What's the worse that can happen?
 

What's the worse that can happen if I were to get pulled over and the cop decides to check under my car and sees test pipes..? Being from california, most cops I have encountered have been pretty cool about things. I was on the 405N yesterday and a sheriff pulls up next to me and shines his light on me for awhile and ends up taking the ramp to the 55S. I don't really downshift driving in city streets as I don't want to attract attention but ever since I put on test pipes I feel paranoid driving my car around now fearing that a cop will pull me over.

why would he shine the light on you for no reason? was he sniffing your car behind you?

Its funny seeing how things are in other states. In GA I would never think that a cop would pull me over for that. Do they tend to look under cars a lot in California?

CA is pretty tight on theirs smog checks, thats for sure...

Anywhere in the US you risk a $10-25k fine from the EPA. In the more strict states though, that's less likely.

doh!

In California, if you do ANYTHING to your car that is even remotely emissions related, and it is not CARB approved, you risk impound of your vehicle (and a fine). It happens regularly.

we don't have emissions where I am from:ugh2::ugh2:

The EPA fine applies throughout the USA. I got my fine living somewhere with no emissions testing.

When someone threw bricks through my rear hatch and driver side window the cop was asking me if I had anything illegal. I told him I had aftermarket exhaust and intake. I asked him what the chance was that a cop would ticket me for that. He said as long as you don't drive like a **** then we don't care.

You have it right here when you state that cops generally don't mess with you as long as you are not being a douche -- generally.

There was an open house in San Jose, not long ago, at a tuning shop that caters more to the Honda/Acura crowd. The police learned about it, hung out down the street, and wrote copious fix-it tickets (and impounded a few) to attendees.

I think I'd have to smack the cop over the head with the testpipe for him to do anything here in florida...

This pretty much applies everywhere.

However, in certain places, like South Orange County, as long as you keep it from sounding "LOUD," they wouldn't pull you over to give a fix it ticket (or get it db tested).

oh... :(

Absolute worst case scenario is that you get fined by the EPA which is $25000. Generally though the worst you would get is a fix-it ticket.