ok, I found a 97 kouki SE (auto, but no matter... swap will include a tranny), but I live in MD. Does anyone know if I can do an RB swap legally? If not, do you guys know how I can get around that problem? The RB swap ability is one of the major selling points on this car... I dont want to be stuck with 4cyls forever with this car...

 

I am almost positive any swap like and RB or SR is illegal. It depends on how strick the inspection is. I know in jersey i can just pay a mechanic to inspect the car. I don't know how strict MD's inspection is.

 

VT is spot on. ANY jdm motor swap is completely and totally 100% 50 states ILLEGAL. there are endless threads here about that. again, as VT said, ur only option is to find a hook-up at an inspection station. or, u could just move to a state that doesn't do inspections/emmissons.

 

Damn. LOL... I'll have to do the swap and be very low-key about the JDM part then... my stepdad (who owns the house with the garage I use... and all the tools...) is a state trooper. Wouldn't go over too well with the 'rents, having a 100% illegal car like that... It'll be worth it tho.

 

well, lol, damn. here's something that might help u: tell him it's a newer engine from the same model car. that, as far as i know, is the only legal engine swap. now whether or not he buys that...? lol

 

well... he's into cars enough that he can tell the difference between types of engines... and he'll see the extra two pipes on the headers... so, he wouldn't buy that. It'd just be something I'd plan while he's out of town...

 

lol, good luck with doing a swap with your dad there haha. And doing it while he is out of town, just hope your done before he comes home.

 

haha... well... I'll just make sure I have the engine IN the car before he gets back... once it's in it's harder to discern the differnce... and I can just claim I'm doin some minor work Thanks for the help tho!

btw... u said in a diff. post that it's illegal cuz the engine was a JDM motor... if the smog shop doesn't know it's a different motor, they wouldn't fail it, right? So how do they tell if it's a JDM motor (if they aren't well-versed in imports...? I was thinking a back-water smog shop would maybe be clueless to JDM specs and would think it's just a little import regardless... and not know the 6 was anything the car wasn't supposed to have)?

do they use computer recognition codes? or is it just Engine VIN identification?

 

240s never came with a 6cylinder engine, or a engine that is turboed. They know what they are looking for, and if they see that its another engine in the car they will fail you automatically. Most smoggers out there arent dumb, this is from what i have encountered in cali so i cant really speak on how its ganna be at MD.

 

so hyjynx once i get my RB installed, witch i thank u again, lol, can i just start driving it or am i going to have to go through other ****???

 

Is the car all ready smogged? If it is then you shouldnt have any problem till your next smog(if you even need one)But if you need to smog the car, then you need to find a crooked smogger.

 

slidingsideways, michigan doesn't have emissions checks so you don't have to worry about it.

 

When I did the visual inspection for my car when I had the RB20, they looked at it and asked me if it was stock, I told them no it's from a skyline and I BS'd with them about it for a while, but I couldnt pass the "sniffer" test, so I didnt pass, no tags.

 

You drove around wit no tags dude?

 

Yeah for the past 2 years. I haven't been able to register my car, on my KA the cat was gutted, and it was blowing oil so the new cat I put on burnt up, and the RB didn't pass so I haven't much of a choice, it's a small and easily waived ticket so it didnt bother me.