996Outpost.com

The irony - if there is ANYTHING truly ironic anymore - is that California doesn't bother with anything EXCEPT emissions, even though all vehicles are required to be inspected every two years after the initial 5-year new vehicle exemption.

Go figger.

Einsteiger wrote: ↑Fri Feb 08, 2019 10:29 am Cathing up: Love the EJECT buttons.

Regarding state inspections, they are the biggest license to steal and gouge in the whole automotive industry. [just ahead of dealer service departments]

5chn3ll wrote: ↑Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:30 pm The irony - if there is ANYTHING truly ironic anymore - is that California doesn't bother with anything EXCEPT emissions, even though all vehicles are required to be inspected every two years after the initial 5-year new vehicle exemption.

Go figger.

Einsteiger wrote: ↑Fri Feb 08, 2019 10:29 am Cathing up: Love the EJECT buttons.

Regarding state inspections, they are the biggest license to steal and gouge in the whole automotive industry. [just ahead of dealer service departments]

Can you say conflict of interest. I love DT's plan to counteract their game.

5chn3ll wrote: ↑Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:30 pm The irony - if there is ANYTHING truly ironic anymore - is that California doesn't bother with anything EXCEPT emissions......

Didn't they just pass exhaust noise laws?

Oh, we have LOADS of laws. Window tint, mud flaps, min/max light height, decibels, light bulb colors...but nothing gets tested except emissions. Ridiculous but I don't mind.

Lived in Hawaii for 18 years. We don't have emmissions testing, but we have something worse called safety inspections. Basically any modification to your vehicle required a reconstruction inspection. (Including changing your wheels) Most of these laws/regulations were written 50 years ago. In the recon inspection, there is a bounce test. (A stock s2000 would fail btw.) The procedure involves the inspector to push down on your fender to ensure there is adequate suspension travel. Lots of these archaic procedures still used everyday. The state cracked down on people getting their sticker under the table. Now photos of the vehicle, vin, etc all get submitted electronically. Not passing means no registration.


I would say smog is a cake walk in comparison, but I just got my registration renewal and I need to smog my car a star station. I don't want to jinx myself.

sweet victory wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:40 am Lived in Hawaii for 18 years. We don't have emmissions testing, but we have something worse called safety inspections. Basically any modification to your vehicle required a reconstruction inspection. (Including changing your wheels) Most of these laws/regulations were written 50 years ago. In the recon inspection, there is a bounce test. (A stock s2000 would fail btw.) The procedure involves the inspector to push down on your fender to ensure there is adequate suspension travel. Lots of these archaic procedures still used everyday. The state cracked down on people getting their sticker under the table. Now photos, of the vehicle, vin, etc all get submitted electronically. Not passing means no registration.


I would say smog is a cake walk in comparison, but I just got my registration renewal and I need to smog my car a star station. I don't want to jinx myself.

With some exceptions (as I understand it) passing CA smog with stock emissions equipment is simple. It's enthusiasts who insist on the extra 375 HP from a K&N CAI that gripe about.

As long as the car is running properly and you have not modified anything emissions-related, you're fine...as long as it's a late-model car.

Older cars - like mine - are becoming a REAL problem. Anything pre-2000 has to be tested on different equipment than newer vehicles, and it turns out that most shops just don't bother maintaining the old stuff due to limited demand. The shops that DO have working equipment for either of my cars invariably don't have an employee who actually knows how to use it. I had to leave one shop because the dyno jockey was insisting on dynoing my C4 on their 2WD dyno; there is at least one old story on Rennlist of a gent (a Turbo, I think but I won't swear to it) whose shop burned up his viscous coupling doing just that. So you have to actively engage with the smog techs - and they are generally used to dealing with uninformed snowflakes, so they're seldom very receptive.

Thankfully, I found a new shop with a guy who is actually intelligent and engaged, and their ancient vehicle equipment is always working.

It's ridiculous - 20 years ago, if I was looking for a "smog shop referral," it would have been for something much less legitimate. Now, I'm stoked if I can find a place that gives enough of a damn to bother maintaining the equipment required to perform MANDATORY emissions testing.

DTMiller wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:52 am With some exceptions (as I understand it) passing CA smog with stock emissions equipment is simple. It's enthusiasts who insist on the extra 375 HP from a K&N CAI that gripe about.

Come on, DT, a CAI mod is going to only get you about 100 extra hp (150 at most).

FRUNKenstein wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:06 am

DTMiller wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:52 am With some exceptions (as I understand it) passing CA smog with stock emissions equipment is simple. It's enthusiasts who insist on the extra 375 HP from a K&N CAI that gripe about.

Come on, DT, a CAI mod is going to only get you about 100 extra hp (150 at most).

Don't forget all the K&N stickers that they then plaster on the car. Each may only be +5hp, but it adds up when you can't see through the side and read windows.

gnat wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:13 am Don't forget all the K&N stickers that they then plaster on the car. Each may only be +5hp, but it adds up when you can't see through the side and read windows.

True that. That's why I haven't put my 9960utpost sticker on yet. I'm afraid it's going to hurt my Cars-n-Coffee times.