NOR-CAL General Chat.

[3vilE30]

So you have an LS3 swap?

In order to smog your car, you need to take it to a BAR inspection station and have them look over your swap. It must be from a newer car (which the LS3 is), and it would have to have all the original emissions pieces. You might be able to get away with headers, but technically that's part of the emissions part.

Once they inspect it and make sure all your emissions stuff is in good working order and not missing, they will give you a plate/sticker that shows that your engine swap is legal.

Then, you can take it to a smog shop and get sniffed.

The difference with this e30 diesel is that they won't give you CA plates or allow for it to be registered until you pay 5k+ and wait 6 or so months to get it lab certified by the only lab in CA that does it, which is in LA. It's not that the e30 is a diesel, it's that it's a grey market car.

Given that it's a diesel, it might be more difficult because the engine was not sold in the e30 in the USA. The car I was looking at ultimately (same seller) was a m20 325i wagon and that's the info the lab gave me for the m20.

So the diesel is just as much work if not more.

OR you could find someone that lives in a smog exempt county and open a PO Box using their address as a "physical address" not sure if your license has to be registered there as well but its worth a shot. You could avoid smog all together just don't be too obvious you got some muscle under the hood.

Also with the LS3 swap if its a crate engine it better be the E-Rod ones or else your going to have an even harder time with smog/bar.
Swapping in a crate engine is sort of a tossup since it's not out of a complete car, but for typical engine swaps you literally need everything out of the donor car to be in compliance even the cats. With the E-Rod you get a bunch of already CARB'd stuff I'm sure you can go into any chevy that came with a lsx and just take stuff off of them.

JinormusJ knows my lust for a LS3 swapped E30

[Drewdown]

So you have an LS3 swap?

In order to smog your car, you need to take it to a BAR inspection station and have them look over your swap. It must be from a newer car (which the LS3 is), and it would have to have all the original emissions pieces. You might be able to get away with headers, but technically that's part of the emissions part.

Once they inspect it and make sure all your emissions stuff is in good working order and not missing, they will give you a plate/sticker that shows that your engine swap is legal.

Then, you can take it to a smog shop and get sniffed.

The difference with this e30 diesel is that they won't give you CA plates or allow for it to be registered until you pay 5k+ and wait 6 or so months to get it lab certified by the only lab in CA that does it, which is in LA. It's not that the e30 is a diesel, it's that it's a grey market car.

Given that it's a diesel, it might be more difficult because the engine was not sold in the e30 in the USA. The car I was looking at ultimately (same seller) was a m20 325i wagon and that's the info the lab gave me for the m20.

So the diesel is just as much work if not more.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/13...California.jpg

Yep, california is hard to deal with. What I've learned from my touring is that the EPA exempts engines that are 21 years old, so anything of that vintage can enter the country and be titled in whatever state according to their laws. The problem is California says the 21 year exemption doesn't apply in California and any car that's going to get a title has to have an epa approved engine. So the only way to title a grey market car in California if it doesn't have an epa approved US spec motor, as far as I'm aware, is to take it to a lab where you will pay a lot, or swap the engine to a us engine and get it refereed.

[Rev Run D]

, or swap the engine to a us engine and get it refereed.

When I was looking for a Touring, I was told by the DMV that you can't swap the engine and get it refereed. To register the car in CA, it needs to be in the system, and in order to do so, the car needs to be labbed first.

Did you reg your touring?

[freeride53]

Yes, this car has been for sale for a while. I almost bought it. The ad is misleading. Even though the car is registered in Maryland, it is not exempt for CA DMV. In order to register the car in CA, you will need to go to LA to a testing lab. You'll pay 5k or so, and wait 6 months for the test to happen in order for it to be CA legal.

No - not the only legal way.

You can bring a 325i wagon, swap full US 325i drive train in, and have it BAR'd.

That works as well.

[Pantless Spency]

Man that's a lot of work just to have a wagon....

[Rev Run D]

Man that's a lot of work just to have a wagon....

which is why I bought a e61 wagon.

[OldDrunkenSailor]

OR you could find someone that lives in a smog exempt county and open a PO Box using their address as a "physical address" not sure if your license has to be registered there as well but its worth a shot. You could avoid smog all together just don't be too obvious you got some muscle under the hood.

Also with the LS3 swap if its a crate engine it better be the E-Rod ones or else your going to have an even harder time with smog/bar.
Swapping in a crate engine is sort of a tossup since it's not out of a complete car, but for typical engine swaps you literally need everything out of the donor car to be in compliance even the cats. With the E-Rod you get a bunch of already CARB'd stuff I'm sure you can go into any chevy that came with a lsx and just take stuff off of them.

JinormusJ knows my lust for a LS3 swapped E30

Luckily I've still got my house in Seattle from before I moved and currently have the 362iS registerred there. The car lives in the Pacific Northwest and probably won't ever see CA, so that's less of a concern, just interesting. Right now I'm just having a helluva time finding a good shell.

I'm just lucky that my engine hasn't seen the worst of days, no physical impact from the accident, it appears.

http://i.imgur.com/mxDjuej.jpg

[Pantless Spency]

which is why I bought a e61 wagon.

I wish the states got the 1 series wagon. Or the e36 wagon.

I've been into the e46 wagon lately....

[3vilE30]

I wish the states got the 1 series wagon

YASSSS,
We always miss out on the cool stuff.

Best wagon: e91 lci 335D xdrive with an e92 m3 front end.

[Pantless Spency]

I agree. I do love the e90 rear end made into a wagon.

[Pantless Spency]

But I think I like the e90 front end more

[3vilE30]

But I think I like the e90 front end more

It's a subjective thing, e92/m3 front end looks a lot more sinister although the e92 lci headlights are a lot more agressive looking. E90 front ends look really good with a mtech bumper and a nice lip. E90 lci rears are sooo nice those taillights are just perfect.

Buuuuut if I had to have one car for everything

[golde30]

Wish I could afford a nice front lip for the diesel, but the one I want is $500.

[3vilE30]

Wish I could afford a nice front lip for the diesel, but the one I want is $500.

I miss my Alpine E90 lci now.

[oliver.r]

auto auction of san diego's autocheck doesnt work anymore. does anyone have another source?