New to the forums. Moving to Los Angeles soon. Bringing my 1999 C5 with me. I currently don't have cats on the car and am considering switching to the Corsa Pace Car Edition exhaust from my ultra quiet Billy Boat PRT exhaust. Should I be concerned about cops in the LA area pulling me over for my loud car? Should I consider putting cats on the car before moving? I've heard a lot of horror stories about emissions and cops in Cali and just want to make sure I'm covered. Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to the forums! not only in los angeles but all of california cops love modded cars...especially the LOUD ones! right now they are more focused on the import cars (rice burners) than a nything, they seem especially unconcerned with corvettes. however, once your car is registered in california and you have no cats on it, be ready for a huge fine. and if you have long tube headers...those are also illegal on california streets.

quick story for you that pertains to this topic: i'm on my way to the central valley from san diego on the I5 freeway...goin through LA in bumper to bumper traffic at 5-25mph when a california highway patrol merges onto the freeway. i'm 3 lanes over in the "fast" lane doing 15mph when he forces himself over through traffic to get behind me...he turns on his lights so now i'm pushing my way through 3 lanes to take an exit and pull over. when i'm pulled over he makes all the cute little remarks about how nice the car is...then tells me to rev the motor to 5000 rpm (but of course i only rev it to 3000 because i know whats coming). then he takes his ticket book and tries to slide it on its edge (widthwise) under my car to no avail. takes a walk around the car then comes back tomy window. to make this story short: i get a fix-it ticket for modified exhaust (too loud), too low to the ground, no front plate, and illegal colors (front lights on a car can only be clear and amber, back lights can only be red and amber with clear reverse ligths).

in california there are refs that are called out to inspect a car on site. they look for anything illegal on a car...like having no cats...[>:]

also...i've been pulled over in san diego and was told to pop my hood...i'm sure they do that in LA too...

hope this helps a little...

 

That is insane pewter, glad I don't live in cali. If I was just driving through cali could I get pulled over and ticketed. My car wouldnt even be close to legal in cali.

 

charged...you shouldn't have any problems because you're not a california resident and the car isn't registered here...so the state smog laws don't apply to you...thats how a lot of the military guys slide by because they keep their place of residence in another state...i thought about trying to register my car in georgia...but since i'll be leaving this god-forsaken tax state in about 3 years i'll just either wait until i move or hopefully i get a smog requirement soon so i can put the long tubes on and try to slide until i move...

 

Actually, the property taxes here are among the lowest in the nation. I pay less on a house worth $800K than would someone in Wisconsin with a $250K house.

But regarding smog and CAT-backs. You shouldn't have a problem with an aftermarket cat-back unless you eliminate your mufflers. Of course, NOT wearing a baseball cap backwards and looking like you are 18 years old couldn't hurt. Yes, profiling exists everywhere. As was mentioned, LT headers are illegal and you do have to have cats. Typically, we have no rain from May to November, so get ready for nonstop sunshine!