How lenient would cops be to us hot rodders with open headers?

I don't see any reason for open headers on the street, unless you're trying to make up for the fact your car is slow by making it loud.

 

Yes and no. Im not going to live the rest of my life like an aimless teenager because in the roots of hot rodding it was all 17 year old hoodlums doing it. Think about it, they all grew up too. Purchased homes, lucrative carreers, families etc.

The bagging on street rods is so ******** tired already. People moved on and wanted power this, power that. They had been there and done that most likely with the original hot rod movement, quit bashing em for selling out. They just changed their mind.

I was just talking to a friend last nite and I am planning on saving money this year so I can have a really nice car at a show next September. Budgeting for NICE chrome, paint, time to do it, and full interior. I stopped and thought how happy I was at 21 just 8 short years ago driving around in my chopped Merc with a flathead and leaky loud exhaust, no interior and some holes in the floor, and how much that would **** now. People change and so do their desires.

And for the record I highly doubt there is anything "traditional" about driving a what-would-have-been family sedan back in the day around with open manifolds and a stock powerless engine.

 

I got the impression that the kid wanted to drive his new old heap. he doesn't have the exhaust hooked up yet and he's either short of cash or can't get to the muffler dude for another week.

I don't think it ever was an issue of if its cool, or socially acceptable of made it faster or whatever. I think its just a kid who wants to drive his old hooptie.

Should he do it? I'm going to guess that prudence will say no. I mean he lives in the land of fruits 'n' money, do you really think that the local cops will look the other way? Its revenue man.

On the otherhand do I think he won't drive it uncorked? Hell I would, so why should I think that he wouldn't. Maybe the street rodder types that have taken up residence here will win himover, but my experience in life tells me that its going to take several tickets and at least one nite on the pokey before he even begins to soften. With any luck at all he'll never ever soften, but that remains to be seen.

 

Agree 100%. I'm also tired of loud-as-hell mufflers on weak 15-16 second cars. No real reason for it, IMO. It doesn't even sound good.

Does that make me a dreaded "street rodder"?

 

Benno, of course, he can get all the tickets he wants. And, boy, did I ever when I was a pup. But the hard fact is that those tickets will dip into his car funds. Self interest might dictate keeping a low profile.

Back in the old days truckers used to say: Drive with care, don't feed that bear.

 

Nope....it makes you sensible. I like straight pipes connected to headers only on big compression motors with a cam.

And I agree.....open headers without pipes is a little much for the street.

-Lee
Atomic Radio
www.atomicpinup.com

 

I have been pulled a few times for "exceeding the noice level" with my cars. Not with the stereo's, but with the motors only. I used to build and race the Mazda ****el rotary motors. They have been by far the loudest. When built, ported and polished, they can turn upwards of 12,000 rpm....no ****...and when you only have a Supertrap or a gl***pack on there, even the crocth rockets and traditionial piston rice burners don't stand a chance.

The highest fine I have paid was $1250 plus court cost. I got pulled by a cop who was a *****, and needed to meet his quota. As I pointed that out to him, he really got mad, and I through more fuel on his flame by telling him I could get in my car and peel off, and he would never catch me. I didn't do it that time, but a few months later, I did, and I made sure he new it was me.

As for running zoomies, or whatever....do it at your own risk. There are inventive ways to turn down the noise levels of almost everything. It takes alot of trial and error, but is worth it if you live where there is noise haters.

Mott

 

I know a 60 sumpin guy that has a 34 hi boy with open zoomies and a built sb chevy. far as im concerned it sounds like **** and other than the guy acting like an *** at the nats in kzoo one year and getting asked to leave and not come back i dont think the guys has ever got a ticket. Sorry but i really have to call bull **** on that one... the *** deserves a ticket.. My roadster has full exhaust and sounds like **** and its too quiet. My twin cam 88 ci harley has rush slipons and its loud but not straight pipe loud and it has 75 hp and 76 ft lbs of torque.. The neighbors have never complained and i left again this morning at 6:10 am but i dont hammer it either i just drive it like i should thru the sub...
Dave

 

Ya know, muffler shops may be a good place to get a like-new muffler considering all the pickups that are darned near new, have FlowMasters put on and the factory muffler yanked.

