Dear Turbo,
I was looking at getting the Invidia G200 cat-back exhaust for my 350Z (and eventually a DC header) but was wondering about smog and emissions. I live in California and want a system that I can use on the street that I won't get tickets for. I know the DC headers have the Executive Order number but what's the deal with exhaust? Do you know if this cat-back exhaust system will pass smog? How is it with noise? Any other information regarding laws on performance upgrades in California that you may know would help me out a lot. Thank you for your time.
Chris Paxton
Chris, the California laws regarding exhaust system states that no exhaust system can be louder than 95dB rating. There are only a select few manufacturers that offer exhaust systems that passes the 95dB rating. You might want to check with Invidia if their system passes the sound test. As for emissions, most exhaust systems on the market are catalytic back so the system does not affect any smog-controlled devices on the vehicle and should pass emissions. To be safe so you don't get hassled by police officers just stick to performance products that carry a CARB-exempt number and you should be fine.
Dear Turbo,
I have a '02 WRX that I installed a '04 2.5 liter short block into. I know I need to reprogram the ECU to get the engine to run to its full potential. The problem is I can't afford a $1,000 ECU at this time. Is there an inexpensive alternative? Everything else on the car is stock. Thanks for your help.
Chad Sprinkle
Well Chad, besides purchasing a brand new stand-alone engine management system like the ones from AEM or Motec, which cost even more than reprogramming your factory ECU the only other choice you have is to install a piggy-back fuel computer. The A'PEXi Super AFC has been the choice of many performance enthusiasts to control basic fuel duty.
But if you want more tuning parameters to chose from you might want to check out GReddy's e-Mange system. GReddy offers two different piggy-back computers: the basic e-Manage and e-Manage Extreme. Both systems have much more tuning points than the Super AFC and can also control ignition timing, which the A'PEXi unit can't perform. However, the GReddy unit is more expensive than the A'PEXi unit.
Dear Turbo,
Hello. I am writing in regards to your Project Celica car. I've got a '02 GT-S I'm getting ready to start work on (been in storage for three years now, overseas in the military) and I was thumbing through a buddy's old Turbo mag when I saw yours. I love the stance on yours with the 19-inch Racing Harts. What I wanted to know was with the H&R spring kit, do you have any rubbing issues in conjunction with that size wheel/tire combo? Also, are they standard offset, if not, then what? And lastly, what's the width on the wheels in case I decide to go with a different manufacturer (I'd still like to run the same size tire). Thanks for any info.
Adam Lohn
Okinawa, Japan (at least for another nine months anyways)
Adam, our Project Celica was the first to wear the Racing Hart Type-CR wheels in the U.S. and they look awesome on it. The ones we used were a prototype set from Racing Hart that were flown in from Japan for the Import Auto Salon. The wheel widths are 19x7 up front and 19x8 in the rears wrapped with 225/35 Yokohama Parada tires all around.