AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

That's just a weird complaint to make. 68 where everyone's going 55 does make you stand out, you'd have to have been weaving, then? That I can see them not liking, but I think you just had a bad break.

Why not try to go the "legit turbo kit" route? I'm curious?

silentbob343

As are most Georgians. The point still stands, state/region pride=

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

You go to a ref and get inspected as an electic conversion, and you are then given a permanent exemption.

Here's an interesting tidbit: Hybrid vehicles are also 100% exempt, however there is no clear definition of exactly how the hybrid's drivetain must be configured. I'll buy a bottle of 18 year old single-malt scotch for the first person who re-wires their alternator to act as a motor and registers their turbo Miata as a hybrid.

On a normal car, yes. However CARB EO D-349 (which I posted a link to in message #16 of this thread) specifies "a 4 degree retard in ignition timing if optional knock sensor is not installed." Technically, they could fail you for not retarding the timing. Read, Think, Post. In that order.

belacyrf

iTrader: (3)

Well that just makes no sense since they have no clue which ref you are going to. Also Ref's are there to judge whether the cop was right or not. The Ref is there to check your car over and make sure it's legal. Doesn't matter what condition your car is in on the freeway, as long as it's legal when at the ref's place, you'll pass.

Smog refs are THOROUGH. So go back to legal or dont go at all. Sure you are welcome to go, pay the inspection fee, fail, adjust and reapply if you like to, but I'd go back to what you KNOW is legal.

As Sav said, watch your tone with Cops, dont challenge them. Of course if this guy pulled you over for being to low, he was looking for one thing and one thing only. So you were screwed from the get go, so I would just chalk this one up as bad luck, and the price most car modders pay for living in CA

As for state Pride

I've hit most every state in my travels, and many places are awesome, but I'm sorry the weather in CA is just bad-***. The roads are decent (most places). It's just our laws suck ***, and our some of our cops have nothing better to do.

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

Joe, are you sure about that? I thought hybrids still get "inspections" from time to time.

Wait, no, that's dual-fuel vehicles, which is apparently harder to get than just modding a gas motor.

I've given a lot of though (apparently not enough since I haven't done it yet) to going the TDI route. We put a TDI in a friend's station wagon, and it's absolutely amazing to drive. No smog worries at all on the diesel, great mileage, and they are small and weigh very little.

You can make an easy 350 ft-lbs with them without even trying. Ok, so, maybe 300 hp is a realistic maximum for them, without going insane, swapping internals, etc, but really, not a lot of street miatas are running 300 whp.

It would be super worth it to never have to stress over cops again, have 275-325 whp and more torque than imaginable in my car.

Maybe someday I'll do it..... If anyone wants to try it, let me know, I'll be very interested. I've driven it on a supra transmission and a volvo lock-up rear end and been very pleased, even if more of that time was in the sand and on <200 hp. Still an amazing car with great mileage.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Smog inspections are required unless your vehicle is:

• Hybrid
• 1975 year model or older
• Diesel powered
• Electric
• Natural gas powered and has a Gross Vehicle Weight rating of 14,001 lbs. or more.
• Motorcycle
• Trailer

Source: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm#BM2536

Zarniwoop42

iTrader: (1)

I must not run with normal natives then. I was born an raised in pasadena, CA, and yes, I do have a lot of pride in where I come from, But I, nor any of the people I know shun travel to pretty much anywhere. If I can find the time and money. I would love to visit any place in the country, or world for that matter.

I have been to europe, africa, central america, and admittedly, to less of america than I wish I could visit, and I guess its taught me that If you just open your eyes, you realize that we all want the same ****, we just have slightly different methods of having fun, and getting through our daily lives.

deadmeat

iTrader: (2)

I really wish I could find the video for you guys, but there was actually a video posted on a Libertarian message board I frequent, that actually was a POLICE TRAINING video of how to inspect/identify "illegal" modifications to a "stock" car.

The video highlighted how to interview the driver, how to visually inspect if a car has been modified, and how to determine "probable cause" to get the driver to pop the hood.

If they refused, or said they couldn't pop the hood, there were also highlights as to how to "help" the motorist open the hood... I.E. call the fire department and have they open the hood with the jaws of life (not kidding), and how to intimidate the driver with a crow bar to pry the hood off... along with the threat of impounding their car and having the police mechanics "open it for them."

Thank god I live in florida...

In other news... I had a cop follow behind me after I "blew by" him on the street (thought it was a friend of mine coming out of a back alley), and I pulled into a parking lot of an apartment complex to pretend my throttle was sticking... He came out of his car with my car idling (which is still somewhat loud, even with 3 mufflers), and walked around, asked me if I was "having trouble." I said "Yes, can you please shine your flash light over here for a moment? Hey, thanks, you're all right!" and after reading my bumper sticker on my roll bar (If it's too loud, you're too ******* old), he just said "you might not want to idle here for too long, have a good night sir.



