My gripe is that the current law seems to be more concerned about maintaining OEM market share than keeping the air clean. Clean is clean. If a modification can be proven not to increase tailpipe emissions, then it should be fine.

As it stands, if you invented a way to make you car burn pure evil and emit only rose petals, it is still illegal. If the goal is truly emissions, then that should be the test. I don't think people should have the right to dirty every else's air, but state government shouldn't have the power to blanket outlaw a person from modifying their own property if it doesn't infringe the rights of others. Just my $.02.

The real issue to me, and forgive me if I'm not 100% up to date on Cali laws, is none of these laws ever distinguish between a weekend toy and a daily driver. To that end, it is discrimination.


My weekend toy is loud and obnoxious, and probably pollutes a lot. It also gets driven less than 1,000 miles a year and has little to no environmental or noise pollution impact. Thankfully, my state has provisions for this kind of stuff but I'm also having to hide behind 25 year antique plates. If I wanted a brand new car like this, I'm risking a ticket.


My daily drivers would pass an emissions test (not required here) and make normal levels of noise. I can't stand people abusing this, especially the ones that cop an attitude because they feel entitled to the right to wake up the whole neighborhood at 4 am. They truly do ruin it for the rest of us but still I have a hard time respecting the rules when they could be written instead to only target the problem.

Track cars that arent registered don't have to worry. But there is no real way to distinguish a "weekend toy" otherwise. Pollution is still pollution and if the goal is to get rid of it there is no point in exceptions. So many people in CA have a "weekend toy" or 2 that it still makes an impact. And anything 1972 or older is exempt. We dont have a rolling year thing unfortunately.

This law change is only related to the sound aspect of a catback only exhaust, which is an issue. People can bitch about cats and stuff if they want, but it is a federal law being broken when removed whether your state has a law or not.

And it would just get abused since so many ignor the current laws anyway

What carb legal headers do we have for this platform? I need this upgrade for NA route.

Absolutely none.

As it stands, modifying anything outside of the tune and exhausts to your cats are legal*. Feel free to modify with catbacks and air filters. That's been the law for a long while now, and it still is. The new law did not change anything. Just no more loop hole. Nothing about maintaining OEM market shares. Same exhaust limitations.

:iono: