Turbo Options in CA

[Rhino]

I have searched. I cant find any real info on turbo options for ca residents. I want to turbo badly but cant find any options. thank you.

[BKCowGod3]

Dinan and the BMW 745 turbo are the only two....

[Rhino]

What kinda of numbers can i expect from the dinan and the 745. Isnt the dinan rare?

[BKCowGod3]

both are pretty damn rare... I'll let the turbo folk tell you numbers.

[///ARINUTS...]

actually, you just need a C.A.R.B. sticker, to be more correct. you can buy a car that was modified by Dinan at some point with a turbocharger system and then do what you want. or if you want an E23 , you can just buy a 745i THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR USE IN CALIFORNIA.

[Bryan in SB]

Big HP turbo cars are not a LEGAL option in this great state of ours. Without the aforementioned C.A.R.B. sticker, you won't pass any visual smog test. Iiiiiiiiiiiiif you find a Dinan turbo and get the CARB sticker that goes with it, you'll have spent some big $$$$. To legally use, smog and register a transplanted 745i Turbo engine into your car, you'll have to get it approved through CARB and then have it smog the same way the 745i car did.

It's a lot of work, but can be done. Of course, this is all in legal terms.

[6throttles]

I have built and tuned a half dozen turbo cars which I got all through smog. If I can get the car to pass through the tail pipe, nothing else matters (for me Anyway). I passed GTA's turbo car twice I think. I'm in SoCal.

[Jeremy]

I have built and tuned a half dozen turbo cars which I got all through smog. If I can get the car to pass through the tail pipe, nothing else matters (for me Anyway). I passed GTA's turbo car twice I think. I'm in SoCal.

And what, exactly, do you do about the California Air Resource Board?

Jeremy

[6throttles]

I haven't had any issues. What do you mean, what do i do about them? What I'm saying is I have good connections. If the tailpipe passes, thats it. It's done.

[wickahead]

The other option for a turbo car in California is to take a diesel and do a conversion on it...

While I haven't done my conversion(s) yet, I am under the impression that the turbo in a diesel conversion is of the same order of magnitude as a 745i swap... (well, maybe add in a wire-harness swap - and I was assuming that a manual tranny would be going in as well - and the gas tank neck may be a little different). But since the motor swap is a non-trivial task in itself, if you are willing to tackle that, the extra diesel bits shouldn't be a show-stopper.




I may have a rust free diesel shell I could sell you (currently a runner, but I want the diesel motor for well - my diesel). Thinking $1000 - $1500 for the shell. (Shell = {car - [motor & instrument cluster]})

[sonny_82]

I plan on moving to CA and would like to turbo too. I’m thinking one possible way around the visual inspection (without resorting to bribery) is to fabricate some creative heat shielding to cover up the turbo and other illegal equipment. The Alpina e34 B10 Bi Turbo was equipped with shielding similar to what I was thinking of. See here: http://www.thealpinaregister.com/photo/ ... loon/61/32
This might work assuming you have a turbo hung below the exhaust manifold. Any thoughts on this bit of trickery?

[Matt]

maybe the easiest option is the one nobody is mentioning?

move to a state that isn't bullshit?

on second thought -- stay where you are. we don't want any more californians leaking into the rest of the country

[Bryan in SB]

A car can be tuned here to pass tailpipe emissions. You just have to find a smog shop that won't know what a turbo look like.....

[russc]

What your saying is illegal to do in CA. Sorry. Most don't have the "connections" you know. While Im not condeming it, it is what it is. If you can find a smog tech who'll break the law, more power to ya!

Now, what I will say is that my experience with smog tech's is they just want money, straight and simple. So if you set the car up right and get a copy of a sticker, they don't care, they just want their $70+!

RussC

I haven't had any issues. What do you mean, what do i do about them? What I'm saying is I have good connections. If the tailpipe passes, thats it. It's done.

[Rhino]

So basicly i cant get around the laws. it kinda sucks not being able to turbo my car. oh well i guess engine swap is in my future.

[wickahead]

So basicly i cant get around the laws. it kinda sucks not being able to turbo my car. oh well i guess engine swap is in my future.

Diesel car. Doesn't require smog. Same chassis as gasser models. If you change out the motor in your car, and you don't tell them, who cares?

The DMV currently doesn't ask for smog check upon purchase/selling; nor bi-annual smog inspection. Nothing. Nada. Bumpkis.

The only challenge is that the bio-diesel crowd wants the cars to do their WVO conversions and such.

--Mark

[Flip_Side_the_Pint]

I have a friend that does something really crazy when he needs his turbo car smoged, he reinstalls all his stock parts smogs it then spends a weekend reinstalling all his turbo parts.... allot of work but I guess if you want it bad enough.