So it is time to do the first mod on my mustang, and I am looking at doing a full exhaust. I already assume that I cannot run an o/r x pipe, since I live in Sacramento, CA, and we have sniffers. Will an aftermarket x pipe with cats still allow me to pass the sniff test? Anybody have any experience with this? Lastly, does anybody know of a good tuner in the Sacramento area??

Thanks!

hey im from sacramento too. i dont know about a tuner. but im pretty sure you should still pass the sniffer. I plan on running a non-catted o/r H pipe and just swapping the stock pipe in every two years.(the only reason i did this was because the non catted ones are soo much cheaper. where in sac are you? and what year you got?

Sac here too. I've heard good things about Sac Mustang down off of Auburn Rd. Haven't been there yet. And you gotta watch out running non-catted pipes, lately they've been hitting everyobdy hard on that, doing spot inspections out on the street.

Sac mustang has a dyno?? didnt know that

el cabong. you have heard of people getting inspected on the streets?? what kind of fines are we lookin at??

I live right near Sac State, my car is a 04 GT with a manual. Its totally stock right now, but I want to get the full exhaust done. Being legal does not bug me at all, I was just curious if I wil pass smog with the aftermarket catted xpipe. I have not been under a mustang yet, so I am not familiar with the placement of the cats. Where exactly are the pre cats located? Would they stay in place with an aftermarket x pipe, or would they be gone?

You poor bastards You live near/In Sacramento.I lived In Davis Cali. For 6 Months and the cops kept harasing me. I even got pulled over in my driveway.Calis nice But I would never live there again

alrighty guys, heres the deal. I live in So Cal, and i spent time asking all the exhaust shops the laws. Here it is- Long tubes are straight up illegal. No cats are obviouisly illegal, and the aftermarket catted pipes are still considered illegal... Heres why. Cali law says that you are allowed to have an aftermarket midpipe with catalytic converters, but they must be in the locations of the stock ones. One problem.... none of the aftermarket pipes come with converters in the stock locations, hence the need for 02 extensions. The only way to have a legal aftermarket midpipe is to buy an O/R X or H pipe, then have cats welded into it in the stock locations. Hope that helps you.

I think they do, they have a shop behind them, JT's performance or something like that, and I think they do. I'm not 100% sure though. And I have no clue about about the fines. Most of it has been happening down around Elk Grove lately. And they've been targeting imports just as hard. Personally I have never had a problem. And I have pretty loud exhaust. So who knows.

DAVIS police are the ABSOLUTE worst police to deal with. in the areas in and around sac, they are the worst. i swear they have nothing better to do in davis then harass people about EVERYTHING.

Myabe ill look into welding in some high flow cats, i have a welder so it should be pretty easy anyone know the best place or best brand of high flow cats??

What makes long tubes illegal in Ca?

Secondly, if the cats are there, and work, they should pass the sniffer test, but not the visual? Could this depend on if the tester is a jerk, or only cares about what the sniffer says?

Lastly, where on the exhaust system are the pre-cats? Does the catted x pipe get rid of the pre-cats, or are they still in place?