Many times a single muff from a late pickup has a 2 1/2" pipe in & out and they flow quite well.
Fairly quiet, but there is a bit of a tone there.

Hardest part would be fitting it in, but as expensive as mufflers are....

 

I will be the first to admit I'm to old. HRP

 

Phil
Your absolutely right, you know it and I know it.

Doesn't change the fact that he's a kid and he's going to be a kid. I think I did mention the monitary part. When I was his age I was in court so often that the judge and I were on a first name basis.

I guess my point is that just like the rest of us he needs a chance to be himself. If that involves running it uncorked for a couple of days then that's the way that it is. Let the chips fall where they may.

I have a problem with the fellas that think that even if he pulls it off his neighbors should drop a dime on him. I can understand if he's doing bleach burnouts at 3:00 AM but just because he's loud for a couple of days?

No one could tell you how to live when you were a kid any more than me. That buys you a lot, well that and you aren't on here whining all the time.

I just have a hard time with the morality police I guess. I must be getting old.

 

Things have shure changed since the sixties. Back then you could get a ticket for gl***packs around here. But you could smoke the tires as much as you wanted and if you didnt get squirrly didnt get a second look.
then in 68 this 30 year old guy buys a new 383 4 speed roadrunner. gets a loud exhaust ticket with the brand new stock mufflers. Him and the car dealer and some lawyer went to court. The result was to make the ticket stick.The officer would need a decible meter and be trained and certified to operate it. From then on around here you can be as loud as you want. But chirp a tire and you will get a reckless driving ticket pronto.Personally since i have become old and hard of hearing i now like a very quiet exhaust. Back when i ran open headers on the street i would clutch and turn off the key when i met a cop. Ran them for 2 years no tickets and no warped valves either. Let the kid Go for itOldWolf

 

HaHa! If you actually drive it around every day, I doubt youll actually make it to your next paycheck before those open headers drive you insane and you figure out how to s****e together the money for the exhaust! Well, unless your still 16 and young, dumb, and full of c*m! Then you might not let it bother you and think its cool, but probably only until the money does come in. But even still, youll get tired of em and put an exhaust on. Just be intelligent and respectable when driving it and I dont think youll get messed with. Also, if money is a concern, ya better make sure you have insurance 1st!

 

You just aren't old enough yet!

When you get old enough, your hearing is shot and you have to uncork the pipes to tell if it's still running.

When you get old enough, you get tired of being Mr. nice guy all your life while everyone else stretches the rules.

When you get old enough, senility sets in and you are sure you are 18 again.

And finally...

When you get old enough, your loud pipes will never keep anyone up at night because you are in bed by 9 PM. !!

A little common sense goes a long way.

 

You forgot to use " makes up for a small ***** " as well !!


loud pipes save lives !!

 

For bikes, there is a lot of truth to this, especially since everyone is focusing on their g-damn cell phone instead of the road. But they don't need to be wide-open drag pipes to remind them you're around.

 

exactly. My thoughts are just simply DONT DO IT. Many states (MA included here) are trying desperatley to get legit noise levels on the books so people dont get tickets if they are legal with loud mufflers/headers and the like.

To blatantly disregard what your fellow hot rod guys are working on to save YOUR cars *** isnt cool- so I dotn do it- and my car would sound sick if I did.

Just not worth the risks of having to deal with a jack*** cop , ticket or more.

 

your question is like asking if you don't have to pay the IRS.....yeah you might get away with it for a while but....

 

This statement, IMO, it complete and total ********. It is merely a noise thing and the Harley crowd wanting someone to "Look at me!"

The simple physics of the direction of trave (forward) and the direction of the sound travels (backward) does absolutely nothing to help you in oncoming traffic.

