OK, so for you folks living in the people's republic of Cali, I've got a hypothetical question for ya:

If you had a very happily running 911SC with healthy CIS, engine, etc running through SSIs, would you continue to deal with the trouble/expen$e of keeping the SSIs knowing that PITA smog regs are every two years, or would you go to stock exhaust etc. to avoid the PITA?
BTW, for a "fun" car, not a daily rider. Is it a fool's hope for the state to exempt the SC model years? Tell me what ya think?

Edward

 

No way, I'd sell the SC's SSI's to a guy in Arizona that doesn't have to do smog tests!

 

I don't think California is ever going to exempt cars beyond the 1975 model year- they wanted old cars off the road, and it seems to have worked for them. Do they still offer a smog exemption if the cost of compliance is too high? I remember going through Hell many years ago with a 1976 MGB and then finally getting an exemption when the state mechanic couldn't figure out how to adjust the mixture on a later model Stromberg carb... and I wasn't about to offer my assitance.

 

Yeah, thanks for that "advice."

An exemption, eh? Never heard of that route. How does one even attempt that?

Edward

 

I've seen pics of a custom setup that bolts to the rear of the SSIs. It had one or two sport cats and one or two mufflers. I know it's not very much detail but the point is maybe you can look into having something fabbed up. It has to be behind the SSIs since going back to stock heat exchangers every two years for your smog is not very feasible. It doesn't have to be very fancy or efficient, just enough to pass. You'd have to look into CARB rules, etc. though.

Or, maybe you can find a way to register your car in another state.

 

If all one had to do was change exhaust for test every two years, that isn't bad, and I'd give that a go.

 

Edward, I don't think CA gives exemptions anymore- I couldn't find anything online about it. You used to have to re-apply for the exemption every two years (if I remember correctly)...

I'd change my exhaust every 2 years- those SSI's are beautiful. My .02

 

My 82 passes smog with SSis. Just have to find a blind tester to get past the visual check.

 

You kidding? 82 SCs have cats ...SSIs don't: even leaned out, how in the world do you get through the sniffer? Inquiring minds want to know? ...pleeease!

Edward

 

Edward; I have never put SSIs on my '82 because, simply, they won't pass the rolling dyno test. The smog guy I use told me that my car runs cleaner than a 5-year-old Honda, and those numbers are not possible to make with SSIs.

 

Hey Pete,

Yup, that's exactly what I thought: cat vs. SSI (or no cat) is a world of diff to a sniffer ...thanks for the confirmation.
BTW, great shirt!!!

Edward

 

Nothing special. Just leaned it out and it passed.

3.2ss, 964 cams. Peter built it for the previous owner.

 

So, would SSIs do anything for a ROW spec 84 Carrerra with no cat? Would they fit?

 

I'd go with a good pair of headers instead of SSI's for the larger pipe diameter.