@taylorsankey, there are asshole cops all over the bay area, but there are also a fair share of cool ones too. You should probably be okay as long as you drive sensibly.

You might want to watch out for noise complaints from the neighbors (depending on where you live)... don't blow through quiet residential neighbors with your loud exhaust early morning or late at night.

It's all about common sense and consideration.

Please excuse my ignorance but, arent any after market exhaust mods illegal in CA?

Unless you have one with a CARB sticker on it.

Catbacks are not regulated by CARB. The only restriction is noise, and that's 95db (measured how? :iono: ). Everything before the cat must be CARB certified though.

It's illegal to modify anything that can affect emissions (any modification between the MAF sensor and the last cat) unless it is CARB exempt. Catbacks aren't inherently illegal since they do not affect emissions. However, they are not supposed to be louder than 95dB. In reality, people still modify their cars. It's up to the cop to decide if he wants to pull your over. In most cases, the cop has better things to do, as long as you don't give him a reason to pull you over.

I wish I had rich enough parents to have a FR-S back when my parents cared about shit like this. lol

Nice! I go to SJSU as well; I've never been in trouble with cops for my loud exhaust. I have a tomei 80, and that's one of the loudest exhausts out right now.

I have the Top Speed axleback, and while I don't live in San Jose, I drive in and out of the area quite often and have cops drive behind me and etc. Never any issues. I got pulled over in Burlingame (not SJ, I know), but cop said nothing about my exhaust. As long you're obeying the law and your exhaust doesn't sound like a freight train, you should generally be just fine. My 2 cents :)

I don't know how you California kids put up with the governmental BS. Bad enough you can't buy the recommended fuel for your twins. But now you have to worry about if it's "too loud". I wonder what other sort of oppressive restrictions you guys and gals deal with on a regular basis.

And here I am bitching about not being able to tint my side windows anything darker then 70% (factory).

Same restriction here too! :bonk:

I blame it on SoCal. Ever been to Los Angeles? When you are able to see what you are breathing... that's usually not a good thing.

No, I've been on a boycott of California for some time now. Only place I've ever been is Edwards AFB and I had no choice, (former USAF avionics guy) but I stayed on the base. As a lover of firearms and cars, the whole emissions testing and weapons restrictions that started there, have made me not really want to spend my money there. I won't even shop online if I know it's being shipped or sold from CA.

I love and hate living here. Our legislators have their heads farther up their asses than the average.

We put up with it for the vast things CA offers. Moderate weather year-round, gorgeous outdoors, twisty canyon roads, and the broad spectrum of culture, which is huge to me because I LOVE food of all types... I can go on and on.

I run E85 which burns cleaner anyway, even without cats. It's a risk I'm willing to take. You can still own firearms, just can't customize popular rifles without it being a PITA. They've even relaxed concealed carry. I'm all for the 2nd amendment, but I don't care to carry a gun on me all the time.