lowered so i fit under the roll bar etc. The car has the Greddy Turbo setup which is California legal if I can get one of the stickers but it has a Front mount intercooler, I dont have the stock turbo return parts such as the elbow etc. and I have the Begi downpipe and FM high flow cat and FM exhaust on the car. I am curious if any of you in California can chime in and let me know how much you think I would have to change to pass the "smog" inspections and what I need to do to not get too much heat from the cops out there. I dont think my other visual and suspension mods will matter in cali but any input is appreciated. I really really dont want to sell this car as I have a ton invested, but I just dont know how much I am going to have to spend in order to make this thing pass the California Smog tests. If anyone can PM me or let me know their thoughts and how to pass these tests in the least expensive way possible it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks All,

Tyler

Get the required parts and swap it back for the initial inspection and smog. Plenty of people drive turbo cars in CA - if you drive like an adult and act like an adult when you get pulled over, you'll never have any trouble.

So what exactly would be required? Since I have the Greddy Turbo Kit and I think I am going to be able to get the sticker for it - would I be able to go to smog with the FMIC I have on there? Also I believe I have the FM high flow cat on there. Would I have to remove this and replace it with say a Magnaflow that has the California stamp on the bottom of it? and would just replacing the cat and having the sticker and paperwork get me through smog?

What do most of you go through smog with as I really dont want to have to take off the downpipe I have on there as it is a big pain in the butt.

Thanks,

Tyler

So does anyone on the forum live in Santa Barbara? I cant be the only turbo Miata here. I have since moved and now live in Cali and was wondering where the best roads are near SB and if you guys ever do meet ups around or close to SB. Let me know.

Thanks.

Tyler,
I've got nothing to help you out, but I will be most likely headed from NJ-> CA (somewhere in the SanDiego to Temecula area) this summer. My cars aren't turbo, but modified as well.

Did you pass smog? Was is just a tailpipe & roller test or did you have to have one of the Referees do a full visual inspection since it was an out-of-state car?