Thoughts about building a California legal camaro?

[ddavis]

Ok guys, Im not leaving from CA anytime soon so im gonna have to make the best of the laws out here. I picked up a SS camaro a couple of weeks back and I already started to toy with it a little . I figured I might as well start with a maggie supercharger since its carb legal so thats headed my way. I ordered a mbrp catback exhaust also but thats the list pretty much for engine performance. I cant seem to find any intakes that have carb numbers, long tube headers are illegal here, and a cam seems questionable. So a few questions maybe the guys that know these new camaros better then me could help answer.

1) I know shorty headers dont add much from the dyno's ive seen, but do you think I would benefit from them more considering Im running a maggie?

2) Increasing the psi on the maggie with a smaller pulley seems like a option if I up the fuel some, but considering the airflow is bottled necked by the stock intake/exhaust it doesnt seem that would be efficient, thoughts?

3) To the guys with the cams are you throwing codes? Also not sure how a car with a cam would fair on a smog machine. Im guessing something not to radical would pass. Anybody running one here in cali? thoughts?

[GrinderSS]

Originally Posted by ddavis

Ok guys, Im not leaving from CA anytime soon so im gonna have to make the best of the laws out here. I picked up a SS camaro a couple of weeks back and I already started to toy with it a little . I figured I might as well start with a maggie supercharger since its carb legal so thats headed my way. I ordered a mbrp catback exhaust also but thats the list pretty much for engine performance. I cant seem to find any intakes that have carb numbers, long tube headers are illegal here, and a cam seems questionable. So a few questions maybe the guys that know these new camaros better then me could help answer.

1) I know shorty headers dont add much from the dyno's ive seen, but do you think I would benefit from them more considering Im running a maggie?

2) Increasing the psi on the maggie with a smaller pulley seems like a option if I up the fuel some, but considering the airflow is bottled necked by the stock intake/exhaust it doesnt seem that would be efficient, thoughts?

3) To the guys with the cams are you throwing codes? Also not sure how a car with a cam would fair on a smog machine. Im guessing something not to radical would pass. Anybody running one here in cali? thoughts?

Too bad you're stuck in CA, that place really sucks. I lived in the bay area for a while and hated every second. High rent, high taxes, and sniveling liberals crawling all over the place. CA is a microcosm of where the country as a whole is heading, which is a bankrupt and corrupt government working against the will of the people.

As for your car, I have an upgraded cam and it did cause the miss fire trouble code to be shown, so you'll need to have it turned off or live with the engine light being on. I had it turned off when the car was tuned.

[v6sonoma]

As far as an intake you could go with the SLP Blackwing it's legal. If you want to keep it legal Shorties are better than nothing (Doug Thorleys showed decent gains)

[ddavis]

I didnt think any intakes have gotten carb approval yet.

[ddavis]

Ive lived in alot of different places and love it out here the most. I dont think I would want to ever leave. Thanks on the cam info. The engine light would fail me for sure and that was one of my concerns. I just got tired of trying to always trick the carb system, so i want to play by the books this time around.

Originally Posted by v6sonoma

As far as an intake you could go with the SLP Blackwing it's legal. If you want to keep it legal Shorties are better than nothing (Doug Thorleys showed decent gains)

Are you sure on the intake? I dont see any carb #'s listed for the blackwing.

[Roddd 1SS]

Keep your stock intake when you install your aftermarket non-CARB intake. Swap every two years for smog. It'll take you an hour every two years. The cam will take a few minutes longer though

[ddavis]

I thought about this and its how Ive done it before, but by legal I mean if I get pulled over by a cop and he asks me to pop my hood everything will check out ok. I know the chances of this happening is slim though. I may just end up running a 3.6 pulley on my maggie with the stock intake/exhaust besides my mbrp catback. Although just the fact of knowing im capping alot of possible hp kills me a little inside, lol. My goals are 500+ at the wheels. I figure I would be just short of that with the catback, maggie on stock pulley, and tune. My easiest option im thinking is to just run a slightly smaller pulley (3.6) and hit my mark as long as the fuel can stay in a safe range. I guess i will see.

