My cousin has a 2011 WRX with 3,000 miles on it. His last name is Suddard, so he's already looking at performance parts. I suggested a CAI, Exhaust, and Cobb Accessport.
One issue: He lives in Massachusetts and it needs to pass emissions.
Does anybody know anything about modifying Subarus in nanny states?
K&N's FIPK is 50-state legal (provided they make one for the scooby).
My (limited) experience with modding a Honda "tells" me that usually, these types of mods result in FEWER emissions from the tailpipe. However, if Mass. is like Ca. with it's stringent "..we also MUST look your car over for any non-stock parts" then these mods may not work out.
Visual, sniffer at idle, sniffer on the rollers, or OBDII plug-in only?
FYI - When I say 50-state legal, I mean it even comes with the required emissions sticker to place under the hood that will clear it through CARB, and all other emissions tests/states. MSD also issues their 50-state legal stuff with the decals.
Re: the original post...
Young Suddard North shouldn't have any issues passing up here with those parts even if there's a tailpipe test. Car shouldn't throw codes until he starts replacing cats.
Tom Suddard wrote: My cousin has a 2011 WRX with 3,000 miles on it. His last name is Suddard, so he's already looking at performance parts. I suggested a CAI, Exhaust, and Cobb Accessport. One issue: He lives in Massachusetts and it needs to pass emissions. Does anybody know anything about modifying Subarus in nanny states?
He's much better off with a downpipe vs. an exhaust and CAI. But regardless, he shouldn't worry too much because it's not hard to find a place to pass him if he shops around. I had a ton of mods on my previous LGT (DP, exhaust, suspension, etc. -- point being it clearly it was not stock) and never had an issue with the annual inspection. They cared more about me having front plates rather than what mods I had on the car, and this was in Boston...
Un-say "intake"....aftermarket intakes do virtually jack for 09+ wrx's (or earlier 2.5's for that matter). A good friend of mine is pushing over 450whp on his...fully built, custom turbo, etc....and stock intake, because he tried out a few and didn't gain anything more than noise from them. The general opinon on the Subie forums is that intakes are more or less a waste of money for performance, and only good for "bling" under the hood.
You can get an SPT exhaust if he doesn't want it too loud, and it's borderline legal too, since they came as port-installed options on "SPT Edition" cars like mine. I get tons of complements, and it's loud enough to be noticed, but quiet enough not to be annoying. The "word" is that it's good for about 5whp on a stock-tuned car, and it's fine with the stock tune.
Accessport is nice, though you can go opensource for alot less money. I have an AP I picked up cheap and I"m just running a stage 1 tune (stock everything except the SPT exhaust). It really smooths out the midrange and gets rid of the mid-high detonation due to lean running that the stock tune has.
My 09 untuned with the catback put down 251whp and 252wtq (only about 2% lower than the stock 08 STi that dyno'd right before me, I might add). With the AP Stage 1 tune and no other changes, an hour later it put down 253whp but 282wtq. Much nicer "area under the curve" and hugely improved driveability.
Stock tune A/F is TERRIBLE....running 14.5:1 up to 3500rpms and full boost, then plummeting to 11.5:1 by 4500rpms as the ECU pulls timing. Stock tune is LEEEEEEAAAAAN for the sake of emissions. And trust me, you can feel the hesitation like a mofo when it pulls timing under load at 35k....
Post AP Stage 1, A/F is 12:1 at 3000 and slowly tapers to 11:1 by redline. So much nicer. And so much better for the engine to not be detonating under WOT all the time.
Mass. no longer does sniffer testing, only testing from the OBDII port. My Accessport-equipped Mazdaspeed3 passed just fine. +1 for an AP.
On my 02 and 07 WRX I tuned with a Tactrix cable and open source software. Besides tuning I was able to just have the computer ignore trouble code and not trip a check engine light. Never had a problem passing state inspection and I think the accessport can do this too.
Massachusetts: If OBDII says it's happy, you'll go home happy. Pre-96: no smoke, no obvious leaks, clear to go.
Easiest to check, and probably the most effective, least cheated rules of any state.
Massachusetts: If OBDII says it's happy, you'll go home happy. Pre-96: no smoke, no obvious leaks, clear to go.
Easiest to check, and probably the most effective, least cheated rules of any state.
My cousin will soon be selling his 08 STi parts. PM me if you want to know his number etc.
@chaparral: It is amazing just how little cheating there is of the emission tests.
I think part of it is that with all the rust up here you don't see a lot of cars up here that are visual only. The ones that are that old are usually reasonably well taken care of.
One thing on the non obd 2 cars the SRS lights have to come on and then go out as the car is started. This was a real PITA on the Mustang as the sensors are year specific and rust out.
At 3000 miles, I'd be enjoying the security of my warranty for a little longer before I started making a WRX faster.
Kids....
Woody wrote: At 3000 miles, I'd be enjoying the security of my warranty for a little longer before I started making a WRX faster. Kids....
Who needs a warranty when your parents will just buy you another one?
Wow, things have changed since I lived in MA. They used to put the car on the dyno with a sniffer and make life hard for you.
Yup Dyno went away 4-5 years ago! 
No more "sorry we blew the belt again no stickers today"
EvanB wrote:Woody wrote: At 3000 miles, I'd be enjoying the security of my warranty for a little longer before I started making a WRX faster. Kids....Who needs a warranty when your parents will just buy you another one?
He's actually 26 and making his own money as an oyster farmer. He put down more than half of the car's value, and at this point has very low payments. 
His "rich" dad is into miatas....
Don't be so quick to judge.
Old men...
For the record, I made no comment regarding rich parents, just warranties.
Tom Suddard wrote:EvanB wrote:He's actually 26 and making his own money as an oyster farmer. He put down more than half of the car's value, and at this point has very low payments.Woody wrote: At 3000 miles, I'd be enjoying the security of my warranty for a little longer before I started making a WRX faster. Kids....Who needs a warranty when your parents will just buy you another one?
Haha, I was just commenting on some of the cars (EVOs) that came into the dealership owned by kids whose parents bought them. So many things to void warranties. Not necessarily a jab at the WRX owner in question.
And I'm 23
I would recommend an exhaust and accessport, or opensource for much cheaper if he wants to play with it a bit. Do they still put the cat in the uppipe on the new ones? If so, replace that with a catless pipe.
I would recommend a weekend at Bondurant or Barber. Then make the car faster.
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