Hot Rods No mufflers?

My ears ring 24/7/365 from too much exposure to loud exhaust, loud music and gunfire. I like healthy sounding exhaust but open headers, straight pipes, dumps, etc... are simply annoying.

 

If you’re a responsible motorist you’re not a hot rod hoodlum and you’re on the wrong forum

 

I live in a very small rural Ks town. I live about three blocks from a busy hi-way intersection. Why is it that every Harley I hear has straight pipes, no one says anything. Diesel semi's jake brake off the hill down to the stop sign. Blop blop blop blop. sounds like shit and is annoying to me, just cause they can't drive. I used to drive a semi I never used the jake close to a town. Now we have all the wanna be cowboys with diesel pickups with REAL annoying exhausts. Everytime those obnoxious pickups shift gears I cringe, Christ sakes put a shift kit in it at least! And don't get me started on the fart can piece of crap toyota's. Why is anyone on a hotrod site and flatheads with straight pipes and a nice early six or v-8 bothers them? Maybe those people should drive a Prius. Better question is, how can you listen to that late model shit running around? Thankyou. Lippy

 

I have two flathead powered cars, one a 239 v-8 ford and the others a 236 I-6 dodge. Neither one has mufflers.

 

And next installment I'll get into back-up beepers. Lippy

 

Spread the Gospel Brother! HRP

 

I forgot to mention, if that harley is a pan head, knucklehead or a flathead, they can run straight pipes they are ok. Lippy

 

I had no mufflers on my beater 33 pickup with a bone stock 40 ford flathead. Scavenger type pipes ending just behind the axle. The old flathead had so little compression it sounded like I had mufflers on it. My 34 coupe has an old NOS pair of Edelbrock chambered mufflers..........they look like flowmaster 40s and the turn downs end just before the axle, under the car. I like the sound..not very loud but my wife [who wears hearing aids] will not ride in the car. Too loud she says and she wasn't wearing her hearing aids. Go figure

 

Thats odd Rocky, maybe she is like my wife and just likes to cause a commotion? LOL

 

I like straight pipes, 35 driveshafts on mine.

 

get up over 500 hp, and open exhaust really isn't a viable option.

 

Seems to me that there are two distinct camps here. Those that like exhausts kept to a reasonably sensible dB level, and those that can't hear..................I say, THOSE THAT CAN'T HEAR.........

My vote? A deep, throaty growl, lots of base tone, but not open pipes on the street.
(No jokes about a deep throaty growl please..............).

 

So I was idling in traffic in the French Quarter years ago on my Harley panhead with straight pipes. A fellow in a mini van was shouting at me that I
should put mufflers on the bike. I yelled back, "what? cant hear you, bikes to loud" Around here it is no problem about loud exhaust, really never was.
It one of the few old ways that has survived the sucky millenial do not
dare offend me world we live in now.

 

I've got "auger" style baffles in my headers. Personally, I like the sound. Drove by a state policeman twice that had someone pulled over last week. He never followed me, but I've gotta admit I was nervous, and wasn't being a "responsible motorist"!

 

I'm doing that to the flathead in my 50 this spring. I know flatheads aren't that noisy but I will keep them capped most of the time. I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood and I don't want to be "that neighbour"

 

I honestly don't think you'd be that neighbor with um uncapped, but see what you think. They're really not loud in the least unless you step on it, and even then, nothing like a small block. So just keep your foot light in neighborhoods if you want to be a nice guy...

 

I run these on my flathead.
Guttural sounding.

https://www.ebay.com/p/657383284

A few years ago after installing a new engine.

 

I need to have some kind of muffler. I grew up in the sticks and every redneck with a POS under powered 80s Chevy pickup ran straight pipes and it sounded like absolute ass

Sent from my moto z4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I ran 2 1/4" straight pipes on the roadster, it was much quieter than I expected. I'm doing 2 1/2" pipes on the Model A, with it's 276 DeSoto Hemi, I'm expecting they'll be like the '34's and it's 283. These have multiple bends, which helps. Having a full length system makes a big difference, just open headers, or cut outs makes a car sound like a tractor.

 

All my cars had/have some type of mufflers, IMO no mufflers is too loud. I've had glass packs, flowmasters, performance factory type, all good sounding, open /none on any street/hobby car is annoying and "That Guy" usually is the Asshat at shows/cruises that fires it up numerous times to impress another Dumb Ass. A hard hitting race engine is music, a stock engine without mufflers sounds like crap, again IMO. Like most old racers I know, I have some hearing loss but not that bad. The positive, don't hear every squeak/rattle/wind/nimrod neighbors, learned to take wife's word when she says brakes need attention. LIFE IS GOOD ! It's March, Spring is coming, car shows/cruising/local dirt track racing/cookouts/picnics/ WooHoo !

 

Thanks Pete! I wish there was a double LIKE button I could push. I enjoyed riding along in your cool little Hot Rod pickup! I didn't even spill my coffee. lol Maybe I've lost my hearing over the years. But I think it's how that you drive them that makes all the noise everyone is so worried about. I never drive my Hot Rods in a residential, or subdivision. I do live out in the country. But if I don't stomp on it, and drive normally. I really don't think they are all that loud. If a police Officer, or neighbor would ever complained about one of my Hot Rods being to loud. I would be the first person to make them quieter. I'm not much on car shows either. I just LOVE hearing, seeing, and the smells of my old Hot Rods. But I will always try and respect others first! That means much more to me than the sound. Witch I do love. Ron..........

 

Now your in charge of approving membership ?

 

Why is it some of you reference loud pipes to old school , whether its 60 years ago or last week , loud pipes are not only obnoxious , but earn you tickets & a general disapproval from the public & law enforcement ...

 

Oh really, maybe a hoodlum in a jacked up truck will run over your hot rod...But it's ok, the driver was not a responsible motorist

 

Rotary muffler. It's got bearings too!

I'd love to hear it.

 

Open pipe Harleys is way over done...

 

I have straight pipes on my flathead powered roadster, they come out the back under the car. It sounds good and it's not overbearing.

 

I have a car without mufflers, SBF with shorty headers into 1.5" with a set of harley fishtails. It's not that bad

 

Probably not so much to the car behind you

 

When I was in Tuscon I drove my Merc. from my Shop to
My house which was about 10 miles with Open Pipes .
No muffler's or Exhust pipes just 1/ 1/2' pipes from the Engine
and puled up to a Lite & a Police car was there I just let it idel
& let him go first when the Light Changed and than eased out
until I Didn't see him anymore, Than I nailed That's a Beautiful Sound!

Just my 3.5 cents

Live Long & Die a Fool