whats the rules of stripping a car down in the U.S. but keeping it street legal
- Thread starter itr hatch
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Techy
The Geek
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As far as I know as long as there's a seat and a seat belt and the outside has headlights, indicators and brake lights, it's street legal, but I'm not sure about Cali which is where you appear to be in. I live in Tennessee where pretty much what I said is all your car needs to be street legal (and if you live where there is emissions testing, it has to pass that, my city/county doesn't have emissions testing).
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You also need your rear plate lights, rearview, and OEM mirrors. Not like you were going to strip these anyway.
What's the state of your car now and what do you want to strip. There's many things you can do.
What's the state of your car now and what do you want to strip. There's many things you can do.
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you can take the airbags out, just as long as you disable the ECU i think. i think the airbags are hooked up to the SRS, so if you take the airbags out the SRS light and error code pop up on your ECU. I might be wrong about this though.
blinx9900
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I don't think there are a whole lot of specific rules, common sense applies here more than anything. Like obviously don't remove your door intrusion beams unless you have a full cage with door bars, and if you get a full cage make sure you have a race seat with a 5point harness AND pads on the cage. You will break your ribs easily with an OEM seat and a cage if you get hit and slide out of your seat and up against the cage!! Also you don't want to put people in your back seats if you bars all over the place, just think safe and you should be fine.
My final advice to you would be this:
If its a street car you are going about it all the wrong way, instead of trying to remove weight you should be working on adding power!
My final advice to you would be this:
If its a street car you are going about it all the wrong way, instead of trying to remove weight you should be working on adding power!
itr hatch
Jay Ar's EJ6
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my cars stock right now, its white, with ctr lips all around, jdm headlights, carbon fiber wing and dropped, thats it
i dont want to strip anything from the exterior, im still driving it, i want to put a cage, seats, 5 point harness, im keeping all the door panels , trims, the front seats will be in tack, i want to remove the the rear seats, and the plastic under it, i will keep the ceiling
this is what i want, can you guys tel me if its street legal enough
ijwhiteman ek4 (credits to him for the picture)
i dont want to strip anything from the exterior, im still driving it, i want to put a cage, seats, 5 point harness, im keeping all the door panels , trims, the front seats will be in tack, i want to remove the the rear seats, and the plastic under it, i will keep the ceiling
this is what i want, can you guys tel me if its street legal enough
ijwhiteman ek4 (credits to him for the picture)
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That's plenty legal. But the above picture still has all the sound deadening tar in it. If you remove that (30 pounds of dry ice, hammer, scraper) you save 18 pounds. You can strip pretty much as much as you want in the interior, so long as you keep the essentials.
But, there are a lot of other places on the car where you can save weight. I would start in this order- remove power steering (if it's there), remove squirter reservoir, lightweight battery like the odyssey pc545, wheels, light weight seats, CF or fiberglass hood, exhaust components, and if you're hardcore the firewall mat.
Adding power makes the car go faster, but saving weight makes the car save gas, go faster, stop faster, and handle better. But only go as extreme as reasonable with this being a street car.
But, there are a lot of other places on the car where you can save weight. I would start in this order- remove power steering (if it's there), remove squirter reservoir, lightweight battery like the odyssey pc545, wheels, light weight seats, CF or fiberglass hood, exhaust components, and if you're hardcore the firewall mat.
Adding power makes the car go faster, but saving weight makes the car save gas, go faster, stop faster, and handle better. But only go as extreme as reasonable with this being a street car.
blinx9900
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How about the exhaust noise guys? can you get in trouble because of a loud exhaust?
depends on what state your in, California law requires exhaust noise to be no louder than 95dB
But its the USA?
I don't get it, i guess i would have to know how we are viewed from an outside perspective??
itr hatch
Jay Ar's EJ6
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thanks, i will take your advise in consideration, i will start in your order, some i will wait until i get money like the hood, wheels, seats
im thinking second about the cage, i dont think im getting the cage unless i turn it into a track car, i think the seats and 5 point harness is good enough,
blinx9900
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Make sure to mount your 5 point harness properly no more than a 15 degree angle when comming out the back over your shoulders. Also make sure to retain your OEM seatbelts, its a pain having to buckle up in a 5point everytime you want to run to the store and its almost impossible to get your gangster lean on or hold hands with a girl...
itr hatch
Jay Ar's EJ6
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hahaha, true that about the last part,thanks man