Back almost 20 years ago, I had trouble with getting my Honda Accord SMOG inspected because of my intake that had a CARB EO sticker. Was able to find a small independent shop who didn't care so long as it passed the sniffer which of course it did. What I've read is that CA has gotten stricter and stricter with the visual inspection.
Yeah, even back then, inspectors wouldn't put your car on the sniffer if they don't pass you on visual first. That's really why I was wondering if you have more recent experience with your previous cars. I owned a STi when I lived there and did no engine mods to it until I moved out of the state after my Honda experience. I didn't have time to mess with converting everything back and forth annually. Of course there are tricks to visually make the aftermarket parts look OEM. Just wondering how sophisticated inspectors have gotten as they are under more stringent regulation from the state.
They were all still supposed to do a visual. It was just what their eyes saw that varied. LOL! The shop I eventually went do didn't care so long as I wasn't running an open header and had a filter attached to the intake. My silly Honda had a full exhaust with header, high flow cat, and cat back.
