[snvin]

In about 10 months, I'll be replacing my '00 LS w/ a GSR (most likely). Until then, I'm trying to learn as much as I can about performance mods (and engines in general) so that when I modify my car, I don't mess anything up.
Anyway, I'm getting a little concerned because I'd like to keep my car as street-legal as possible, but nobody seems to write anything on the topic - and when they do, it's just mentioned in passing (like in the articles on this site). I know laws vary from state to state, but you'd think there would be some general giudelines a guy could follow...!
I was wondering if anybody knows of any really good parts that are 50-state legal, and I was also wondering if anybody knows what the effects of putting several supposedly legal parts together would be - for example - if I had a '50-state legal' exhaust, and also a legal turbo , intake, cat etc..., would everything together still pass emissions tests, etc...? Despite my reading, I'm still undecided about whether to go s/c, turbo, or n/a, but legality will definitely play a role in my decision - (The cops where I live are really bad!) Do you guys think I could realistically have a 100% legal or almost-legal car that could put down 200-300 whp, or am I dreaming?

 

[DaBoyNBlu]

emmissions testing is pretty much directly related to your catalytic converter, and in some states, simply if it's there. headers don't really matter, even though i think they hafta be carb legal in california and stuff, but CA is weird

the jackson racing supercharger kit won't affect emmissions, and it even has carb exemption. the aem cai has the same. unless you do something like an odb1 conversion, so long as your cat works, emmissions will pass more than likely

 

[MichaelDelaney]

if you maintain and tune it properly, it will pass emissions.

the only people who have to worry are the CA state people who need a CARB exempt number on their aftermarket parts just to get through the emission testing door, let alone pass the test.

The 50 state legal label to me is a red herring. It means it has been toned down for the average person who can't tune and just slaps on a part and walks away. Well with a a high CR N/A motor, SC, turbo (at any boost) you aren't going to be doing that. You will have to tune it if you want the thing to kick some ass and run to it's potential for the $ you spent.

you would be smart to talk to the local dyno shop operators and get to know the ones that have a professional reputation (not just out to get a buck) and good tuning reputation. The NOx emissions are the hardest to pass as you get wilder and wilder. Hydrocarbons and CO can be made to meet state regs easily with tuning. But as your engine temps skyrocket the NOx emissions shoot up with them and more than your cat can filter out. So if you stay within a moderate performance range, there should be no problem meeting those NOx specs.

Now the parts that have the for off road use only labels you should pay attention to...they are meant for race-only. However, people do use them on the street. They are full of compromises you have to do and require advanced experience in tuning to get them tamed enough for the street. passing emissions with those will be very hard for the average enthusiast.

I don't think you should have any problems meeting NJ limits if you aim for a moderate performance gain like 175-200 whp. don't limit yourself to parts with the 50 state legal tag. check your local bylaws for sound limits or if the police have the reputation of going after people with big tip exhausts.

 

[snvin]

Thanks for the helpful replies! It looks like I'll have to do more reading on specific parts so that I can make informed purchases when the time comes. I'm noticing that companies are sometimes shady with disclosing the legality of their products, but that's nothing a few phone calls won't solve.

As for the dyno tuning, I've been looking around for somebody reputable, but the weird thing is that even though we have 2 well-known drag strips (E-Town and Atco) in NJ, import tuning shops are hard to come by here. I'll have to give my teg to somebody in NY if I want the job done right, and as of now, I'm leaning towards Performance Factory NYC in Queens(www.performancefactory.com), which is run by the infamous Vinny Ten. Even though PFNYC specializes in Toyotas (They're known for their insane Supras), their website says they work on B18's too, so I think they're worth a look.

As for sound limitations, I'll probably be OK there because I hate really loud exhausts anyway. Some extra noise is fine, but if my car sounds like a hornet's nest, that's not cool. The cops would be all over me. I'm not into anything that would draw attention to my car (such as 4" exhaust tips and neon stuff and wild body kits and 18" wheels).

Thanks again for the help guys!

 

[SonicBlueTeg]

yea cali isn't that much fun when it come to emissions.. the only two things i'll worry about is passing smog and looking stock..(factrory jdm itr 4-1 headers w/heat shield look stock)

i seem to recall something about engines having to be the same year as the car or newer.. you may want to check around ur town about registering your new engine.. but i mean if ur swapping a 1.8 with a 1.8 they usually overlook it.. but just to be safe..

50 state legal..

bleah.. thats no fun.

 

[snvin]

Oh - Sonic - When I say replacing my LS w/ a GSR, I'm talking about the whole car!

As for the rule about engines having to be the same year as the car (for swaps), I've never heard about laws like that, BUT, I know that those rules DO exist within IDRC, NHRA etc... For example, on those drag circuts it would be against the rules to take a '02 K20 and put it into a '98 GSR because the K20 wasn't made in '98. Were you thinking of those rules?

 

[Tsunami]

i believe Sonic's correct about engine yr vs. car on the street.