WonTon

iTrader: (17)

Im looking into info on stuff for emissions out in California. And my step up is 100% not Carb approved and would be highly illegal. So say I move to California and dont want to sacrifice all the hard work I have been putting into my Miata. What are some of yalls sudjestions as to what i should do? How would some of you California guys approach this situation?

Should I:

A. Return the car to stock
B. Sell most everything I have and buy a CARB approved setup
C. Dont be a Bitch and do this illegally
D. Other

Basic rundown of the cars setup:

95 1.8L
MSPNP
TSE COPs
2860RS
3" TBE Straight pipe with the removable cat

^^^^ I think thats all that really matters....

18psi

iTrader: (76)

Carb approved setup? there is like 1 or 2 and are gay/make ***** power.
here are your real options:
1) return to stock for smog, then re-install and do this every 2 years
2) Illegal
3) homosex

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

I like Number one!

really? only every 2 years....thats awesome!

18psi

iTrader: (76)

That's how I do it. Some bitch and moan about it like pussies, but its really not more than about a day of work (not even a full day at that) unless you ditched all your emissions equipment in which case you're SOL

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

yep, all that **** is gone......all the connections on the engine harness are still there so it would just be a matter of putting all that crap back on!

I dont mind doin the work, the setup i have is so easy too install and remove. I might be able to rig up a factory exhaust to connect to my turbo manifold. just weld a lil bit extra on and put a V-band flange on. hahaha that would be funny as **** to look at....

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

1) Don't move to the PRC
2) Do the swap every two years, try not to have the cops pop your hood
3) Illegal
4) Swap your drivetrain into a Spitfire.

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

PRC?

The most likely i would move to would be San Fran. The reason I say that is because I have a friend out there that has offered to give me a place to stay while I get on my feet out there.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Sadly, it wouldn't pass visual. While there is a tiny bit of leeway, the general rule is that with the hood propped open, it needs to look like a completely bone-stock 15 year old engine (or have a CARB EO sticker on every single piece that doesn't.)

The reality of the situation is that if you want the car registered out here, you need to get your hands on the necessary equipment to make it look stock. Exhaust manifold, airbox, intake plumbing, ignition coils, the whole shootin' match.

This is the primary reason why my red car has been parked for the past six months- I sold / trashed all the stock hardware when I moved to FL in '08, and have just been too damned lazy to swap all the necessary stuff from the blue car to the red one.

On the plus side, there's a lot of folks in the same boat as you, so chances are excellent you can find someone (or several someones) willing to loan you the hardware you need. I used to know a couple of VW guys who, collectively, had one stock engine which they shared amongst themselves.

But yeah, it's only every other year. Kinda of strange that CA is one of the most lenient states in this regard,

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

18psi

iTrader: (76)

This, to me, seems like an EXCELLENT IDEA and I have thought about it many many times before.

For my next big project I'm considering something along the lines of LSx or 2jz into a miata. Some kinda swap for sure. Its definitely not going to fly here, so a "stock double" would be awesome. Assuming I can figure out a way to be able to do a swap that is completely reversible for a day every 2 years.

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

thanks for the input joe, it is much appreciated. I still have a some of the stock hardware, and getting my hands on the rest of the stuff I need shouldn't be a problem. I know a few people i can buy some parts from and just hold onto them for when they are needed.

I like the concept of the whole every two years thing. Doing emissions every year here is a real PITA!

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

LOL, Leave the spare engine on a subframe and drop the whole sucker out and vis versa! Im looking to possibly be out there sometime in june if all goes well and would gladly help with that lil project. And I deffinatly wouldnt mind picking up a spare engine to share with everybody.

Zarniwoop42

iTrader: (1)

As far as I know, you only need to have a newer engine than your cars model year(plus no diesel swap?), use the oem ecu associated with your donor engine, keep all the emissions eqipment on the motor in working order, and get the car reffed.

Swaps on motors found in the domestic market are not that hard to get legal.

Faeflora

iTrader: (2)

What about doing something like registering your car in Nevada.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

that's just as illegal as anything else. and california's not small like the east coast where you can drive around for years with neighboring state's plates. cops notice and will deal with you.

you may or may not even want a car depending on where in san francisco this friend lives. Unless by "san fran" you mean "the greater san francisco bay metropolitan area" which can mean anything. if it's SF proper, there's only a few places where a car would not be a royal pain. ie doing your biennial smog engine swap four blocks away from your house on a steep hill.


there is another solution: get a car that is brand new. then you have four years of exemption from the smog inspection. I worked this with my 2001 turbo car and moved away before the big day came. woot. for 2005 and newer cars, the exemption is 6 years. I realize this doesn't help you if you own a miata.

or if you want to split the difference between faeflora's illegal and kinda legal, you can register the car in a county that doesn't require the inspection. Here is the list from wikipedia:

These counties do not require smog check.
Alpine
Amador
Calaveras
Del Norte
Humboldt
Imperial
Inyo
Lake
Lassen
Mariposa
Mendocino
Modoc
Mono
Plumas
Sierra
Siskiyou
Trinity
Tuolumne

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

I thought you were moving to Texas? How do you go from moving to an Awesome state such as Texas to a not so awesome state such as California.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

The problem here with V8 swaps (at least, LSx swaps) is that I'm not aware of any factory header which physically fits into the Miata. Both V8Roadsters and boss Frog supply a set of custom headers to solve the problem, however aftermarket exhaust headers are one of the items that are specifically illegal in CA without an EO.

I can think of two resources which you be particularly valuable if you're serious about pursuing this. The first is http://v8miata.net and the second would be a shop called Monster Miata, which is actually very near where I work. I stopped in once just to say hello, and the owner (Martin) seems like a decent guy. All of his conversions appear to be Ford-based, but if I had to guess, I'd wager that he is probably the single most knowledgeable person on earth insofar as how to register a V8 Miata in California. His number: 760-510-9682.


That would be ideal if he lived in Nevada. It's 250 miles from San Fran to Carson City, and as y8s said, that's not really the sort of commute that you're going to plausibly convince a LEO you make every day.


The idea of having sex with farm animals lost its appeal?

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

**** man, if I had a good friend that lived in Texas that said "hey dude, imma need a roomate soon and you can stay here for free while you find a job in a TIMELY manner" I would move to Texas. but right now that offer is in San Fransisco.



Its in downtown San Fransisco (I think it starts with an A), and from what i was told the parking garages that are within a decent walking distance are like 300 bucks a month. So I will have to figure that one out.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

you're going to hate your car there. seriously

WonTon

iTrader: (17)

Your probably right about that, but I cant leave it here. My mom will probly end up selling it for a big *** bag of weed or something. I dont want to sell it, I have way to much of an attachment to the car.

LOL, maybe I can talk somebody into letting me store it at their place and provid in turn free help for anything from time to time. IDK something...........