Case in point - the next time you pull up on a line of Harleys running together, check out and see where the loudest bikes are located. Chances are they'll be in the back of the pack. I had a buddy who used to ***** because he had a bike he paid $32,500 for and the group he rode with would make him ride in the back because of the loudness of his pipes. Sad to say this guy was a cop too. He also used to brag about how he could '**** with people using thier cell phones by hitting the clutch and rapping it out' while next to or in front of them.

Loud pipes don't save lives, they just annoy the **** out of everyone who doesn't like that much sound. Think about it this way - whenever you hear a loud *** car or bike, what do you do? Involuntarily more often than not you turn to look. And... if it looks like a ricer or a POS, then you are irritated about having had your attention drawn to it. At least with me it is that way.

C9 is the voice of reason here again, and I completely agree with this statement.

I was raised with the radio turned down low enough to hear the car/truck and whatever noises it might make. I can remember as a kid messing with my mechanic father by creating some kind of noise from the backseat whenever possible. Used to drive him nuts!

This isn't the case with so many people these days. I hate to go political or climb onto my soapbox, but as a school teacher in a ***le I school (read poor/poverty), I see parents every day pull up to the school and the kids open the door and the stereo is blaring all this rap or other so called music **** so loud that not only can you not hear the motor, but you cannot hear the person next to you scream!

The motor that is going into my Dubble A project is a stock 350 out of an '89 Suburban. I've got the stock exhaust manifolds, as well as the stock crossover pipe. I intend to run a single exhaust pipe and work to find that 'perfect' muffler for it. I had an '89 Chevy pickup with a similar design to what I am planning to use, and it had the 3" collector on the Y-pipe which I connected a 3" exhaust and a 3" I/O Flowtech muffler. The truck sounded good, wasn't excessively loud, and I could hear people talking to me in the backseat. To me, that was perfect. But again, this is all just IMO.

I see people and pictures on here and other places where guys are driving their cars/trucks/toys to various events and the p***enger is riding shotgun with a pair of earmuffs on. Doesn't this defeat the point? I'm building my two trucks for me to enjoy, yes, but I want my wife to WANT to go with me. I know for damned sure if it was too loud there's no way she'd want to go everywhere with me. I too have both had and ridden in vehicles where the exhaust was so loud that after about 30mins to an hour I'm starting to get a pounding headache. Sure as hell makes me want to fix it if it's mine or get out of it if it isn't.

To the original poster of this thread, and he's probably already done what he's going to do, I would say if you're up to it, roll the dice and go for it. I can honestly say that I have a neighbor that has a son who is in the Marines, but this kid has no concept of giving a **** about anyone around him when he's home. He drives a newer Dodge with a Hemi in it, just installed an airraid style intake, and has changed out the muffler. He'll come in when he's home at 11pm-1am and smoke the tire to get into the driveway, or just be otherwise stupid. I've talked to him about it once, and I'll probably say something a second time. I also know the rest of the neighbors don't like it either. However, if there's a third...

Sorry for the rant.

 

Are we still on the HAMB?...hot rods and all that?

 

Screw the cops, think about your neighbors. "Don't foul the nest", or another way to put it is don't "**** where you sleep."
To me Neighbors are an ***et. If you're nice they'll be more likely to put your dog back in the fence if it escapes, instead of calling the dog catcher. Or **** such as that, you know?
Don't piss your neighbors off, as a hot rodder you're gonna need some understanding from them from time to time and waking them up with open headers ain't the way.
I'd rather listen to the motor than the exhaust. Do you know what I mean? I love listening to my cam and the ticking of the headers.

PS If you're really talking about exhaust manifolds, they can turn into a fire hazard.

 

"Are we still on the HAMB?...hot rods and all that?"

Theres a big difference between Hot Rods and loud obnoxious cars for no reason that sound like **** and threaten the very existence of rodders everywhere. Don't believe it? Denver recently p***ed a law making any exhaust except stock illegal! Now that law is actually against Federal Law and will be tested in court but it shows John Q Public is fed up with the open pipes nonsense.

