Doesn't sound like any knowedgable people IN california, have made much of an attempt to help the guy out. Regarding the legality of the turbo kit, there are only 2 that I know of, greddy, and edelbrock. Keep in mind I am speaking of legality issues in california. CARB is a california-only thing that I know of, being that it stands for California Air Resources Board. Using the kits above, with the motor that it was built for (carb refs might fudge this a bit, I am not sure), you have to go to the referee in your area, let him know what your situation is, and get info from him on how to legalize it. For instance, you have a 91 ef civic, and you want to drop a b16a in it, with a turbo kit, one of the CARB approved kits. You need to let him know the serial numbers of the kit, and what model/ year of the chassis, what model/year of the motor you are swapping in, and what turbo kit. The referee, depending on how strict/laid back he is, will tell you what needs to be done. Here is a quick bit of info. If you are dropping a vtec motor into any pre-92 car, you WILL have to convert your obd level. Vtec was introduced in america with obd1 electronics systems, and so you will need to be at least obd1 depending on which motor you are running. Also, if you are swapping in a USDM motor, you must use whichever obd the motor was originally equipped. A b16a2 motor out of a civic si would require obd2 electronics for instance. The tranny has nothing to do with anything, I am pretty sure of that, since it has absolutely nothing to do with emissions. If your motor swap is legit, then start focusing on the turbo kit. Get it installed correctly, and tuned correctly. Then make an appointment with the CARB referee in your area to get the kit approved. CARB exemption orders don't mean jack to cops, they'll think you are running an illegal kit on there until they see documention stating that it is legal, i.e. a BAR Sticker and CARB certificate. The smog guys however will probably not care about anything as long as you have documentation stating the kit is exempt from emissions testing.
E (70mm). I easily have one of the most quiet modified imports in my area. No silencers. Good gaskets and tight installation will make your ride quiet enough to shake off cops.
