LA Times Article on cracking down on Mods

[Phantobe]

Originally Posted by aznflightfreak23

Do you know what they do exactly at the State Ref? Do they lift my car and test smog? The officer that pulled me over was a car guy. He was impressed with my build, pointing out my Cusco Parts and Raceseng Camber/Caster plates. Would I have to swap out my entire exhaust system or could I just swap the headers?

Swap out anything that isn't CARB legal.

At the very least they will inspect anything that effects emissions & if there is no CARB cert or isn't stock then you'll automatically fail.

No expert here, but thats the logical answer.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by aznflightfreak23

Do you know what they do exactly at the State Ref? Do they lift my car and test smog? The officer that pulled me over was a car guy. He was impressed with my build, pointing out my Cusco Parts and Raceseng Camber/Caster plates. Would I have to swap out my entire exhaust system or could I just swap the headers?

Ref will test according to the violation you are cited for.

If you get an exhaust ticket, they will only test for exhaust noise.
If you get a modified emissions ticket, they will run a full smog check but wont care about sound.

-alex

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by aznflightfreak23

Do you know what they do exactly at the State Ref? Do they lift my car and test smog? The officer that pulled me over was a car guy. He was impressed with my build, pointing out my Cusco Parts and Raceseng Camber/Caster plates. Would I have to swap out my entire exhaust system or could I just swap the headers?

Originally Posted by mav1178

Ref will test according to the violation you are cited for.

If you get an exhaust ticket, they will only test for exhaust noise.
If you get a modified emissions ticket, they will run a full smog check but wont care about sound.

-alex

What Alex said; ref tickets break down into two categories:

- Emissions violation
- Noise violation.

They only test for the category you were cited for. If you got an emissions violation (which is what you got), then you need to make sure your ENTIRE car is 100% legal.

Give me a mod list and I'll let you know what is an emissions item.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

If you got an emissions violation (which is what you got), then you need to make sure your ENTIRE car is 100% legal.

But to reiterate, you dont need to worry about a catback exhaust nor do you have to worry about sound.

-alex

[tyrantcf]

Originally Posted by Shutter

so does this mean the location of tonights street race is gonna be changed?

I'm dying to see who's gonna finally break into the 16's for the 1/4.

Joking aside, IMO, I feel that its more for the "show" than it is the "money". Illegal mod tickets must be a fraction to other citations(useless street sweeping, speeding, red lights etc) but its done to show that they are "cracking down" on illegal street-racerz.

I'd be very interested to know the numbers actually...

Either way, control yourself on the street, and avoid doing things that "hurt the scene" for the rest of us.

I think you're right on. Whenever there's an article related to any form of enforcement, it's a public relations thing. Chances are, LAPD is getting shit loads of calls from "concerned citizens" about street racing/loud cars/"hoodlums" etc.

LA area has always been tough on modded cars, I think this article is just for show.

I'm very glad Bakersfield is far less strict in this matter though, the BPD officer at cars and coffee a couple months ago: "Car looks bad ass man!" Haha

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Phantobe

Some may disagree, but just because my car is modded shouldn't give them the right to waste my time when I'm just going about my business.

I hear what you are saying but bottom line is if it looks/smells/sounds like an offender they are obliged to check.


For example, if I dress up in an orange jump suit, take my legally owned and licensed long range rifle with a scope on it, take a lawn chair and go sit on the roof of my friend's house down the street from your house, I am doing absolutely nothing illegal, at least in some jurisdictions.


I'd be willing to beat though 99% of the neighborhood is going to want a cop to come find out what I'm doing. In the process of doing that, everyone who has a concern has profiled me.

[Phantobe]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I hear what you are saying but bottom line is if it looks/smells/sounds like an offender they are obliged to check.


For example, if I dress up in an orange jump suit, take my legally owned and licensed long range rifle with a scope on it, take a lawn chair and go sit on the roof of my friend's house down the street from your house, I am doing absolutely nothing illegal, at least in some jurisdictions.


I'd be willing to beat though 99% of the neighborhood is going to want a cop to come find out what I'm doing. In the process of doing that, everyone who has a concern has profiled me.

I understand the principle in your example but the context is a bit extreme.

By your statements logic a cop has a right to pretty much pull over ANY performance oriented car from the factory...lets name a few

302 Boss
Challenger Hellcat
Z06 Corvette
Camaro ZR1
Nismo 370Z
Any supercar

All of those cars look & sound fast, so they have the right to pull me over? Its too silly, I'll have to look me up some laws lol.

[enjetek]

Originally Posted by Phantobe

I understand the principle in your example but the context is a bit extreme.



