OT: The new "tuner" law, Anyone know any details on this? Cops.. Options

[Andyrew]

My dad and i are leary of this new law that allows the cops to pull over any car that is "modified".

Does anyone know any details? or can someone post the actual law?

My dad thinks they can impound my car and crush it and i'll never get it back...

This is on the basis that they pull me over for no apparent reason.

ALSO, knowing that I will never street race, what if they catch me get on it a little, or throw some tire smoke..


Anyways, Im 19, and here are some obvious facts about my car (and soon to be car)

It will have subtle flares, but it will have 18x10's on the back with a lot of rubber.
Brakes look stock, fronts are painted red.
Fiberglass front and rear bumpers w/ (soon to be) lexan rear spoiler
Lights are stock
Front trunk has louvers, not entirely noticable, in body paint color.
Body is factory phoenix red (orange)
Mirrors un decided, but will have left and right.
License plate on both front and rear bumper.
Engine lid stock, can see chrome air filter cover (will paint) obvious sbc
Exhaust is dual, side exit w/ 2 mufflers, should be relatively quiet under normal driving.
Racing seats
Racing harness's
momo wheel, factory guages
Small tubes no higher than stomach (while sitting down) for long to door pillar bracing (follows seat lines)
Black carpet

Thats about all they can see..
Car is a 73, does not need smog...

What can they do to me?

Andrew

[lapuwali]

QUOTE (Andyrew @ Feb 16 2006, 10:25 AM)

My car is FI, but I thought that didnt matter.. Thanks for all the reading.. but I want to know what james does.. and the actual laws that say what is illegal and not.

I do software.

I started reading the laws carefully in 1997 when SB42, the bill that originated the 30-year rolling exemption, first appeared. I've continued as the various challenges came up to kill SB42, including the one that finally did the deed.

The actual laws are (mostly) tied up in the California Vehicle Code (CVC). Reading the whole thing will make your eyes cross. Some of the laws, particularly regarding smog, are in the Health & Safety Code (H&S). You can find all of these online. The DMV website has links to many of them. Local ordinances are another matter, and you'd have to talk to the Modesto City Hall. They MAY be online, they may not. The text of most recent laws, and the bills that are currently being debated in the Assembly, are on the Assembly website.

The link posted above to that forum shows a sticky topic that reprints a CHP pamphlet that has a lot of the revelant CVC sections on what is and what is not allowed, and most of it is pretty much common sense. Things like color of lights, what lights, how far you can lower the car, how loud the stereo can be, etc. The penalties for most of these is a fix-it ticket, which means you have to show an officer within some set period (30 days, most likely) that the problem has been fixed, or pay a fine. I'm sure there's some escalation if you refuse to fix the problem, which may ultimately result in an appearance in court, and could easily turn into a contempt of court charge if you fail to provide a good reason to fix the problem. THAT would mean jail time and another (much bigger) fine.

Things like flares, mild lowering, a reasonable exhaust, etc., are certainly not a problem. If exhaust modifications were actually illegal (which they would be if "modified" were broadly interpreted), then Midas would be out of business, since they certainly don't use OEM parts to repair old rusty exhausts.

None of this really prevents some hard-assed cop from hassling you because they feel like it. There's often little to prevent that, unless the cop gets way out of line. I once got a fix-it ticket from a Mtn View cop because the taillights on my truck had faded to the point where they were pink instead of red. After I fixed it, I showed up at the Mtn View station to clear the ticket, and the chief was there and couldn't believe I got a ticket for this. She went: "oh, him" when she saw the name of the cop on the ticket. I expect he got an ass-chewing over it, which is really the only effective deterrent.