Im Planning on buying a car and I need to know what is legal on a Z as far as California law goes. I just sold a WRX with a full catless turbo back so i knows not having cats is way illegal.

Im looking at buying a car that has Strup headers, Strup test pipes, and injen angeled catback exhaust.

I was wondering if I put the stock cats back on in place of the test pipes but left the headers on and the catback on would that be legal?

Im sure the headers are almost impossible to see while looking under the hood and isnt a catback legal as long as the stock cats arent replaced?

Please help me out and let me know if i keep the strup headers and injen catback on but still have the stock cats on will it be legal?

If not what set up would be legal? just the catback?

 

the headers are illegal in CA. Anything that does not come CARB approved is pretty much illegal. If you are in southern California the cops know what they are looking for when they pull you over. There are hefty fines for non CARB legal parts. I just spend 6 years in San Diego and worked with quite a few police officers out there.

That being said, if you are not driving like a jack @ss and getting pulled over and your car isn't loud as hell. You should have no problems.

 

any exhaust is not legal in cali. but they maybe more serious about the test pipes.

 

ok so the headers are illegal, the test pipes are illegal, but isnt changing the mufflers on the back legal (catback) i heard it was legal as long as you dont mess with the cats and its under 96.5 decibles.

If you pop the hood or try and look under a lowered car can you notice the headers??

If everything is stock except the cat back and its an injen angeled exhaust catback would it be illegal or a ticket getter for being to loud??

by the way im in Socal if that helps and dont drive like a an A-hole

 

well when i had my STi i got popped for being too loud. all i had to do was go to the smog ref and they did the db test. BTW its 95 dbs. as far as cat-backs go, as long as they are not too obnoxious you can get away with it. i have driven by cops in my STi and my Z and they tend to not look in my direction. i think the sound is too sweet for them to hate it.


tommy

 

anyone else know what i can do as far as exhaust goes and keeping it somewhat legal?

 

DC headers, a high flow cat, and cat-back system that resembles the stock muffler. i.e. borla, invidia, or helix.


tommy

 

That is completely incorrect (assuming you are just talking about the muffler section), as long as the exhaust does not exceed the DB limit it is legal. A muffler doesn't effect emissions in any way all it does is "muffle" the sound. I had an idiot cop that actually argued with me on this and gave me a ticket. I argued the case in front of a judge and pwned his face.

 

ok so a catback system is legal then?

 

Barring excessive sound levels, yes. One day, they might even enforce this law on bikes like they are supposed to.

 

As long as you have cats and aren't too loud, any exhaust is fine.

I have the Borla true-dual cat-back and it looks pretty much stock. Sounds way deeper at idle but is otherwise fairly discrete. And legal.

 

Anyone else?? I heard people were getting tickets for exhaust at that meet that was rolled. Anyone get busted for a catback exhaust??

 

As long as it's not over 95db... i had a link that showed the law in every state, some states prohibit any aftermarket exhaust. For cali it must be under a certain DB, 95 if i remember correctly, as far as Test pipes go they're illegal regardless of the db or make. I dont know too much about headers but I dont see why they would be illegal as long as they are carb legal.