By your statements logic a cop has a right to pretty much pull over ANY performance oriented car from the factory...lets name a few



302 Boss

Challenger Hellcat

Z06 Corvette

Camaro ZR1

Nismo 370Z

Any supercar



All of those cars look & sound fast, so they have the right to pull me over? Its too silly, I'll have to look me up some laws lol.

I see your examples but remember those cars are sold modified to have that output and have been through all the various tests to make them drive worthy on our streets. How can you compare something that is legal to something that isn't?


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[enjetek]

And also how do you know they aren't getting hassled too? I remember stock wings on stis and supras sometimes attracting attention.


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[Phantobe]

Originally Posted by enjetek

I see your examples but remember those cars are sold modified to have that output and have been through all the various tests to make them drive worthy on our streets. How can you compare something that is legal to something that isn't?


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The point is they can still pull you over without commit a moving violation.

Which apparently is a "norm" unless something has changed in 7 years.

http://forums.officer.com/t73003/ <-- Check out this thread and see how officers to tell this guy to sell his stock evo if he wants to stop getting pulled over.

[enjetek]

Pictures aren't loading in that thread but even the first response targets the intercooler which 'looks' modified. That's enough reason to make them want to search the car. And I'm definitely agreeing that it sucks that they can use it.


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[Cal3000]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I still fail to understand this argument, at least against the police officer on the street. (and not picking on you @Shutter you were just the last post on this I saw to quote)

Police have the responsibility for enforcing the law, they do not make them and do not necessarily agree with the laws they are asked to enforce. However, if it wasn't "against the law" then they wouldn't be bothering you with it.

Given that, any issue with the laws should be taken to the governing bodies that create the rules as that's where the complaints belong.

Yes, like any profession, there are Police that may use that to their advantage or have a particular penchant for being jackasses. Despite the press coverage though, there are way more "honest cops" then the bad eggs that catch everyone's attention and ire.

As far as the money, would you rather the penalty for you breaking the law be jail time, which is about the only other option? Remember, we are talking for the most part here about folks that are breaking a law, even if only for "tuning" reasons. If you don't like the laws, you need to work to change them rather than disobey them, and then bitch because you got caught.

Yes, in the process of enforcing the law it is possible that truly innocent people will get stopped and ticketed. That's when you get to have your day in court. Checks and balances, and you have to decide if you are willing to write the checks to help get the balance.

OK, I'm done now. Asbestos flight suit is on so let the flaming begin....

I guess it is seen as a revenue generator like speed traps. 80% of people on the freeway break the law. Officers that drive on the freeway break the law. I have a coworker whose brother is a cop. He has a 800whp Shelby GT500. Breaking the law. I think the bigger issue is hypocrisy.
There are greater issues that pulling someone over for going 5mph over the speed limit. Likewise, greater issue than pulling someone over for just having a modded car.

It's irritating to see CHP pass by someone stranded at the side of the road of the freeway and rather waste their time setting up speed traps. To protect and to serve? That's a lie.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Cal3000

I guess it is seen as a revenue generator like speed traps. 80% of people on the freeway break the law. Officers that drive on the freeway break the law. I have a coworker whose brother is a cop. He has a 800whp Shelby GT500. Breaking the law. I think the bigger issue is hypocrisy.
There are greater issues that pulling someone over for going 5mph over the speed limit. Likewise, greater issue than pulling someone over for just having a modded car.

It's irritating to see CHP pass by someone stranded at the side of the road of the freeway and rather waste their time setting up speed traps. To protect and to serve? That's a lie.

The true bigger issue, as I stated early, the laws need to be changed to reflect reality. A 55MPH speed limit (or even 70) on the US Interstate system just don't make sense any longer and we willingly disobey those laws, knowing that if we get caught we have to pay the fine.

I guess my point at the end of the day the vast majority of the police force everyone is complaining about here do not set up speed traps, pull over cars or generally "harass" folks on their own accord. They do it because we (the tax paying public) hire them to enforce all the laws, not just the ones we agree with. and they do it typically at the instruction of elected officials (Sheriffs, Mayors, Governors, etc) that have a particular agenda they need to fill. There is a minority that "enjoy" it a little too much.

Yes, there are always greater crimes being committed and there is a share of the police force working on those crimes. Speeding seems like a minor crime until its your son or daughter that is hit from behind and pushed off the road by a speeder.

On a lesser scale we all face this in our jobs, supporting things we don't necessarily fully agree with because of security, funding or whatever. I'm in IT, and have to play bad cop all the time. "No you can't have unlimited email storage" or "No you can't have unfiltered access to the Internet", that type of thing.