In short, Cali CARB and auto inspection has me buggered, need to know a little more about relocating to California (my daughter, not me) and bringing her Mini along. The Mini in question: stock 2002 R53, stock pulley, Magnaflow exhaust, Alta CAI. I don't think it's a California-specific model, don't know that Mini had one... It passes emissions and auto inspection in PA with flying colors, no dash lights on except the ubiquitous passenger airbag light (%$#@ Mini, only covered if it's 2005+).

I did read in some CARB documentation that relocating into CA means you can bring your personal 48-state vehicle in and have it tagged legally, but want to get experience from anyone who's done it or is more informed than I am!

Anything special she needs to do to bring it into California, get it registered and tagged?

Thanks in advance...

 

The intake will definitely not pass visual inspection. Does the exhaust have all the stock cats still? I have kept my one vehicle registered in the state I'm from to help with the headache of re-registering and it definitely wouldn't pass visual inspection. Is she relocating for school or work purposes?

-Luccia

 

One word of warning--the DMV does cross-check their records, and they are pretty insistent on getting their money. My step-dad found out when he moved here from IL; he kept his car registered in IL because it was a lot less expensive (and I think the IL registration was good for several years?). CA figured out that he did live here, so they sent him a bill for the registration, plus a couple of years of back registration fees, plus penalties and interest... Definitely not cheap!

All aftermarket parts have to have a CARB sticker on them to pass the biannual smog inspection. It's much more common to find parts with those than it used to be, fortunately, but you still may have to swap some parts back to stock or to a CARB-approved aftermarket part.

 

AFAIK MINIs have been 50 state compliant from day one.

I don't think the Alta intake is CARB approved.

 

Lucia/Pelican: The stock downpipe & cats are still on there, the Magnaflow is the old-school one with the trumpet-style tips and is cat-back only. I have access to a totally stock unit, but that's a job I'd rather not tackle - not that I can't (I've had a dozen exhausts on my R53) but because she'd kill me, she LOVES that exhaust - yes, I have a cool daughter.

No CARB stickers on anything. Luckily, I believe I still have my stock intake and can slap that on there... if I can find all the parts!

She's moving for (good) personal reasons, will be seeking job while there. Plan is to register it in CA within the 60 days (? I think it's 60 days) allowed for new residents, so no issues there.

 

If you wind up in Nor Cal, you've got access to several world-class tracks if you are so inclined. Laguna Seca and Sears Point (now Sonoma Raceway) are within 1.5 hours of SF, for instance, and Thunder Hill is about 3 hours away.

 

You should be fine, exhaust wise then. Sounds like a very cool daughter. I believe I heard it was 6 months? I could be wrong though. Either way, good luck to her! Make sure she just takes the stock airbox with her and slaps that on before emissions and she should be good to go.

-Luccia

 

like others have stated, intake will not pass visual but other than that you will be fine, PA has adopted CA emissions standards like alot of other states, so if it passes in PA, it should pass the sniffer here.

 

Very cool, na dHUGE thanks! I'll replace the intake box for her and sell the R53 Alta - with box top! - to make up for having to now replace both front wheel bearings before she leaves - ugh!

And yes, she's a cool daughter. She's going to SoCal, outside Palm Springs.

 

Where bouts will she be. If she's local to me, i could refer her to one that is the every day smog shop. $60 for the smog and if you pass, you're on your way. TBH, it's really a matter of where you take it to. I've had my eclipse and mini done by the same guy. As long as your car isn't looking like it's been pieced together like Frankenstein, visual isn't THAT big of a deal.

 

Another note, i had my AEM CAI on and just swapped my secondary cat back in to place and passed without any issues visually or mechanically.

 

laforze, she'll be outside Palm Springs, not THAT far from you (temporarily ignoring traffic...). The Alta box is in black, looks OE, but the smog guys will pick it out right away - the huge ALTA decal is a dead giveaway. I'll swap the OE intake back on tonight and she'l have to make do with the catback exhaust (both cats are in place and functioning) as I'm NOT doing that job again!

 

Ah, ok. I don't think you should have any issues tbh. Especially if you're putting the stock intake back on to pass visual. I didn't go to this shop on a recommendation, i just went because it was right down the street. Guy was cool and he's done both my cars now.