Sourcing USDM engines
my car is apart of the extremely few swapped legal CA sc300s 
wait for me to sell it then you can buy it? =P
i would not go NA-T in CA. your whole engine bay will be shiny asking to get popped! your turbo is out in the open.. at least the TT turbos are hidden by the piping and everything looks OEM.
If you want more power than BPU++ on the streets dont be daily driving your sc300 in CA (im fine with BPU traffic stops me from going pass 100mph most of the time anyways even at 1am in the morning theres STILL CARS! on the damn freeway!). Start making it your weekend drift/track car for illegal and high HP.
I wished i lived in florida... -_-
I spent the money and searched and waiting for the right setup. Too many times I have had friends get screwed from refs for SR, B series, K series, 3SGTE JDM swaps.. and it was a nightmare for them to take care of it.
Tom, source a JDM motor and convert it all USDM with parts from supraforums. alot of ppl going to single will sell you their TT stock USDM setup. slap on EGR (sc300 one works i believe) and the stock downpipe,cats and you should be fine.
Also, Tom if your coming out to Hooters on thursday ill let you check my engine bay out give you an idea also. Vinh seen it its like 100% OEM looking.
wait for me to sell it then you can buy it? =Pi would not go NA-T in CA. your whole engine bay will be shiny asking to get popped! your turbo is out in the open.. at least the TT turbos are hidden by the piping and everything looks OEM.
If you want more power than BPU++ on the streets dont be daily driving your sc300 in CA (im fine with BPU traffic stops me from going pass 100mph most of the time anyways even at 1am in the morning theres STILL CARS! on the damn freeway!). Start making it your weekend drift/track car for illegal and high HP.
I wished i lived in florida... -_-
I spent the money and searched and waiting for the right setup. Too many times I have had friends get screwed from refs for SR, B series, K series, 3SGTE JDM swaps.. and it was a nightmare for them to take care of it.
Tom, source a JDM motor and convert it all USDM with parts from supraforums. alot of ppl going to single will sell you their TT stock USDM setup. slap on EGR (sc300 one works i believe) and the stock downpipe,cats and you should be fine.
Also, Tom if your coming out to Hooters on thursday ill let you check my engine bay out give you an idea also. Vinh seen it its like 100% OEM looking.
Its not as simple as slapping on an sc300 egr to a JDM head though.. cause I don't think the JDM head has the internal connections.
with some cutting and welding though, a shop could probably make it work.
From my understanding "coming from the horse's mouth" the state ref said that with the wrong engine code on the block is a automatic FAIL....this was according to the state REF of CA in Santa Ana...
The first thing they check is the VIN on the block to see if it is a legitimate block....if it isn't, well thats self explanatory....
Good Luck...If you find 2 let me know!
The first thing they check is the VIN on the block to see if it is a legitimate block....if it isn't, well thats self explanatory....
Good Luck...If you find 2 let me know!
I believe a ref if they want to WILL find something to pop you for when you bring your car in.
No swap will always be 100% legal. You just fake your way to pass/get lucky/minimize risk
The best way to avoid this is to not get a ref ticket period. How to not get a ref ticket? make sure your car engine bay is not anyway or form looking like its modded so the cops dont have reason to give you a ref ticket. Just enough to pass smog or buy your smog.
This only lowers your chances, does not make you immune. Anything can happen. This is what we pay for living in CA.
The SC300 will be my last swapped car. After this im going go legit nonswapped motors so I wont ever worry when a cop rolls next to me.
No swap will always be 100% legal. You just fake your way to pass/get lucky/minimize risk
The best way to avoid this is to not get a ref ticket period. How to not get a ref ticket? make sure your car engine bay is not anyway or form looking like its modded so the cops dont have reason to give you a ref ticket. Just enough to pass smog or buy your smog.
This only lowers your chances, does not make you immune. Anything can happen. This is what we pay for living in CA.
The SC300 will be my last swapped car. After this im going go legit nonswapped motors so I wont ever worry when a cop rolls next to me.
Last edited by eliteskill; Mar 10, 2010 at 11:16 AM.
the block wont have the wrong code if you use your original block.
bolt on the stock USDM TT head and thats your best chances of sneaking by.
next would be a complete usdm TT motor (they all have 2jz stamped on them).
na-t is good for having all the emissions equipment in place, but harder to pass california visual apparently.
JDM motor swaps will not have egr.
most other places visual is a check of the operation of the emission components, not if you have aftermarket stuff installed on your car which is why i suggested na-t but I forgot about the silly carb legal stuff in cali.
as eliteskill said there is always a risk.
bolt on the stock USDM TT head and thats your best chances of sneaking by.
next would be a complete usdm TT motor (they all have 2jz stamped on them).
na-t is good for having all the emissions equipment in place, but harder to pass california visual apparently.
JDM motor swaps will not have egr.
most other places visual is a check of the operation of the emission components, not if you have aftermarket stuff installed on your car which is why i suggested na-t but I forgot about the silly carb legal stuff in cali.
as eliteskill said there is always a risk.
basically it comes down to having a spare USDM with all emission in california to swap in and out of your beastly motor or a regular bone stock car with all emission and switch vin n plates when you get smogged or get ur JDM block etched it with vin number lol
Motor swaps in california states if your going to do a swap it has to be at least the same year or newer U.S. engine with all the emission.
Last but not least, if you do not want to deal with smog, visit another state with no emission law register there with that state license plate , bring it back here and drive it =)
Motor swaps in california states if your going to do a swap it has to be at least the same year or newer U.S. engine with all the emission.
Last but not least, if you do not want to deal with smog, visit another state with no emission law register there with that state license plate , bring it back here and drive it =)
basically it comes down to having a spare USDM with all emission in california to swap in and out of your beastly motor or a regular bone stock car with all emission and switch vin n plates when you get smogged or get ur JDM block etched it with vin number lol
Motor swaps in california states if your going to do a swap it has to be at least the same year or newer U.S. engine with all the emission.
Last but not least, if you do not want to deal with smog, visit another state with no emission law register there with that state license plate , bring it back here and drive it =)
Motor swaps in california states if your going to do a swap it has to be at least the same year or newer U.S. engine with all the emission.
Last but not least, if you do not want to deal with smog, visit another state with no emission law register there with that state license plate , bring it back here and drive it =)
I thought about doing the out of state thing, but you have to live out of state to apply for an out of state license i think
ClubLexus Stories
Celebrating Lexus & Toyota from Around the Globe
Top 10 Lexus & Toyotas to Drive Before You Die!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Lexus/Toyotas With The LEAST 5-Year Depreciation
Joe Kucinski
Lexus LC500 Convertible Auction: A Preview of Rising Values?
Brett Foote
GX 550 vs TX 550: Best 3-Row Luxury Lexus Family Hauler
Michael S. Palmer
9 Best Lexus Models You Can Buy for Half Price (And 1 You Shouldn't!)
Joe Kucinski
2026 Lexus NX Buyer's Guide: Models, Features, Prices & More!
Brett Foote
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Lexus TX 550h+ (& 3 Reasons to AVOID!)
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Lexus & Toyota Models of the 1990s RANKED!
Joe Kucinski
10 Great Toyotas That Could Have Been Lexus Models
Joe Kucinski
that is the worst thing ever invented.. you get a letter saying that your car was spotted and then you have to take it in for a test, even if you just had one.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Abelo
SC - 1st Gen (1992-2000)
11
Apr 6, 2011 05:14 PM
