Guys running LTH's in CA, I need your insight.
 

Really debating on getting long tube headers!!! :o:

Since I live in California the only things holding me back are COPS and emissions tests, but mainly cops. lol
I have my resonators taken out and a catless LTH header setup is going to be ape 5hit loud!

So my question to you guys are....
-How often have cops pulled you over?
-Did they check underneath the car and asked you if your running cats?
-You think its worth taking the risk?
-What kind of fines am I looking at?
-Should I move to another state?! :rolf:

Any insight would be very helpful.
Thank you.

Put the resonators back in and just be careful about wot and where you are.

Will the resonators even make a big difference in noise reduction?
I think running catless regardless will be loud.

Yah, they let Harleys run wide open exhaust and nail any car that sounds louder than a stroller.

Seriously!! Those things are deafening loud.
These laws are ridiculous.

dont got WOT in front of them, it's stock < 2-3k rpm

Ive been hearing that too.
2-3K rpm is civilized, anything after that gets crazy.

That's correct. You're only issues would be cold starts, accel above 3K, and WOT. I've been through intersections with cops nearby, and pulled away from a light, with a cop right behind me...no problems.

Nice!
At least now I know cops wont give me too much attention when driving around normally.
I wonder if its civilized around 2-3k rpm without resonators.

I drove in a MHP car in the valley. When he pulled up (was driving @ low rpm) you could hardly tell there was a modified exhaust. Now driving under certain load, uphill etc..it will be harder to hide it. And well when you step on it at all its just ridiculously loud.

Thanks for the input Sammy.
Would you happen to know if he had his resonator taken off?

not sure, I know he had the MHP headers and mids. So I believe no resonators.

You could always get their silencers, supposed to quiet the noise a lot.

Or have you heard Jeremy's car? Not so loud, the mufflers seem to quiet the car down a bit

If I do get headers I'm probably gonna go with Benzworks.
When you instal LTH's with mids it actually connects to the resonator.
So I wanted if he left it on or cut it off.

Ya, Ive actually driven Jeremy's car when it had the LTH's + full exhaust setup.
Its very deep and has a very nice rumble to it, I was actually surprised that it wasn't crazy loud.
Sounds awesome, I really like it.

So maybe he had resonators then

The MHP package provides mid pipes that connect the headers directly to the resonator but replace the secondary cats. You can get a different setup with high flow cats installed in the mid pipes for about $500 if you have concerns about emisions screening and noise. There is only one resonator in the stock exhaust setup and because it also functions as an H pipe, it is retained by most people or replaced with an X pipe by others. Replacing it with straight pipes eliminates all crossover which is not typically suggested.

If you are curious about long tubes but not sure, I would have your secondary cats removed if you can find a shop in Cali to do it. Not very expensive, much louder than stock, no tune needed and you still have your primaries in place. Not going to start a debate about any horsepower gains but they would be minor if any.

lol....these are 3 big reasons i bought the car

i have MHP longtubes and catless mids . i know i don't live in California but i realized the car was extremely loud . i bought a catback from Carlsson , and bingo , problem solved :y

QFT

Just going to point out that there is no option for hfc that would comply with emissions in CA for LT setups on the C63.

I don't know what the fines are if you are caught, but I know it wouldn't be a fun experience. But, lots of people do it. Still, it's a risk.

Thanks for the input.
I'm running the MBH X pipe right now and have straight pipes in place of the resonators, its not that loud (probably because im used to the sound)
Complete straight pipes on the other hand was crazy loud. I know the MHP mids don't come with a crossover so running that on m car would be too much in terms of sound.
Plus I have a local company in mind that I might go with.

Exactly! I don't think even Kleeman manifolds with HFC will pass emissions.

Lol that's the only problem.
My brain tells me not to risk it, but my heart says forget the risk and go for it.
Ill probably be kicking myself in the head when/if I get a fat ticket. :wall:

I think it's plausible that the Kleeman hfc's would pass the sniffer test, but visual is where you could get tagged. That said, I just got smogged a month ago and they didn't look under my car when I was next to them (at a certain point they asked me to go inside and away from the dyno so I don't know if they looked under when I wasn't there).

We've heard that a member here has passed without cats in NY, but I don't know how their machines compare to CA machines.

I'm guessing here, but I would think some part of the test would look for the functioning of cats and if you didn't have any, something could be flagged. But, it's a guess.

What would scare me about a potential LT/no cats violation is that you don't know the extent of the law that they would throw at you. Maybe you get away with $1,000-2,500 fine, but maybe they have the right to punish with a stiffer penalty. And that's what makes me nervous.

Having said all that, LT's on this car is a really natural step. The engine is race-inspired and choking up the exhaust with OEM log manifolds and big primary cats is almost a sin IMO. :nonono:

I understand how tough of a decision it is. Also, something to consider... I've experienced very strong fuel smells from a car when it was catless with LT's. And it was strong enough to give away the catless status if you knew what you were smelling. But, even I think that sounds kind of paranoid of me... Just passing on a thought I've had.

Thanks for the insight brotha, much appreciated.

I guess I still have some thinking to do.
Damn CA emission laws!! lol

you think too much

Just looking into the consequences.
Trust me, If I lived in a state that allowed LTH's I would've bought them a long time ago.

Everyday "normal" driving won't trigger any head turns from the general public or police. Driving in a "spirited" manner around town will attract attention. Just drive normally and you'll be fine. :y

All in all...you have to love the power of the additional (or lack thereof) hardware. :naughty: :D