Hey I'm looking to get some Helix test pipes (not resonated) and I know that they say "For off-road use" only but I was wondering if anyone in VA has them on their car and has passed their inspection or emissions test?

 

with test pipes it's impossible to pass an emissions test.

 

Jim is right. With no cats on the car, you can't pass emissions. You'll have to either buy your inspection under the table, or do a quick swap out to cats for inspection purposes. I have a set if you need to borrow them....They won't fit on my Turbonetics kit!

 

Thanks for the help man! I'm still stocked out right now! I'm basically trying to build the Z up! I'm starting to see that the test pipes throw Cel and the fixes for it, I'm in no way knowledgeable in doing! I could drill a whole where there already is one (lol), go figure!!!!

I'm about to get the new Injen CAI sometime this week or next and go from there. If anyone can help out on hands on knowledge and teaching me that would be great!

 

good first-timer mods include the intake, exhaust, high-flow cats (not test pipes), plenum, and maybe pullies

all would require basic tools or some knowledge of how a car works

 

I agree w/ Machupo (not surprising). Unless you have a reason to go with test-pipes, I don't see much benefit in doing so. They're dreadfully loud, and while they will gain you some power, I don't think the gains are too much over a good set of HF cats, and the cats will keep you passing emissions.

 

Yeah very true from what I have been reading! Greatly appreciate the input guys, maybe I will run into you sometime up here!

 

to follow up on this. I was going to buy the helix test pipes myself, but backed down from the idea simply because I decided I didn't want to deal with the hassel of taking taking them off for emissions tests. I've decided that I'm going to go with some good hf cats, maybe random tech (I believe Kelly had them), but that'll be down the road (more important things to spend my money on have come up).

Also, if you haven't bought your CAI yet, you should consider the jwt popcharger. It's considerably cheaper and gives you basically the same results. Check the classifieds here. You can find some great deals. Good luck with the modding.

 

Yeah I have been looking at the JWT Popcharger also. I noticed it's gains were similar to Injen but after seeing some dyno's in one of the forums I see that the new Injen CAI is pretty impressive. Plus I'm thinking about getting the Injen exhaust and with both together they produce around a min of 22hp. I can't find any Popcharger dynos though so that's why I'm leaning that way! I'm going for HP with my car.

I know turbo and FI is the best for that but the job ain't paying me that well !

 

the basic rule of thumb for intakes and exhausts is to get what you think looks the best / sounds the best (minus the eBay specials, of course, they suck ***)... because 99% of them make the same gains...

 

who said Injen CAI and R/T don't give you any hps ?

 

this is a little off topic but still sorta related -

say you put on bat's rear tailight covers, are those illegal? i know it is for the headlights but i don't know about the rears.