Kalifornia, WTF?

[808BMW]

I like how cops have some BS excuse to pull you over (No front plate) and then while your stopped, start walking around looking for something else to ticket you. I've had it happen to me many times.

One good thing though, when I used to go to street races, the cops would come up and rub my front tires. Nice and cool = go home, hot and sticky = busted.

Dumbasses.

[Jordan]

Even as obviously modified my car is I've never been hassled in it. Even on my tour of california on the way to TX.

Only times I've been stopped was for speeding and for making a "improper left turn"

Never hassled about all the "illegal" crap on the car.

[chuckybob]

i hope someone puts a crazy ricer bodykit on a completely stock civic just to spite them.

[Mastrcruse]

Is that why the SkidKids got an E30 because that was their civic in the video that got impounded? Fuck'n SkidKids haha they ruin it for everyone. Those did look like the rims that he put on his e30.

[Insanity]

Well, I can explain this stuff a bit better as I actually live in CA and have to deal with this sort of bullshit all the time.

The actual illegality of the modifications comes back to the overly retarded SMOG laws in california. In order for a modification to be legal in CA, it has to be "CARB approved" (CARB = California Air Resources Board). If it isn't CARB approved, it's not legal. The real funny part is that GETTING a part CARB approved is an absolute joke, and really has nothing to do with the emissions-related impact of the part, but rather it's just a way for CA to make money.

The reason why they specifically crack down on japanese imports is because most parts for them are not CARB legal (why does a company that does 80% of it's business outside of the US give a fuck about CARB legality?), whereas stuff for domestics (edelbrock, holley, etc) is nearly ALWAYS CARB legal.

It all stems from the fact that the CA SMOG test has a "visual inspection" component. It doesn't matter if your car WILL pass the emissions test, if it doesn't pass "visual inspection", they fail you. It's really very retarded.

However, any reasonably clever person can easily conceal illegal stuff.

[erik325i]

i hope someone puts a crazy ricer bodykit on a completely stock civic just to spite them.

what are you talking about? I see those all the time driving around the streets.

-Erik

[e30sd]

If they make some sort of 'modified car' law, it will most likely be used to pull over civics and integras. Modded E30s cruise under the cop radar (even with a roll bar and fixed shell)

w3rd. most cops i speak with (including the ones i have done ride alongs with) care about loud flashy piles that probably have expired tags or no insurance, not responsible e30 drivers like us (cough integra/rs6 run up soledad cough)

[asubimmer]

I thought they couldn't do things like asking you to open your hood since it might incriminate you.

I don't know if its true but I heard a story that a trucker got stoped b/c the cop thought his trailer looked longer than 53' and he told the trucker to hold one side of the measuring tape. The trailer was to long but it was thrown out of court b/c the officer made him hold the tape.

[Jarvis]

Even as obviously modified my car is I've never been hassled in it. Even on my tour of california on the way to TX.

Wouldn't the CA laws only apply to cars registered in CA? I can't imagine that it's legal to enforce CA-specific laws on an out of state car that's from a state with more relaxed laws.

Like if a NH resident (car registered there) was pulled over in MA for not having a front license plate the driver could likely tell the cop to go fuck himself and not have to worry about any tickets. If the car-mod laws are enforced like state-specific radar detector laws, then I hate CA even more.

[Tvan]

For the year and a half that I've had my car, I've never been pulled over for no front plate. It is illegal here in Illinois, and my dad has been ticketed for having no front plate on his car. I have gotten two warnings in that car, but no mention of the front plate missing by either officer.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

Wouldn't the CA laws only apply to cars registered in CA? I can't imagine that it's legal to enforce CA-specific laws on an out of state car that's from a state with more relaxed laws.

Like if a NH resident (car registered there) was pulled over in MA for not having a front license plate the driver could likely tell the cop to go fuck himself and not have to worry about any tickets. If the car-mod laws are enforced like state-specific radar detector laws, then I hate CA even more.

If you're passing through with out-of-state plates, then you're passing through. I believe the CA-specific laws do only apply to CA residents.

If a cop tells you you're missing a front plate, then you just tell him that you weren't aware that front plates were required in California since you are a resident of.....Oregon for example. He'll tell you that if you plan on living in California that you'll have some certain amount of time to switch to CA auto registration (which means you need your car to comply visual to get the tags)

I have a few friends who did the ever-so popular SR20 swap in their S13s, and their way of getting away with it is getting CA dealer plates. If I were to do something crazy on my car, I could get a dealer plate through this same friend of mine. Dealer-plate cars are exempt from smog laws, rules and regulations, I'm not sure exactly why, but I know that it works. Because SRT Motorsports got a dealer plate for their Lancer Evolution VIII from the local mitsubishi dealership so they daily drive their track car on the streets LOL

[BimmerToad]

w3rd. most cops i speak with (including the ones i have done ride alongs with) care about loud flashy piles that probably have expired tags or no insurance, not responsible e30 drivers like us (cough integra/rs6 run up soledad cough)

I'm sure there is statute in CA law that excludes 'testing purposes'

[Ben Carufel]

...it's time to California to break off into the Pacific.. LOL

Way to laugh at your own jokes!

Shouldn't you be fucking your sister?

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

all I can say is wow thats such shit when there is real crime to take care of

there is no real crime in san diego besides underage drinking and afterhours noise ordinance violations :D

[e30sd]

there is no real crime in san diego besides underage drinking and afterhours noise ordinance violations :D

or underfunding the city pension fund.