My Z28 is my daily driver. I'm going to do plugs and wires soon and I figured while I am down there, I might as well rip the stock manifolds off and put some headers on there. I understand that LTs are illegal in NJ. What's the story with Shorties? Anyone have any experience with Pacesetter "Mid-Length" headers in NJ? What category do they fall under? Lastly, any experience with BBK shorties? Thanks. I appologize for the laundry list of q's.

 

I've got LT's on my SS with an offroad ypipe, and have been pulled over a few times, it was never mentioned. Inspection may be an issue, but its only every 2 years, and I'm sure I can find a gas station to pass me.

 

If you run dual cats on your y-pipe you can usually pass with longtube headers. But technically, it's not legal because you are moving the location of the driver's side cat. The mid-length headers are not legal for the same reason. But if you get the SLP headers that curve up and around they retain the cat in the stock location and are legal. If you're gonna make the effort to do headers, I think it's worth doing the longtubes and throw in dual cats. I put the Pacesetter emission's legal longtubes on my 96 SS and then put dual cats into their y-pipe. Pypes Exhaust has some compact 3" cats that are not very expensive. Here's a picture of my Pacesetters with dual cats in the y-pipe.

 

in NJ, plain and simple. If it doesnt have a CARB numbe they are not legal. "mid lenght" headers are not legal in NJ because they dont have the number. They can have a CARB number if the cats are moved from their stock location.

In NJ you have to be carefull. If you get caught your up the creek witout a paddle. You will have to sell the car to pay the fines. But its being done every day around the state. You will not pass a state inspection with LT's... even with cats.

I dont know about mids... finding a gas station to pass you is getting harder and harder to do every day.

 

im having cats put in my y-pipe tomorrow.. ill take pictures.. their goin in as is my cutout. im pumped to see how it goes but i had to bend my fuel lines to do it.. not too bad but it was in fact a pain

 

Basically, I have to do plugs and wires desperately. I was thinking that since I'm going to be down there for a long time, I'll take the manifolds off to do it and stick some headers on there. I have an essentially bone stock car and it is my daily driver, so I don't think LTs are the greatest idea. Thanks for cluing me in as to the local laws concerning these parts. I think if I can find a cheaper mair of shorties, I'll throw em on there. The car has almost 100K on the clock... how worth it is it to throw $900 headers on there? Thanks for all the input.

 

I think you meant to say:
My car was taken off the NJ roads 4 years ago because of the emissions issues - it will pass rolling emisisions, but there is no possible way it could pass a visual. Now it sits in the garage collecting dust.

 

yeah I meant to say "can't"


I did the same thing with my car. It could pass a rolling emissions test if I put cats under it but I decided it wasnt worth it with the racing I did back then. Now it sits in the garage and just cost me a ton of money

 

These assclowns that work in the DMV don't even know what a LT header is let alone know the Camaro isnt even being produced any more. I know people that have passed in a inspection station w/LT and cats like stated above.

 

that is a good way of putting it.. weld the cats in the longtube like i just said.. chances are they didnt memorize where the cats are under the car and it looks legit.

 

the problem with going to the state is this. Sure you might get away with it, But if you dont and they fail you you really have no choice but to take it all off and go thru stock. They record the failure due to the LT's and you will never find a shop to "pass" you after you have a fail due to LT's....

Thats like a giant red flag to the state. You fail at the state for exhaust. 1 week later they get a private station requestin g a sticker theu the system that says the car is good.... guess what private station is now on the states hit list?

Its possible to pass thru the state. the problem is if you actually get someone who knows what they are doing.

 

i used to do inspections in nj and i know tones of people that do n they just look to see if there are cats on the car

 

and get the emissions legal SLPs with the EGR and AIR hookups. Been passing NY rolling and visual for years with them.