"loud pipes save lives !! "

Have to agree with Goztrider on calling BS on that one too. Been riding Harley's since 73, other bikes since 68. Next time your driving down the road and there is a Harley with loud pipes coming at you, listen - you probably won't hear those straight pipes until they p*** you. Same thing about the bike coming up from behind, you won't hear it until it p***ing. And being a rider I can tell you that they are much louder for the riders behind than the guy on the bike!

There is a clown who lives in the apartment buildings behind my house. His Mopile has no mufflers, just some long pipes. And while it sounds like a healthy motor I'm getting sick of hearing it at 11:00 every night. He must go to work late cuz it's the same time every night and I know a couple of neighbors have already complained, especially since he insists on letting it warm up for 15 minutes echoing in the carport. If he doesn't do something about the complaints, the cops will. And if not I swear I will cram something up those pipes that will get the message across.

 

Depends how long he's been on the force and if your acting like an idiot or not ????????? Dont ask me how I know******

 

no **** ,uncork it

 

What a bunch of ****ing pussies on the HAMB nowadays.

If you want a quiet car by a ****ing Prius and get off the HAMB.

I love the way my 500 horse 406 sounds through open fenderwell headers, and most other people do too. If YOU don't, let me know and I'll rev the piss out of it in front of your house at 3AM.

I'm considerate to my neighbors; I push it put into the street to fire it if it's early, I kill the ignition and coast into the drive if it's late, etc., but if you're gonna be a ***** 'cause my car's too loud, you ain't heard nothin' yet.

 

I've been driving mine with unbaffled open headers since March. I've had the state police behind me and next to me at stop lights and they never even gave me a second look. I have been pulled over twice, both times for doing stupid **** and neither cop said anything about the exhaust.

 

it depends on where you are, if your an ***hole about getting pulled over for it, and the cop himself. here in california, i wouldnt worry about it. my brothers running headers with straight pipes out the rear bumper in his 57 firedome (341 hemi). thing sounds like a machinegun knocked up a dragboat ,he hasnt had a problem and its been that way for 3 or 4 years

 

You know those guys

The harley's is what my reply would be if I was pulled over. I have had open headers on multipule cars over the last few years. If you don't drive like an ***hole in the wrong place you should be OK. What I mean by wrong place is if there are alot of people around. You guys know who I mean. The ***hole that leaves a car show sideways with pedestrians around. The shot **** complex guy.
Steve Glucoft
Amocat Speed Emporium
Hotrodarama

 

And I was raised with Veggie Tales/The Beatles and then Wanda Jackson/Motorhead/X blasting so loud you can't hear squat.. There wasn't anything to hear, at any rate.. My tires are older than I am..

 

OK I have to weigh in here,first I HATE fart cans with a p***ion, that and exaust tips you can stick your head in, some people who have them maby should stick their head in them, I'm one of the import guys too,but I drive a 21 year old mid eighties honda,that sounds nothing whatsoever like a honda, first it's carbed,also it's the old type iron block engines like they used to have, I spent a long time figuring out my exaust, designed and bent it myself, and installed it myself, yes it's loud,but not that raspy v-tech or tec or whatever weedeater sound, i hate that sound, I would never be caught dead cranking it up in the middle of the night, or trying to annoy my neighbors,even though they are ***holes here,and like to party and drink all night. It actually sounds a lot closer to a brittish car then a japanese car. maby it's the old type engine,I don't know, I've seen plenty of the ricers you speak of pulled over, but the cops never bother me, been stopped for speeding,not a word about my exaust. I guess it's just the way you drive is all, if you go around trying to piss people off,you are going to get tickets,if you are considerate of your neighbors, they will leave you alone. for the record, I run an old style long gl*** pack, with a NORMAL size tip on it. I could drive through the parking lot at Walmart and set off car alarms,but why ? I 'm a little too old for that. if i'm out on the open road,yea i'll put the pedal down and can't hear my wife 2 feet from me, but I'm not going to do that in town.