Your hood for no reason (Or even in California)? I was hearing about things like this happening. Today I got pulled over because my license plate was falling off due to a screw missing, so I put it on my dashboard. I got pulled over for a fix it ticket (not a problem) and the cop asked me if I had any engine modifications. I told him "No", and he took my word for it (and believe me, I have no modifications other than that aluminum hood, not even an exhaust). I was curious why he didn't make me pop it anyways. Was it because had I said yes, he would be allowed to then check it?


I wear hearing that in Santa Barbara, because of illegal displays of "exhibition of speed" (Hah! I didn't say the R word), that any car for whatever reason, they just pull over and say "Pop your hood" and then cars get impounded. I am not saying it is okay to do the "exhibition of speed thing", but some of us cannot afford a Mercedes McLaren, and just want that luxury, ya know?


Anyways, what are your thoughts or facts?


Thanks

Not to sound rude or anything but how old are you?


When I get pulled over because I am tat'd and pierced cops ask me... Are you under the influence of drugs or in possession of firearms...


If they are only askin you if you have mods you must be young...and/or I look like a drug crazed killer?


But,seriously, COPS ALWAYS ASK DUMB QUESTIONS to see if you will slip up.

I've been pulled over for loud music,loud exhaust,window tint,etc... They always do it just to effe with you and I've never had a ticket from any of those... I even had a cop say...wow...this is a celica? it looks way nicer than the one I used to drive in college..... ahha

im not sure about ca but in redneckville fl i get pulled over constently and im in LAW ENFORCEMENT and they still like to give any rice rocket crap. whether it be jdm or all riced out the cops dont really care out here they hear a buzz of a 4 banger and there lights come on. the only tickets i had recently was a dragging ticket in my mini but that was a year ago.
by the way anyone out there live in the pan handle area?????????

This post has been edited by DropTop95: Jul 21, 2008 - 7:32 PM

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I am 26 and I look 18, plus I guess it didn't help I was wearing a bandanna. I drove around with my license plate on my dashboard for nearly two months, so that was expected. But I did drive in front of many of cops and they didn't look at me strange or anything. So I was just asking, because I do have many future plans for my car. I just wanted to know other than speeding and such, if they can just do it for no reason.

I heard that you are to ask (if you obviously did nothing wrong) to ask them what the problem is, because usually 9/10, they just want to see if you slip and give yourself up.

For the record, this is my first time ever being pulled over in my car and the cop was very nice. I was just asking hypothetically, can a cop make you pop the hood under any circumstance for engine/under the hood modification?

are you not alowed to modify a car an ca?????

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I guess some people can get away with it, but for our cars, nothing except exhaust and injen (or carb approved) intake from my knowledge.

from what ive heard they can due to the high restrictions on mods and stuff like that when i was visting my cousin in Pomona we where pulled over in his 240 and they made us pop his hood and cause hes a speed freak, he put a sr20 with big turbos on it which from the cop was illegal mod and wasnt considered street leagal so was towed. but cali is weird on there road safety laws. i was pulled over for whereing a hat and sandals got a dang ticket for it too i was like wtf this is gay

wow thank god i live in redneckville fl very few restrictions and the ones we have are not enforced!!!!

same here in texas bro only mods really illeagal here are t88 turbos

i don't think they can make you unless they take you into custody or have probable cause. otherwise that's like searching a house without a warrant. but i might be wrong.

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you are very correct. at least in fla they cannot search you with out probable cause.

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That would make sense, but this is Cali we are talking about.
Everyone I have spoken too said that a cop can pretty much MAKE you open your hood. The probable cause in that case is that they think you are violating smog laws. Its pretty much Nazi Germany over there.

lol yeah

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good point. but what if you aren't doing anything to warrant probable cause? no speeding, not extreme styling, mostly stock... would that warrant a "search" just on the fact you are a teen driving a japanese sporty car?
i will say this much. i'm damn glad i don't live in cali for that reason. can't do anything to the car without all sorts of hassle from the fuzz

This post has been edited by goferris: Jul 21, 2008 - 10:11 PM

From what i learned in democracy........

cops can "ask" you to pop your hood if:
-they have a really good cause
-got a tip from someone
-if they're part of this special units cracking down on street racing (only know of this in hawaii dont know about you guys)

-there are many loops hole in our laws and such.....i do know that some of your privacy rights are forfitted when in your car.

and some other things i cant think of

This post has been edited by 808celica: Jul 21, 2008 - 10:22 PM

ive been stopped a few times and the man has never asked me top pop my hood
but yeah...
i dont think they can just roll up and ask u to pop ur hood
=/

Well, I heard in some cities they can make you but I wish there was a way to know for sure. I almost asked the cop today, because I thought it was strange that he took my word for it and didn't make me pop the hood.


He was just like "Do you have engine modifications?" and I was like "No" and he was all "okay". He was real cool, so I was about to ask him but I was like "awe, never mind".


