Are there any parts I should not upgrade on my Focus? I want to be able to go get smogged without having to swap any parts back for originals. Also, I understand that neons on a car are illegal in Cali.

Is there some state website that outlines the street legal guidelines? Are pro chips legal in Cali? I don't want to do too much to my car until I know how far I can go.

Thanks.

Seriously you can't do much of anything to a new car in California. I have a CAI on my delSol and I have to swap it out for the stock airbox when I smog it. It even came with a CARB sticker on it but three different smog check places still would not pass it.

This link may give you some info:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/streetlegal.html

I need to move to someplace that loves cars and hates air quality and police.

I've seen a few people around at my job who have customized their cars quite a bit, I'll have to ask around and see what kind of stuff they get away with.

move here to tx they allow a lot of mods to car. well at least inmy town we can do a lot of things

My wife would divorce me if I moved to Texas. I guess I just need to toe the line in Cali.

I don't care what the CHP website says, I'm getting HID projection headlights.

Originally posted by ess2s2
My wife would divorce me if I moved to Texas. I guess I just need to toe the line in Cali.

I don't care what the CHP website says, I'm getting HID projection headlights.

HID headlights are not illegal. Blue bulbs are. The light emitted from the headlight must be white. Doesnt matter what it looks like. Easiest way to determine if the headlights are emitting white light is to take a piece of white copy paper from your printer at home. Turn on the headlights and hold the white paper in front of them so the light is shining on the paper. If you have illegal blue tinted bulbs, the paper will appear to be blue. Or if you have some of the illegal pink bulbs the paper will look pink. If you hold the paper in front of HID lights the paper will appear bright white. Also, bulbs can have any color when not lit. So, the Cateye fog lights that look dark blue/gold when off and shine white when on are legal.

go to alabama.. I could run a race header and have no problems since they dont even check emissions.. as for exterior mods.. my friend has a crx with red parking lights and turn sigs.. no problems with the cops..

See there's the quandry, I love Cali because my family's here and I grew up here. I hate California because EVERYTHING is illegal. (well everything fun...)

I figure the first thing I will do is hunker down the ride, make the car's handling moe stable, then tackle engine. Who knows, maybe I'll open my own smog shop so I can pass my car and get around the emissions standards...