Get out of cali, or register that car in a different state!

-meaty

troy

i got a state ref ticket about2 years ago in my civic. I had afully built 2.4 liter acura tsx motor in it. the only i would have been able to pass at the ref was to swap a new motor. I had pictures i took of my blown motor before i put that motor in. I went to court and showed the judge the pics and he threw it out. I only paid the minimal court fees - i think like $80. My ticket was for modified exhaust and modified emissions. the cop was dumb and pulled out a picture of an older model civic to compare. My motor was way bigger, and completely backwards compared to the stock motor and all he wrote me up for was my greddy exhaust (which was legal) and my intake (had ripped CARB sticker. he didnt notice i was catless, had complete stand-alone ecu and idled like a v8. haha. cops in cali are retarded with this crap.

i have also been pulled over for no front plate. let me ask you how the cop can see that from behind? and he waited to tell me why he pulled me over until he searched my car and found nothing. (my miata is stock)

Cali completely sucks for modified cars. good luck with your situation and let us know how it goes.

paperchasin

its always amusing to read these threads...always has people from all over the country talking crap about california, etc. truth is california does have a really bad smog problem and cars/other mobile sources contributes to over 50% of the problem....keep in mind that this is all relative to the population density of the state and various regions within the state...if you live in a heavily populated area, chances are enforcement is more strict...california has great weather all year round, which why everyone moves out here and why property value has gone up so much....unfortunately it will only continue to get worse as more people migrate into california....the golden rule of thumb is "You gotta pay to play"....plain and simple...i completely empathize for the OP and anyone else that gets a ref ticket....but if you didn't consider the costs/risk/benefits, etc beforehand, thats your problem....

Stephanie Turner

It is my understanding, from an engineer at CARB, that the EO # D-349-1 supersedes the the previous EO for contents of the kit. And it states that a Garrett turbo is used. I will confirm this again though.

Technically, he really should have given a ticket for the injectors, MS, IAT sensor - as those are not covered under the EO. You should be able to get away with the MS *IF* it was used in conjunction with the stock ECU. It would pass as being the ignition timing retard device.

We have a loaner FMU and intake pipe if needed.
Stephanie

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

I don't know if it would be a timing "retard device" - since the tables likely don't match below boosted RPMS.

But it's super cool you'd help with the parts. :-)

paperchasin

it really doesn't matter what you guys do, if a cop pops ur hood and doesn't understand or doesn't care to put in any effort to see if you car parts has a CARB EO or not, he will just send you to a state ref...it saves him time (and embarassment) and it ensures that someone that is knowledgeable will get the change to examine your car and all of its CARB EO parts....even items like a simple intake used to cause headaches....but we've come a long way from simple bolt ons....

J.T.

COme to cali, tell this to a cop and sit in his back seat for a half hour while e searches under your hood. Ask me how I know.

They can look under the hood for no reason, only safe places are trunk, and glove box pretty much


And the refs are NOT as smart as you people are giving them credit for. They are just people as well. The one I went to didnt know enough to tell my neon was a DOHC and not a SOHC. Not to mention a 2.4 vs a 2.0.


This whole carb EO thing is BS. They should just sniff the tailpipe. But then we couldnt be the most ---- state in the country...


I've thought about the diesel thing as well, And I've driven a couple, but they are just not as fun to drive for the most part. Something about the way they behave/respond. I think it has to do with how torque happy they are vs having the power up top, so they aren't as fun to wind out to redline.

J.T.

This EO only comes up for the 94-99 miatas, do you have a separate number for pre-94s?

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

I think you just have to be prepared that they will be good at the ref station. Sure, they could suck, but don't go in thinking your odds are as good as they are at the corner brake-change-and-smog shack up the street.

One thing about the diesels - most of the hopped up VW's stop at ~350 ft'lbs because they just plain can't hook up in FWD configuartions. The motor is good for at least another 100 (on the 1.8, stock internals), and with a VNT the power is always there. Somehow it never gets old idling at 18 psi.

And I'll admit, these days I drive the bike a LOT more to save on gas. A miata I could beat on hard and get 45-55 mpg instead of the 17 I get now when I 'commute' would be a step in the right direction.

As to the top end, yes, they do feel darned ready to be shifted when you shift, I'll give you that - even if you can rev it out to over 6k, there's not a lot of reason. But it is nice to come into neck-breaking torque after each shift. I think maybe I should convert a second miata to it, and if I like it, I could bring it over to my car or something. :-)

Anyone want to buy a freshly rebuilt '99 motor with supercharger and hydra? :-)