Of course if you were speeding or anything like that, yeah I can see them asking you to pop the hood. But this was my first time getting pulled over in this car, so I thought it was kind of strange he would ask and take my word for it without "forcing" me to pop it open.

true true...just dont do anything stupid w/ ur car lol
i just got out of high school
and my dad is kinda iffy when it comes to me and my car
i did the custom CAI behind his back
=/
and he still doesnt know about it...
lol
but yeah the more tickets the more $$$$ u pay in insurance and wat not soo...
yeah...
lol

heh i dont have to worry about cops... my car is too stock
however my 6gc.net stickers have been giving me a lil hassel lately lol

well....in my opinion....2 words....COPS SUCK!

hey wait a minute im a cop..................but i gotta kinda agree

New News... I heard a cop can "ASK" you to pop your hood, assuming there is no real reason of you committing a traffic violation and assuming it is because your car caught their eye. Now I am currently trying to discover from an attorney if in fact you can be forced to if you commit no serious traffic violation.

You can say no, but believe me, you'll regret it.

You don't "have" to let a cop do crap, but when it comes down to it, you "could" be drunk, and it's your word against his. So you'd get a dui and he'd have "reasonable cause" to search your car.

But on the bright side, alot of police don't know the first thing about engine performance. They have to take a driving course, but otherwise, their cars are already built for them, and they don't have to do a thing to it. They're trained to look for nitrogen oxide bottles; but provided you have a heat shield over your turbo, i'm sure 2/3 they wouldn't recognize it. The ones that would, will do some B.S.ing with you for a bit, then send you on your way. Those are the law-men that enjoy the auto-racing sport, and as long as your not an idiot, (racing on the street ) they usualy dont care. In texas, you cannot get a ticket for havening a car that dosent meet emissions unless your sticker is out. And that's a ticket for the sticker, not for the car. (unless it's EXCESSIVE!!)

find your local laws at http://www.usa.gov/

This post has been edited by D-Man: Jul 22, 2008 - 11:02 AM

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Thanks. It looks like I might be moving to Texas after I finish school then. Because loving cars in California is like holding out on women for Jessica Alba...... Just can't happen. I wonder what other states nearby allow you to be exempt from emissions. I know some counties in Nevada do that. I just wish and pray Vegas is in one of them (doubt it).

This post has been edited by Random_Stranger: Jul 22, 2008 - 11:16 AM

well i think in cali its diff cause of the emission laws, and i think they are trained on the types of engine that are being swaped in like sr20 swaps, but thats hear say you would just have to ask a cop you see around and strike up a convo for you guys in cali

honestly i think he might have just been a fan of cars and was wondering if u had much done to it. my friend got pulled over in his mustang jsut because the cop thought it looked great and wanted to ask him about it. I just talked to my sister who majored in criminal justice. she said that if they had suspision of you haveing something illegal under the hood than they can ask. u can refuse but they might take u to jail and take your whip. but i explained to her your scenario and she said that he was probably just fishin around tryin to find somethin to do to take up time

they can search your car at any time during a stop if they feel the need to.

its called "probable cause" which really means if they want to they can, and no they don't have to put you into custody because of it.

My car has always been stripped with basically front seats and a dash so I encouraged them to search

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funny story about car search, my firends and i went to denny's at about 1 am on saturday and we got pulled over for cuting a cop off which wasnt true at all. anyway, if a cop asks if he can search your car u CAN say no adn that means they cant search your car. thats what most citiezens dont know. u can say know to teh cops search request. unless you are hgih or drunk they can. or of course a warrant. other than that tell em to piss off...in a ncie way haha

Yeah, back when i ran Cougars i used to get pulled over all the time (in my '85) because it was a Rip-Roaring beast of a car. (looked like a total sleeper) but i'd get pulled over and asked to see what it had, and never once got a ticket in it. Even when i deserved one (had a sticker out once, nothing crazy ) but it's classic look, and obvious "power over beauty" build got alot of attention.

Well, that and the fact that it looked like this:
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/jta...85/DCAM0052.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/jta...85/DCAM0064.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/jta...85/DCAM0065.jpg

But after seeing those pics, you can imagine the police wanted to know why on earth anyone would drive it. (they usualy understood when seeing the Super'd v8 5.0L)

But On topic, you need to check your local laws. Texas (luckily for me ) has THE MOST lax and lenient laws in the country (driving wise). Mostly because every 4th car on the road is a dually-diesel, 2/3rds of the rest of the population are trucks or SUV's; half of witch are heavily modified and jacked up 4-6 ft high. now; this changes state to state, so i reccomend that you check your own states (and citys) driving laws, before making any kind of mod.

EDIT: at the same time i also had a 2003 cougar; but i loved to run the 85! Such a sweet ride!!

This post has been edited by D-Man: Jul 22, 2008 - 12:11 PM