looking for a good and reasonable inspection place in the davis/sacramento/vacaville or fairfield area. or therabouts.

car was smogged on nov 17 2013. I didn't buy the car until late february, after the 90 days had expired. didn't realize until a week or so ago about the 90 limit. and I assume that because it had passed smog a couple times (albeit after one failure) it would be ok, then the code reader showed most of the components had been turned off by the tune. so it's been an education. only been in ca. for a year and we didn't have this kind of crap in texas.

I think my porsche guy has a bigger cat if I need it, but if not, I might take you up on it.

got nailed for tinted windows, 3 hours into ca. (car was in las vegas).
went yesterday to CHP to have it recorded that it was removed. and they were going to ticket me for having the license plate on the inside of the windshield instead of the front. had a testy conversation with the officer.
seems like they hassle you alot out here.

 

Yeah! Welcome to Kalifornia!!! Can't believe you made the move from Texas - I'm looking at doing the reverse!!!

 

moved here for my wife's university job.
I like the weather and food alot better here than in houston, where I lived for 22 years.
some things are much cheaper here (home insurance and property taxes) and others more expensive (no income tax in texas). much much better weather, even in the sac valley. hot but dry.
but more big brother police state out here. that's a drag.
getting the tune and my guy just got a 996 700 pass smog last week and I think he can do it. just will cost money for the tune and whatever else.
a drag, especially for something that's not a daily driver and I don't communte.
fortunately, my classics don't have to get smogged.

 

Are you taking it to IPB-Autosport in Sac ?

 

yes.
he just did a couple little things for my 928 which is still there because it's a hassle to pick it up. going to swap cars and have him check out what's in it and do the tune.

 

Ron= good guy. That's who tuned my car. He will take care of you. Let him know that I get exhaust down there if he needs it.

BTW, had to get mine smogged for renewal and just passed smog today up here in oroville.Good to have the smog tech be porsche owner also.

 

I was considering Austin. Weather is a huge factor though, and you can't beat Southern California. But the di*%heads in Sacramento are running this state into the ground!

 

I made the move from Austin to San Francsico 20+ years ago and didn't look back. Yeah, it's expensive, but I was hitting my journeyman period of my career, and knew it was going to be more challenging financially, but I was fortunate to have it work out.

The weather in TX is goddawful humid. If you like that weather, then, it's a feature not a bug. Austin is/was a bit provincial as well, so if you're an outsider, it might take a while to settle in and you might be labelled a Californian for the rest of your days. That being said, the people are warm, there are a lot of things to do, and Austin isn't like living in other parts of TX.

 

I imagine your wife works at UC Davis from your location. That's my alma matter. Great school. Have many fond memories of the place. Welcome to California. Smog can be a pain. I purchased my car from a private party sale in Reno, Nevada. Towed it to the SF Bay Area and smogged it at a friend's shop. It has a pipe and 1 bar tune. Passed with flying colors. The tech said it is one of the cleanest cars he's seen. This is with 100 cel cats. If your tune is deleting some smog features, then yeah, you are not going to pass the OBII readiness portion. If you do not know the shop or tech, they can be real difficult to work with. I think some are very paranoid that you might be an undercover inspector. Even your red boost pipes need a CARB number. It's another way to get vendors to pay the state fees. Remember in California, all welfare recipients make more then mininmum wage and don't have to work. That money has to come from somewhere!!!!!!

 

Car is at ipbs in sac. I'll know tomorrow. Getting a gaic tune
At a minimum.

 

that is spot on rangerdick. my smog guys said that they are being tested just as they test the cars! even aftermarket exhaust! now needs to have the carb number if they want to be dicks ( sorry ) about it. ANY visible aftermarket part *can* get you flagged/failed. it doesn't mean it will, but it *can*.

..and re your supposition as to why it has become so prohibitive and regualtion driven to live in CA? i agree with what you suggested. not for nothing, former british PM margaret thatcher summed it up best:

"the only thing wrong with socialism, is that eventually you run out of other people's money".

meet the new boss, same as the old boss

 

Good luck. Ron will take care of you and now you have local support with your GIAC tune.
You might pass smog now.

 

Truer words have never been spoken! Here is another one for you:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the industrious out of it. You don't multiply wealth by dividing it. Government cannot give anything to anybody that it doesn't first take from somebody else. Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don't have to work because somebody else will work for them, and the other half to get the idea that it does no good to work because they don't get to enjoy the fruits of their labor." Dr. Adrian Rogers - 1984

It's scary how dangerously close our country is to the last sentence!!!

But I digress. To the OP, it seems as if you are on the right track to getting your issue resolved. Good luck!

 

yeah, we're just not in kansas anymore.

 

So Ron checked out the car. Did the tune, changed the clutch reservoir/ accumulator. Car drives much better. Took it right over to 16th street smog and it passed with fllying colors. Next week I pay Kalifornia it's cut and register it.
Thanks for all the good advice.

Btw: found out that despite all the upgrades, it has stock injectors. It's got k28s, upgraded intercoolers, exhaust, flywheel etc.
how important or how much would it add to upgrade them?
Looks like about 1500 or more . Worth it?