So, I'm a foreigner living in California*. I understand the basics of the CARB and SMOG laws. But I'm new to the area, new the turbo scene and pretty much an unaware what "people do".

Looking on pretty much every sort of media - I see dozens of turbo cars, turbo parts, and exhausts (etc) being driven about/for sale (including from a dealer) that, as far as I understand, are completely illegal to put on the road and drive, as these parts don't have a CARB EO. I understand that till a few years ago, people used to take turbo'd cars to that "certain" smog mechanic and pass him a few extra dollar bills to get the car through the checks, but as of the last few years the CA officials have been clamping down on this.

Does that mean people whom turbo/modify their cars with parts without CARB EO's, return them to stock everyone couple of years for the smog, and then reinstalling everything?

Do people have no fear of repercussion if caught? do people get caught?

As an outsider looking in, it's few confusing and I was hoping someone could clear it all up.



*I'd just like to add, I've got no want to break any CA laws. When/if I go the turbo route I'm going to the pains of CARB compliance. I'm a guest in this country and it's not up to me to decide which laws I'm going to follow.

 

Some counties don't test at all unless the title changes hands, so those folks don't even have to do the OEM swap dance every couple of years.

If you have a pre-ODBII (<1996) miata, the the Bell tuning turbo kit with megasquirt is going to be your best bet that will still likely pass SMOG.

 

Don't go setting an example for the citizens to follow now...

 

You aren't truly 'Murican if you don't break at least one law a day to show how free you are.

(WARNING: don't try the above with significant melanin or while wearing a turban)

 

.

 

What is the punishment for an "illegally modified" car in California? Assuming an officer were to witness a miata accelerating in a way that was obviously not stock, but not otherwise "illegal", what can they do to you?

 

.

 

As a former CA resident and turbo car owner, the worst thing that can happen is a referee ticket.

Google it.

 

I read the title and thought this was a political post.
I was like "I've been wondering that my entire non liberal life."

 

I've been many times to both, PA and CA.

Given a choice, I'll take CA every day, twice on weekends, Philly pizza and steak sandwiches are nice, and so is the raw milk available around Lancaster (probably the best milk I've ever had. But other than that, PA has NOTHING on CA.

 

condolences.

 

Better to not have to smog something- smog testing was the death nail for both my '84 and my '79 RX-7's.
I live up in the hills and it's a great place to live, it is just very unfriendly to my firearms and car pastimes..... too bad I can't register my stuff in South Dakota or something

 

The kicker about the SMOG laws is that the tolerance window in order to pass has gotten smaller and smaller as the state attempts to pull older cars off the road. Yet, you can drive without working headlights, poor brakes, bald tires- not one care about a safety inspection. Hell, the state doesn't even dyno test newer cars, trusting the ECU is reporting correctly and not "rigged" as Volkswagen was caught for. Go figure.

 

It's all about the money. Its' always about the money.

Who cares. Millions flock to CA because despite all that.

My love for the good parts outweigh the hate for the bad parts, so here we are.

 

You can ski and surf in the same day!

No but seriously though you right so much of bs this state puts forth comes out of just a few cesspools and the rest of the place is awesome and many of the people as well.
My god it's been a great weekend. I spent the some of the day yesterday at woods lake with the wife and kids and went rafting today with the company in lotus. It's just amazing how great just El Dorado County is and it is just a small slice of god's country. Seriously dislike some policymakers in the state but love my country and the part I live in.