hmmm if it's not illigal in Cali.... and as long as the cars registered there, I don't think the ticket should have been able to stand up in court. I forgot but there's some sort of fed. law that says when it comes to small, no epic, things like this, as long as it's not illigal in the state of origin then they can't give you a ticket for it, or you don't have to pay it, something like that. Like when underglow became big, if the plates were from out of state, all the cops could do is ask the person to turn it off. oh and did your friend give him permission to look under the hood, or did he just say "pop the hood" and went at it? That's what this posts original question was about...