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Debating moving to Cali (How are the cops?)

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barkeep

CEG'er
Joined
Jun 3, 2007
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I've debated leaving Ohio for the nice Climate of Southern California.

I have 2 modified sports cars (a fully build rx7 and an STI) (not to mention my svt contour) and was wondering if they are real dicks down there or if they are reasonable.

What are your observations?
 
I would imagine cops are cops wherever you go really, they are people too after all.
However there are extra laws here in California that they need to enforce that you may not be used to in ohio, such as emissions laws and perhaps some other laws (like window tinting etc).
Though actually I can say that the police officers in my town (fairfield, nor cal) dont really do much about illegal tinting, while some other local agencies do.
Sorry that probably doesnt help much, but maybe it does.
 
Hmm... I forgot about california emissions.

I have a 3.5 in exhaust and no cat. I could put the cat back on. Is there a way around emissions bit? any tricks?
 
well a lot of people have found places that will pass you visually, but there are very few that will pass you on the sniffer (unless of course... you actually pass it).
since you'll be heading to so. cal, perhaps some can help point you in the direction to a place they have go to before. but plan on having to pass the sniffer.
A couple years ago you could just keep driving your old car with its plates and stuff, but I think they've changed that... could be wrong?
 
for a few hundy you can pass ANYTHING! BUT, you may need to take each car to the DMV to have it inspected, visually at least. you could just not register it in CA like a certain someone i know.....:ponder: hell, if you have family there, just keep registering/insuring it in your home state. HUGE difference in $$ for both!

the only issue i see in so cal, all over, is with your rx7 and sti. cops in so cal have honed in on import cars BIG time. theyve been receiving training on how to spot street racers and are allowed to make you pop the hood for an inspection. theyve been trained to look for the usual illegal mods. does it happen a LOT? not really. but those poor guys do get hassled the most and seem to get tickets much easier. i have NEVER been pulled over in my csvt and have been let out of some crazy tickets with my cobra. ive heard many people with domestics say the same thing. of course, if you have an SRT4 you might as well be driving an import in the eyes of the fuzz.

if your car is conservative, you'll probably bet better off. ie, no DARK tint, REALLY loud exhaust, stickers etc.... of course, my cobra has all these, but its a cobra. cops love my car :cool: ive gotten compliments the few times ive actually been pulled over in it.

another thing is, import cars tend to be driven by young punks who drive like inconsiderate, dangerous idiots. not all obviously because i see plenty of 30 year olds in stis/evos but those are usually pretty stockish (conservative). MOST of them are driven by young 20-somethings who cops love to eff with. of course, so are your standard mustang GTs which im sure get scrutinized a bit but even their owners usually claim that the cops are pretty easy on them.

cliff's notes: if your car looks like it was in the F&F or could be in Super Street, you've been warned :crazy:
 
All that svt4stv said it true and more...But I think your biggest shock is how high the cost of living is out here in California....Rent,insurance, gas and just daily stuff cost really shocks people that move out here...If you get a chance, come out and visit for a week or two...Research a area you like and you see how much it will cost just to rent a apartment....Sure, the weather great and there is tons of things to do, but it is real expensive to live here..In my area a one bedroom apartment runs for 1100-1200....Just something to consider....
 
In regards to cops.... Orange county is a pretty descent place minus Irvine.... they have specially *certified* cops that will actually pop hoods and write tickets on anything that is illegal. Down to no CARB EO numbers on intake. Smoked tail lights and window tint are their favorite tickets to give. Also, driving without insurance here is a MANDATORY MINIMUM of an $800 ticket. Not to mention insurance is now routed through Registration.
 
Here is a pic of my rx7. I don't have tinted windows but its definitely illegal under the hood. I mean.. no NOS but aftermarket motor/turbos.. pretty much everything.

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You might want to move to one of the few counties which don't require smog tests. Most of them are up north and have very few people in them. I think part of San Diego and San Bernardino counties are exempt as well. It depends partially on the population I think. You can get pretty far from civilization here if you want to.
Karl
 
So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, my FD won't survive near San Diego.

Wow that blows! I think I'd rather have my car then move for better living/lifestyle.

Does anyone else here have any built cars?
 
Those of us that do either A) Pay out the azz for a less-than-legal smog inspection, or B) Have it looking close enough to stock to squeak by (for example, Steve's 3L looks like a stock engine, and, in fact, is.... though from a different car). I don't think there's really any other way to do it, aside from registering the car in a different state.

Just so you know, smog laws state NOTHING can be altered between the intake (including the filter) and the cat.
 
I always wondered that... because I know most AEM applications state that there is a CARB EO number that allows the car to still be street legal, unfortunately now the smog place is supposed to run all CARB EO numbers and make sure it is for the right car. I found this out the hard way when I tried to fab my own cold air intake on my ranger. the guy said he couldn't pass the visual unless I had a kit made for the car that had a carb eo number.....
 
barkeep said:
So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, my FD won't survive near San Diego.

Wow that blows! I think I'd rather have my car then move for better living/lifestyle.

Does anyone else here have any built cars?
Click to expand...

I don't know about San Diego area but here in San Bernardino county you will be requied to test unless its a special commerical vehicle or under the state exempt rule (older than 1975) That is why most hot rod builders stick with the older stuff out here so smog is not an issue.
 
barkeep said:
I've debated leaving Ohio for the nice Climate of Southern California.

I have 2 modified sports cars (a fully build rx7 and an STI) (not to mention my svt contour) and was wondering if they are real dicks down there or if they are reasonable.

What are your observations?
Click to expand...
I can give my view since I was a Cop for ten years and now a Police Commissioner for the City of San Bernardino. Every Officer has his pet peeves, mine were:
1 stop sign rollers (due to amount of accidents from this)
2 Illegal handicap parking
3 Expired tags (many lead to other violation, unlicensed and uninsured)
4 If I found you are driving unlicensed, uninsured, suspended lic... you can be sure your car will be towed. I have put whole families out baby seat and all. That may sound harsh, but I rather see you walk, than have to go see someones wife/family and tell them that some illegal driver has killed their love one. I wasn't a DUI hunter, but I had no mercy on them either. I even pulled one guy out of his car through his window before.

Some Officer like working dope, gangs/taggers, GTA's..... and will turn a eye to other stuff. On tint my rule was, If I can see who is driving it was ok, but the law reads that no substance can be place on front, front driver and passenger side glass to block/reduce view.


California is a great place to live, not too many places allow you to reach the beach and mountains within 2.5 hours of each other. And it has good weather for cars (no harsh winters, road salt) where cars rust in other parts of the country, not in Cali.
 
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Hmm.. well you sound like a more reasonable officer. Do you guys have ticket quotas out there?
 
Straight from the DMV website:

Which counties require a smog inspection for the registration renewal?
Counties that Require a Smog Inspection for Vehicle Registration Renewal Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada,
Orange, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin,
San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz,
Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba.

There are six counties that require smog certifications within certain Zip Codes only. These counties are:

El Dorado, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Sonoma.

If you go to the website, there's a link to check which zip codes in the above 6 counties don't require smog tests. The other list above only lists 34 counties and since there are something like 52 counties in California, that leaves nearly twenty where you won't get bugged about it.
Karl
 
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