Editor's Note: Longtime contributor Chris Werner not only knows a thing or two about turning wrenches on late-model GMs, he is also an attorney at law. A member of the bars of New Jersey and New York, his specialties include automotive lemon and warranty law, and he also assists clients in dealing with traffi c tickets. If you find yourself in need of legal assistance, check out www.chriswerneresq.com for more information on his practice.
The situation is easy to imagine, and it's a safe bet that some readers probably have experienced it, possibly on more than one occasion. A police offi cer pulls you over and tells you the aftermarket exhaust on your Camaro ss is a tad noisy. You end up with a ticket, and, as if things weren't bad enough, the offi cer also somehow discovers you have a nitrous oxide system installed in your vehicle. You lose your cool, begin complaining that you're being "singled out," and start being, er, not as polite as you could be. unamused, the offi cer writes you up for having an operational nitrous system, too. You've got a court date for two summonses on your hands-not anyone's idea of a rockin' good time.
Now, there comes a time in any man's (or woman's) life where it's important to admit being in the wrong. As with the fallout from that inappropriate comment you made last Thanksgiving toward the in-laws, one can argue that you had it coming when you chose to cruise the streets of your suburban neighborhood with open headers. similarly, how about when you opened up your exhaust cutout to show off to your buddies on a spirited highway merge? Come on, you should have known better! As with a speeding or careless driving violation, if you own up to the fact that there are situations where you really do deserve a ticket, it makes everyone's lives easier.
On occasion, though, ambiguity in either the law or its enforcement can result in a citation you don't actually deserve. Proving this can unfortunately be an uphill battle-but GM High-Tech Performance is here to help get you started. We've decided to dig through many a leather-bound volume in search of important laws in two areas that concern most high- performance hobbyists: exhaust and nitrous oxide systems. The fact that an overly loud exhaust system can get you into trouble should be pretty obvious and self-explanatory. But things are a little stickier with nitrous oxide, as not only can having an operating system onboard open you up to liability in some states, but (in most places) the stuff is a controlled substance. In other words, having a bottle in the car-even one that's disconnected-could subject you to legal liability simply for possession, absent you having obtained the appropriate permit.
We're going to go through the laws we've found for four of the states with the largest GMHTP readership (along with the laws in six more states next issue). some of these have been on the books for decades, while others have been more recently put in place. Please keep in mind, though, that our focus is on whether or not you're going to get in trouble for driving around with this equipment, not on the emissions-friendliness of these items-these are two different, albeit interrelated, questions, and emissions legality opens up a large, messy can of worms that we do not have the space to get into here. Also, please note that aside from the laws quoted, there may be other others we didn't happen to run across (including, for example, standards instituted for state inspection), and local ordinances may otherwise create deviations from statewide laws and regulations. We've included information on some of these where we found it appropriate.