Exhaust Volume Perception

[CobraBob]

Back when I had my '03 Cobra, neighbors a block or two away walking along the street would constantly flail their arms up and down for me to SLOW DOWN. Didn't matter if I was doing 20, 25 or 30 (speed limit is 25). The loudness of my exhaust signaled to their "brain" that I was speeding. One time I stopped, rolled down the window, and yelled "do you have an issue"? The response was "yes, you're speeding, so slow down". To which I responded, "I'm not speeding, I'm doing 25 in a 25. If you don't like it or think I'm speeding then call the police." The police were never called, but again, I always got gestures or angry looks.

 

[nxhappy]

I'm going catless soon. I could care less about the neighbors LOL. Plus it's not my daily.

 

[helloWorld]

When I had my '13 5.0, I had stock headers, offroad h-pipe, no resonators, gt500 mufflers and I would turn it on every morning around 0720 to get to work. The car was parked in my garage at my apartment complex and I would start it and let it warm up with the garage door open (because no cats lol.) The garages are pretty close to some of the apartments and I never heard any complaints.

My '12 V still has stock exhaust, but I have headers, offroad x-pipe, no resonators, and QTP cutouts (stock mufflers) sitting around waiting to be installed. I do plan on leaving the cutouts open most of the time and also will get a larger cam in at some point. The beauty of remote start is, if the car is too loud with the cutouts open during the initial turn-on RPM spike, then I will just start it with the garage door shut and then open the door after ten seconds.

 

[MinGrey02Stg2]

I used to have the same concern, especially at startup when the engine revs a bit. I would put it in gear, and as soon as the engine started, let the clutch out to back up. If you do it right, the car will barely rev and it'll be much quieter than a regular startup and then putting it into gear, etc.

 

[CV355]

What did you get?

And my suggestion is Magnaflow for the bike. I got the Legacy Series on my Nightster and love it. I have a build thread in Pics & Vids on it and a video of the exhaust before and after.

I got a '16 Roadster 1200. It's insanely slow compared to some of the bikes I've had in the past, but it's a blast to ride around town- kinda relaxing by comparison.

The valvetrain is noisy as ****.

 

[03cobra#694]

I'm going catless soon. I could care less about the neighbors LOL. Plus it's not my daily.

Selfish SOB, lol.

 

[nxhappy]

Selfish SOB, lol.

yep, I'll admit that

 

[CV355]

Back when I had my '03 Cobra, neighbors a block or two away walking along the street would constantly flail their arms up and down for me to SLOW DOWN. Didn't matter if I was doing 20, 25 or 30 (speed limit is 25). The loudness of my exhaust signaled to their "brain" that I was speeding. One time I stopped, rolled down the window, and yelled "do you have an issue"? The response was "yes, you're speeding, so slow down". To which I responded, "I'm not speeding, I'm doing 25 in a 25. If you don't like it or think I'm speeding then call the police." The police were never called, but again, I always got gestures or angry looks.

Ahh! I used to have that happen in my '00 GT. About 10 years ago now, I had to pick my sister up from HS one day. I drove up the hill to the school and made a ton of noise (4.10s, straight pipes, etc). When I got to the top of the hill, one of the parents came running up to my car screaming at me. I kept driving, parked, and walked up to the main entrance. The guy came over and started yelling at me "there are children here! You can't be driving like a maniac!" After he stopped, I explained that the car has straight pipes and was geared. Once he realized I wasn't speeding, we had a good talk.

 

[lastcall190]

Ahh! I used to have that happen in my '00 GT. About 10 years ago now, I had to pick my sister up from HS one day. I drove up the hill to the school and made a ton of noise (4.10s, straight pipes, etc). When I got to the top of the hill, one of the parents came running up to my car screaming at me. I kept driving, parked, and walked up to the main entrance. The guy came over and started yelling at me "there are children here! You can't be driving like a maniac!" After he stopped, I explained that the car has straight pipes and was geared. Once he realized I wasn't speeding, we had a good talk.

That's pretty cool they actually heard you out. In my experience it's usually, "Well, I don't know what that means. But it's loud and I hate you."

Then the school buses in my development routinely hit 40mph on the road out and nobody blinks an eye. Figures.

-J

 

[Blown 89]

My neighbors all think I'm speeding regardless of my actual speed simply because of the sound. A few other neighbors deal with it too. That's the downside of exhausts.

 

[Famine]

Everyone's different, but in my case, my neighbors can suck my nuttz. I listen to a daycare run at home, barking dogs, etc. Not to mention the geese honking at 6am every morning at the pond right across the street. I would say everyone should be pretty comfortable with all the different sounds and since I rarely drive my 5.0 anyhow, I don't expect to hear any shit from anyone. To this point, I have only received compliments anyhow.

 

[Machdup1]

I did QTP Low Profile Electric Cutouts on my C6. I can go from "scare people" loud to "my neighbors love me" silent with the flip of a switch.

 

[CobraBob]

My neighbors all think I'm speeding regardless of my actual speed simply because of the sound. A few other neighbors deal with it too. That's the downside of exhausts.

That's pretty much it. To most people, a loud exhaust is equated to speed.

 

[BOOGIE MAN]

I was able to purchase an 01 Cobra in highschool thanks to my Dad agreeing to match whatever funds I could come up with while playing a sport and keeping my grades up. I put Kooks longtubes, 3" catless x pipe to a 3" flowmaster catback on it. It was quite loud but dear god I miss that sound. Instant smile every time the key was turned.

