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OK dumb question time. I'm looking to purchase my first phase of modification. Intake and exhaust. Illinois does not have emission testing and the price for same parts is quite a bit cheaper. Other than the cost difference, am I getting anymore performance by using them and would you use carb legal or not? Also, can I use say..illegal intake and match it up with legal exhaust to save a little cash? Reason, may move some day to a state with emission testing and intake replacement is the cheaper part to change out. BTW looking at Roadster sport mid pipe and muffler and HPS intake which is not carb legal.
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If your area/state doesn't do emission testing or use C.A.R.B. standards then it doesn't matter. Really the only price difference that matters in terms of exhaust is the catalytic converter/midpipe.
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If moving is on the agenda then keep everything emission legal as if you’re planning on moving. Any exhaust will add a nice bump in power because the original design is over 20yrs old. Start from the back and work your way forward.
Mostly it’ll only change the exhaust note rather than add a bundle of power. It does help the car breathe better though
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Thanks for the response think I'll go legal then. Never know what the future holds. Better buy now before price goes up thanks to new tariff agreement with steal companies:(
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Was checking around the forums as to what others had to say bout their RS3 purchase when I came across some talk of the RS4...not many people using it and wondered why if it really can reduce the drone some complain of when the top is up. Anybody actually have/heard this muffler before and is it worth buying over the 3? I have to get this right the first time when I buy cuz the budget is limited (kid going to grad school next year).
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The Roadstersport 4 exhaust has a Helmholtz chamber, so it should eliminate all drone.
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A little experience with CARB and other states' emission testing. In CA, CARB was a test and and a visual inspection. A bit harder than NC, or GA where I live now. Though you could get your car to pass smog in CA, it was the visual that was dodgy. Most run-down shops were the ones to go to as they really didn't know what to look for when they open your hood, unless it's an obvious modification. However, if you are stopped by police and they suspect you have illegal mods, they will summon you to a referee where your car will be inspected a lot closer. An OBD2 car will also be plugged in to check for codes and the systems' state of readiness (among other items).
On my NA, I couldn't get the car to pass the emissions with a Link ECU and injectors, so I made all those style mods easily reversible. I had a CARB legal Jackson Racing header, but I also used a Trackdog header blanket. All the times I had that car inspected, they never lifted the blanket to check it. I knew guys with FM turbo kits in CA who removed the system and ECU every year on non-legal kits. Same with superchargers.
A lot of people, myself included, made 'illegal' CA mods, but we did them in a way that made the car easy to revert to stock every other year, as required.
In GA, it's a plug & go inspection for OBD2 cars, GA does rolling road test on OBD1 cars younger than 25 years, tailpipe emissions. My NB here in the smog-cert counties of Atlanta was a 5 minute test. They could care less what the mods are, so long as the OBD2 system checks out (no codes, state of readiness). All the states will peak for a cat with a mirror.
NC was a minor inspection (tread depth, pad depth, operating horn, all exterior lights, windshield,etc.)
I know other states are a lot more stringent with their inspections and emissions (VA, NY).
I wouldn't worry a lot about CARB legal mods unless it pertains to your immediate needs.
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Thanks Steve for taking the time to put all that down. Had no idea how involved some states would get over this! Or that some such as yourself go to the trouble to switch back all the mods every 2 years. Arizona is the state I may be moving to in afew years. I'll have to check this out as to how they do things. So much I dont like about Illinois but they have none of this. Guess I should be thankful.
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AZ is similar to GA, IIRC, there are only certain counties that do testing, around Phoenix and Tuscon (?). Maybe look up their testing procedures. GA you can do whatever you want so long as it passes the plug-in test (including engine swaps) and has a cat.