My other option I thought of would be to add shorty headers and possibly a ls9 mild cam. But the costs of those installed and purchased outweighs the maggie pulley upgrade by alot and the performance numbers would be similar im guessing.

[monstertodd]

I'm running an LMR intake on my car. I don't know if it has a CARB number or not though. It doesn't throw out any codes, so what's the harm? As long as it doesn't throw out a code during the smog test, you're fine right?

[brandotron]

Originally Posted by monstertodd

I'm running an LMR intake on my car. I don't know if it has a CARB number or not though. It doesn't throw out any codes, so what's the harm? As long as it doesn't throw out a code during the smog test, you're fine right?

You also have to pass the visual inspection.

[ddavis]

I have to present a carb number to them if asked upon while smogging when they do the visual. If you get pulled over by a cop and he asks to look at your engine you best have carb numbers to show or fines/towing can happen.

[brandotron]

Originally Posted by ddavis

I have to present a carb number to them if asked upon while smogging when they do the visual. If you get pulled over by a cop and he asks to look at your engine you best have carb numbers to show or fines/towing can happen.

I believe it's even more strict than that. Anything you do after the MAF sensor and before the cats must have a CARB number permanently affixed to it, like the plate on shortly headers or S/Cs.

[monstertodd]

It looks like the GMPP intake has an E.O. That could be a safe bet.

[Beyond Limits]

Originally Posted by ddavis

I have to present a carb number to them if asked upon while smogging when they do the visual. If you get pulled over by a cop and he asks to look at your engine you best have carb numbers to show or fines/towing can happen.

In all honesty, if a CHP or local wants to pull you over because they have "reasonable cause" to believe that you have modified your vehicle they are going to do it regardless. Now depending on how you act with the officer, or even the mood they are in it really does not matter if there are CARB OE numbers for your intake, etc as they are going to give you a hard time. As a general rule if you were not acting like a jack-off and racing around the streets and you are polite to the officer if you get pulled over the odds are good that you are going to be fine. And worst case on your intake for example you get a fix-it-ticket, put your OEM intake back on and get it signed off. Cat-back exhausts do not require OE numbers since they are deemed to not impact emissions in any way. However the measurable sound level at the pipe has to be less then 95db. This is per a law passed in 2002 that was pushed by SEMA. However, again if an officer pulls you over and you rub him the wrong way you can get a ticket for that as well since there is an even older law on the books to prevent modifications to the vehicle that allow expelled engine noise (read exhaust note) to exceed that of OEM levels.

A good buddy of mine that is a CHP officer described it best. Remember, most of these laws were actually put on the books because of the street racing scene that was really pushed by the rice rocket movement in the 90's. The idea for example of an officer pulling you over with probable cause for illegal engine modifications comes from this kind of logic: If you are driving a lowered vehicle, with racing style wings and body kits, and the vehicle looks race ready, and you have an non-stock exhaust (a simple visual inspection, ie check for a grapefruit shooter in the back) then there is reasonable suspicion to believe that you have also modded the intake, downpipes, etc etc.

The bottom line is if you look like you fit the drifter street racing profile, or you drive like a jack-off you are going to get hit at some point in time. But very few officers are going to pull you over in your Camaro simply because they believe you have modded your car unless you give them reason to. And if you do come across an officer that pulls you over for mods to your 'maro then you could have all of your parts CARB OE numbers on a spreadsheet printed on parchment paper and leather bound and it still won't matter. Odds are good he is going to give you a hard time, so be nice to him, realize that he is only doing his job, and deal with whatever may happen. But odds are good nothing will come of it.

As for parts with CARB OE numbers, cat-back exhausts do not need an OE number. There are currently no CAI's with OE numbers. If you are ever wondering about a part CARB has an online database that you can check. :

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermk...es/amquery.php

I know this is long winded, but hopefully it helps in some way...

[Beyond Limits]

Originally Posted by monstertodd

It looks like the GMPP intake has an E.O. That could be a safe bet.

My bad... GM has 2 EO numbers listed, one of them is for the CAI for the V-8.

Good Call