I used to leave at 515 every weekday to make morning workouts before school. Typical suburban neighborhood, 250 or so homes with 10 - 30 ft between houses depending on lot. Had an older neighbor that was the Dean of a local University. Said he heard me every morning and I apologized quickly but he replied, "oh no I love it, I'd have one just like it if [my wife] would let me."

Upon leaving the neighborhood you were immediately on a county road (without turning) only used by the neighborhood straight out of the gate. Was about 3/4 of a mile long before it intersected with a main road. I'd wind it up from time to time, running late, having a heavy right foot, loving the sound too much, etc...

I had the older owner of the house right next to the gate ride his bike and knock on my door all the way in the back of the neighborhood (car in driveway, zinc yellow, kind of hard to miss).
"Is that your Mustang?"
-'Yes sir it is.'
"When you go out the gate, can you please try to keep it down? Every now and then my wife and I hear you zooming out of the gate and it shakes every window in the house."
-'I'm really sorry, I will try to keep it down.' (this was said whilst trying to hold back laughter, quite poorly). I did feel bad about bothering someone, not everyone loves cars, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing at the fact the car was shaking windows. That was the end of it.

Sneaking out of the house in the wee hours (for ethical and moral reasons of course) was difficult though. I used to roll it out of the driveway and push it the full mile and a half to the gate down winding roads with speed bumps so that I didn't wake my parents up when I cranked her up. Oh to be young.

I think as long as it's not an unreasonable hour, you don't speed or wind it up around neighbors, and you're courteous when people complain, you'll be just fine.

I have also had many instances of the "sound = speed" freak outs. Pedestrians, meter maids, campus police, in parking garages, etc... Just don't speed and you're good on that front, at least legally.

Last thing, starting your car in the garage with the door open is definitely "louder" than starting it in the open. In the open, the sound goes in every direction and dissipates evenly. In the garage, the sound bounces off of stuff until it exits the limited opening of the garage. So the sound is more focused, not necessarily louder. This is why some people put their phones in cups when they're listening to music in the house, it directs the sound and makes it "louder"

 

[Sinister04L]

This was probably my loudest car:


It had a 416ci LS3 with ARH 1 7/8" longtubes, cats, and a Magnaflow Competition axleback. So basically straight pipes with no mufflers. It was violent on start up and loud as shit at WOT. I puttered around my neighborhood so I wouldn't piss people off and it wasn't my daily so I rarely started it up too early. On the days that I did though and the neighborhood was all quiet... Damn lol. I never got any complaints though.

Now with one of my Mustangs in a different neighborhood, that wasn't nearly as loud, I'd get people hollering at me to slow down even though I never sped through the neighborhood. It just seemed to them I was going faster.

 

[Lemmiwinks]

When I lived in a rental apartment I had the Viper on the grass just outside my kitchen, next to the entrance to my apartment as I refused to park it on the public parking lot.
My neighbours, all of the retired, didn't mind at all.
Even though the Viper with the Corsa exhaust (straight through) is stupidly loud, they never cared.
I told them specifically that if I am making too much noise, please let me know.
Every time they just said "Nah, it's fun when there's some noise around here and not just sad old people!"
They were really bummed when I moved. Great neighbours!
One neighbour kept telling me stories about his first car, a '59 Mercury

 

[hemdog]

We used to live in an area where the houses are all brick and very close to each other (Google Greendale Originals). My old fox body would rumble nicely (2 chamber Flows, catted h) and I just took off nicely in the morning. Didn't be an ass and most people didn't mind. The bikes were a little different story, but still not bad. One neighbor got annoyed with my Sporty when I had the Bassani side-by-side on it, they really popped at idle. I just took it easy when leaving. Most neighbors thought of it as their 7am wake-up call.

For your Sporty exhaust, look into Rinehart Racing. Throw a pair of slip-ons on it, you'll love the sound. They have a deep sound and are aggressive when wide open, but calm when cruising. I ran them on my bagger with true duals and they were awesome. Hold up really well too.

 

[nxhappy]

honestly it's not a big deal, unless your strolling in at midnight making a shit load of noise lol

 

[Grabber]

I have always been courteous toward my neighbors when I had loud cars. As a car guy that has had stupid loud cars over many years, I can say I am one of those guys, if you're making unnecessary noise through a neighborhood, I would approach you.

For those that say they don't care about making noise at any time of the day, just remember, there's always a bigger asshole. If someone was intentionally pulling this shit in my neighborhood, I'd going out of my way to find out where they lived and I'd make it into a bigger situation.

Have respect for other people. Just because you live there, doesn't mean you get to do what you want and be disrespectful.

When I had my 03 Cobra, I was approached once for "speeding" in m friends neighborhood in the south burbs of Chicago. He screamed at me as I was passing by and tried jumping into the street to stop me. Later that day, my friend told me that guy will make a big deal out of nothing and drove my car past his house @ WOT to piss him off.

These days, I really enjoy my quiet time at home.

I do condone loud cars, but, there is absolutely no reason when pulling out of a subdivision to drive like a tard. It doesn't impress anyone and makes you look like the neighborhood idiot.

 

[04SVT_COBRA]

I never wanted to be that guy either. When I had the Cobra I would back it into the driveway and push it down the street in the morning, then start it in an area where noise would be minimized. My Z1000 is just as loud and I do the same with it. I also live in a canyon, so it amplifies the noise even more.