So I decide to cruise around the neighborhood after washing my car to dry off the wheels a bit before polishing. I never re-installed my front license plate after Formula D, because the front looked a lot cleaner, and the plate partially blocks airflow to the intercooler.

I'm leisurely crusing down a street when an Island County Sheriff driving the opposite direction sees my front bumper, then pulls a U-turn and pulls me over. Says he pulled me over for no front license plate and modified exhaust.
I told him that the license plate blocks airflow to the intercooler, and that I bought the car in Japan with the exhaust already installed, was imported with the exhaust, and passed EPA certification. He then says, "Well, you need to do something," and let me go with a warning, saying he annotated by license plate and exhaust in the system, and I'll be cited if I'm pulled over again. I was so pissed.

The exhaust thing is such a double standard. I'm willing to bet 99% of all the muscle cars and hot-rods riding around have modified exhaust, along with all the Harleys. Why is it still legal to buy/sell modified exhausts, if it's illegal to install them? They pretty much target imports with these bullsh!t laws IMO.

Needless to say, I won't be casually driving around Oak Harbor in the Skyline anymore. Generating too much negative attention.

End rant.

 

Shows the difference in the states we live in. I could NEVER mention the word intercooler with my Turbosystem which makes me wodner if you have a SC system.

Anyways, mentioning something like that to a cop in Cali is just asking for a death certificate or at least a major head ache.

I have a front plate on my car and I have it zipped-tiedto the grill and I do this knowing full-well that it block my intercooler (TN ST) but if that helps me from not getting pulled over, then so be it.

As for the exhaust, I ma going with the TurboXS exhaust because it is designed for turbo'd car (3") but it looks like the stock 350Z exhaust.

I do agree with the 'racial profiling' of cars and how cops mostly target imports and the whole 'modified exhaust' thing is crap. Especially if you only have a cat back!

Exhausts are sold usually under the pretense that it will be used off-highway only and that if you get caught, the vendor is not in any kind of liability. That is why they can continue to sell the exhaust to the general public- becasue they think you may just put it on your car which only goes on the tracks.

 

Man.... I hear ya. I've been ticketed for the no front plate B.S. twice. I wonder how many guy in Vettes ever get pulled over for that?

 

Little if any is my guess. Probably the same for Vipers.

I'm just gonna put it back on, and give them 1 less reason to pull me over. It's on a flip-flat bracket, so I can flatten it if I go "play" somewhere.

 

Tons of cops ride Harleys that is why they never get pulled over for loud exhaust. B.S. if you ask me.

 

Thing is my exhaust isn't even loud, unless I'm boosting. It's just angled and shiny.

 

Hence the word, 'modified'.

 

Huh? GT-R is stock TT buddy...

 

Bottom line is this:
I'm not going through the trouble and expense of trying to source/import an exhaust from Japan, when the exhaust that came on the car when I bought it passed customs and federal EPA testing, just to appease some podunk hatin' cops. Federal regs will trump state laws if it ever comes down to it.

 

I was about to say that... hmmm GT-R...yummy...hungry now...want Skyline......R33...my fav....ahh...

 

sorry to hear about your hassle -- nice car by the way

 

They see me rollin
In my GT-R
Patrolling they tryin to catch me ridin dirty

 

You have no idea what you are talking about.

They are making the current GT-R legal because they are coming from the factory with catalytic converters designed to reduce the emissions of the turbo which is also from the factory.

The reason wh it is illegal for Z's to have turbo systems is because they either delete the cats entirely like mine or if they use the stock cats, they just aren't up to par.

Its the same reason why EVO's and Subbies can have turbos is because they had their catalytic converter designed from the start to abide by CARB and EPA regulations. The Z's catalytic converters are only designed for NA applications or various, lower hp-producing SC set-ups, buddy.

 

That's fine but expect to get pulled over.If you have paperwork stating what you said then you will be fine.

 

I think you're missing Triple8Sol's point. The OP is talking about his GT-R33 Skyline. Not a Z with a turbo kit nor the future GT-R.

 

I also think the exhaust modifications that "we" have are a bit more obvious (compared to OE) and sometimes obnoxious (myself included0 than some others (vipers, vettes,...).

 

I do, and I will.

 

I have a '95 GT-R. Not a Z.

 

This is only true if the state law is less restrictive. California, Oregon and Washington have passed laws more strict than federal laws. Probably other states too. The Feds establish a minimum, not a maximum when it comes to emissions.

I don't like having the front plate either, but I'm afraid being stopped for that might lead to other things.

 

That song was in my head for the rest of the evening!! Shoulda been singing it when he walked up to the car! Probably would of gotten a ticket for sure!