The cutout thing is kinda in a weird place. It's not an emissions violation issue (unless it's before the last cat). And it's not a noise issue when closed. So the SMOG shop doesn't care. Just like they don't care if your tires have less than the legal amount of tread left on them.

 

Hey Rick... wanna make 50 bucks saying that my cut out is legal j/k LOL...

I couldn't do it with my car, it's missing something called a cat convertor.

 

If it's closed on the streets... why would anyong care? it's not effecting anything

 

I 100% agree. If I wanted to put one on I probably still would. It's just that I would know that it's not allowed.


About the VC books being available for a small fee. Very true. I used to get them for $3. It might cost a little more now.

 

Keep a Subaru STI brocure in the glove compartment... If they ask, say "Dude, it came like that!" and bust out the pics

 

that would be a bad idea for me... LOL... I'll take gettng written up for the stock intake manifold, if it means they miss the turbo 3x factory size

 

If everything else is stock or looks stock, you might be able to get away with a 3x bigger turbo But your engine bay is rather non stock IIRC

In fact, there are ALOT of things you can "get away with" even with the ref...

 

im gonna throw this out there.

i think its section 27150 of the VC stating every registered car needs to be equiped with a muffler and cannot have a cutout. but there is a loop hole.... a part of 27151 (or something like that) says that if the car is quietter than 95dB it passes section 27150. im gonna look up the actual code numbers for you now and ill edit this. for the record, i havetn read this whole thread.

 

27150. (a) Every motor vehicle subject to registration shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.


27151. Exhaust systems installed on motor vehicles, other than motorcycles, with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of less than 6,000 pounds comply with Sections 27150 and 27151 if they emit no more than 95 dbA when tested in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J1169 May 1998

i was right on the code numbers. so technically you can have a cutout, but only if your car is under 95dB with it open. and i highly doubt that would be the case.

 

That is what I was trying to say, Justin just worded it right....

Hints why my uncle was umm what is that word... oh ya... RIGHT?... Odd, he works for the smog department in California and knows more then Dz... What a concept, but then again Dz is never wrong... so I guess he is still right...


Oh ya, I forgot that ALL the smog shops that "overlooked" my cutout, where right too... since it is closed, I highly doubt it passed 95db through the stock exhaust... hints why it passes?

 

Smog stations overlook alot of things. They don't usually even take a good look under the car.

 

damn this thread blew up like nothing else!

but yeah, i know it's because i have a legacy wagon. the most common response i get when i tell people what i drive is "How big is your family????", or "How many kids do you have????"

when i try to explain to people that i don't have a family, i just always wanted to fix up a wagon, they all say "Well yeah, cause you want to have a family."

people.......

 

Again only part of the code was quoted:


When open, the cutout increases noise which makes it illegal. Besides, an exhaust system and a cutout are not one and the same. VC 27150 specifically states that no vehicle shall be equipped with a cutout.

On top of that, 27151 says that the vehicle complies with "this section" which makes the vehicle in compliance with section 27151 when the sound level is below 95db. This does not make it in compliance with 27150 which states that cutouts are illegal.

Again John, if you are willing to put your money where your mouth is my offer still stands.

The fact here (ignoring the fact that the VC clearly statges that cutouts are illegal) is that a cutout will always increase noise when open on a vehicle that is in compliance with noise regulations when the cutout is closed. If your uncle says that such a device is legal to have on your car when the law clearly says it is not, he is wrong.

Will you get busted for having such a device on your car - it is possible.

Is the bypass cool? Hell yes

But it is not legal.

 

Doesn't that still state that as long as it's in compliance with 27150, that it is legal... So basically what is being said is, that it is ok to cut your muffler completely off, if it follows 27150, but you can't have a cut out even if it still follows 27150, because it just says an "adequate muffler"... A resonator and cat, might be enough to get the car under 95db.. Sorta like Srt-4's

 

It would if not for the bolded part of 27150: