SO CAL: Smog check with headers

[drez14]

Hey everyone.

i have a s52 swapped car i need smogged. Im confident that it will pass the sniff test but i used ebay reps with my swap so its not passing visual. Anyone know of a place that will *pretend* my ebay rep headers look like stocks?

Closest to Rowland Heights would be best since its not registered

Thanks.

[MR 325]

Is your car BAR'd? If not it's not going to pass visual anyway.

I know for sure my guy here in La Crescenta won't mind the visual but I know it's a bit of a drive.

Matt

[drez14]

Nope not bar'd. I figured that because the swap looks stock then that part would be overlooked.. I took it to a place close to me. he didnt see anything wrong other than the headers, which are stainless so its a dead giveaway.

Ill keep you in mind. I need to get this thing registered soon so if i need to go out there, i will.

thanks bro.

[ak-]

Hop smog check places on Valley Blvd. Quite a few passed friends of mine who had trouble.

[drez14]

So the next question is:

when i hop smog places on valley, do i try to sneak it by them, or just be upfront from the get-go.

I would think if they get to certain point in the inspection, then notice the offending headers, they will fail me then still make me pay.

[MR.LUGO]

Maybe just put some of that wrapping stuff over it to hide the shinyness?

[MR 325]

So the next question is:

when i hop smog places on valley, do i try to sneak it by them, or just be upfront from the get-go.

I would think if they get to certain point in the inspection, then notice the offending headers, they will fail me then still make me pay.

I would straight up tell them it has headers that don't pass the visual but the emissions are fine.

[drez14]

I thought about wrapping them, or just painting them, but it was such a PITA to get them on, that if i took them off, i would just throw on some stock headers, get a downpipe fabbed, and call it a day.

I looks like ill be smog hoppin' this weekend.

Thanks for your responses

[Vivek]

Nope not bar'd. I figured that because the swap looks stock then that part would be overlooked.. I took it to a place close to me. he didnt see anything wrong other than the headers, which are stainless so its a dead giveaway.

Ill keep you in mind. I need to get this thing registered soon so if i need to go out there, i will.

thanks bro.

Don't they have a diagram that they follow for each engine for the visual inspection? The only reason I ask is because when I deleted my throttle body heater plate on my m42, I kept the parts because I've heard of some people failing visual with a very anal smog tech. I'd assume that if they go that specific then they'd notice that it's a completely different engine.

Also, this may be complete bullshit that marco told me, but do the different engines have different numbers on the sniffer? IE, an m20 swapped 318i won't pass the sniffer because it'll be smogged as an m42 and the numbers will be off.