California modders

[Tonycivicboi]

I just found out that modding is somewhat illegal in california? They can "state ref" you for stuff like PRL Cobra intake?

Crap...now i'm worried haha. Anyone living in California here have any input on modding & dealing with the police?

I was planning on getting an aftermarket exhaust but looks like we need to be under 95 decibals but if a cop sees a modified car, they may pull me over and find out I have a PRL Cobra intake which isn't CARB approved..

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[bullitt711]

its just a law. Cops dont really care. unless your exhaust is really really loud

 

[Lan FK7]

Is modding cars in Cali like smoking weed in states before it's legal? Like technically against the law but... "who cares"?


Over the years I've read stuff of Cali folks' cars getting pressed for racing, mods, etc so I am genuinely curious

 

[Pe0plez]

Just don't be an idiot and get yourself pulled over.

I've never had a cop pull me over because of any mods, but if you do get pulled over just cooperate with the officer.

Chances are they won't actually write you up unless they're having a bad day and you piss them off.


But keep in mind it is always a possibility, so don't mod your car if you're not willing to take that risk.

 

[PrayingForGrip]

Just drive normal and they wont bother you honestly. I drove my loud mustang around for 5 years before the civic and never had an issue.

 

[Troy Jollimore]

I’d heard they’d started cracking down out there, though their real targets are cat-con eliminators, with fuel programming designed to just dump it in with no regard for pollution at all… A simple intake wouldn’t mark you as a criminal, but they DO like to see that sticker… ?

 

[FK7 Civic Pilot]

Only time I see LEO ever get involved is if you're driving like an (_!_)hole or cop an attitude if pulled over. You're most likely to run into trouble with mods when it's timed to get your car smogged, so keep your original parts to change when the time comes, or make friends with some of the techs that work at the smog shops. Then again, if you bought your car new, you have 8 years before a smog check is required.

My tuned Civic has a 27Won intake and ProDragger exhaust for a couple of years now, also has 30% tint on the side windows and 5% tint on the rear window, and is lowered, haven't ever had the police pull me over for mods which also include my modded cars for the last 40 years.

Only time I've been issued a "fix it" ticket was when I wasn't running front plates.

El Cajon has been hosting "Classic cars and Hot Rods" summer night meets for years, a few cars that show up could be cited for equipment violations, but since it's usually older guys and they respect the traffic laws, the El Cajon cops don't bother them.

 

[Doc_Mello]

I agree with everyone else. Unless you’re driving unsafely and/or your mods themselves are unsafe (e.g., wacky body part additions loosely stuck on with duct tape), you’re probably fine.

 

[Shankmeyster]

You know it's mainly just another way for them to make money off people who like to mod their vehicles. It's funny they just started caring once they saw how much pollution disappeared during lockdown around the planet.

 

[sLing]

You know it's mainly just another way for them to make money off people who like to mod their vehicles. It's funny they just started caring once they saw how much pollution disappeared during lockdown around the planet.

I mean if every single car was catless the pollution definitely would go up. And it wouldn't be bearable if every single car had loud exhaust. Most people wouldn't be able live next to a busy road.

 

[dellyjoughnut]

Since I do live in Los Angeles. Loud exhaust is subjective to the cop and they determine if you run a loud exhaust. No straight pipes and need to keep catalytic converter. Just hope PRL gets their GESi cat downpipe CARB approved.

 

[Jimmou]

Never had an issue with police here in Cali, but I've never had a super clapped out, slammed car or loud exhaust. As long as you don't get caught doing dumb shit like racing, excessive speeding, or being at a sideshow you'll be good. Cali is where that sideshow culture is big and the cops have to do what they have to do to crack down on that and citing car mods is something to "hit em where it hurts." It sucks that us law abiding citizens have bear the brunt of it but hey it is what it is and I don't blame the authorities for that.

 

[derbo904]

I just found out that modding is somewhat illegal in california? They can "state ref" you for stuff like PRL Cobra intake?

Crap...now i'm worried haha. Anyone living in California here have any input on modding & dealing with the police?

I was planning on getting an aftermarket exhaust but looks like we need to be under 95 decibals but if a cop sees a modified car, they may pull me over and find out I have a PRL Cobra intake which isn't CARB approved..

This has been around for decades when the import scene super popular in the early 2000s. Technically a LEO can pull you over for no front plates, front tint, so don't give them a reason to open your hood or cite you for additional items.

If you are worried about CARB, don't mod the car with non-CARB stuff. I'm sure there is a CARB legal intake somewhere. Luckily, cars for the first 8 years of it's life, pay an abatement fee and not required to smog. In this situation, as long as you don't give a reason to a cop to pop your hood, or you are selling your car private party, you don't need to deal with emissions testing.

The earliest requirement for smog for this civic generation is 2024 for the MY2016 models, 2025 for MY2017, etc.

 

[Jes_si562]

Is modding cars in Cali like smoking weed in states before it's legal? Like technically against the law but... "who cares"?


Over the years I've read stuff of Cali folks' cars getting pressed for racing, mods, etc so I am genuinely curious

Yeah it’s pretty much like that they won’t mess with you unless your caught speeding or racing. Smog is a different story

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