"There's a bloke/lass down the road with...."

[XB70]

On my street in the development that I live in, I pass on the way to our place:

New CL/S-class coupe (V12) in white and new black S600 (same house) but the S600 seems to have made way for a F458 in black over black

Few door down is a F458 in red - cover usually on it

A few more doors is a red F12 sitting in the carport absolutely filthy and covered in sand and dust

[oilspill]

_Neal_ said:

. I explained the full MOT test rules to the owner in a nasal voice beforehand, so he's had fair warning. I also gave him a homemade pamphlet on ways to improve his self-esteem.

I've let the standard-exhausted late-90s Maserati Quattroporte survive. For now.

could be worse though.

Paris. http://www.thelocal.fr/20160701/what-does-the-pari...

[anonymous-user]

Living in a semi-rural, not particularly wealthy, sleepy village there's actually quite a few and I see them daily!

Porsche 997 Carrera S
Ferrari California T
Aston Martin DB9 Volante
Nissan GTR
Mercedes CL63 AMG
Loads of Jag F-Types! See about 6-7!

All within a few miles from me. Makes a nice change from the usual Ford and Vauxhall pottering about

[_Neal_]

oilspill said:

could be worse though.

Paris. http://www.thelocal.fr/20160701/what-does-the-pari...

It could. Although I'm not sure that this is a good example to illustrate the point you're making - it's to cover a specific (pollution-based, not noise-based) issue, in a densely-populated area.

For what it's worth I don't disagree that people being antisocial with their exhausts just gives ammo to people wishing to ban car modifications. However, you could make the point far better without resorting to rather silly generalisations about the owners' narcissism and self-esteem.

People fit noisier exhausts for all kinds of reasons e.g. road-legal car and motorbike systems which aren't noisy, but look better, sound better (depending on your viewpoint) and save weight. Where's the problem there?

[suffolk009]

p1stonhead said:

bobbo89 said:

Going back about 10 years or so ago a guy who lived just up the road from me would regularly drive past my house in an orange Murcielago.

I suspect he used to be a writer for Evo magazine or at least a contributor with a regular column. I seem to remember something about him driving down to Italy in the old orange car to pick a new white LP640 with the orange one being demoted to doing experience days etc.

Any old readers remember anything along those lines?

Yes. I think it's the 6th Gear experience car.

And I think he's on here.

IIRC the orange one got to something ludicrous like 200000 miles.

Was that the one that needed some chassis repairs? Vague memory, and I don't feel like getting all the old magazines out...

[oilspill]

_Neal_ said:

It could. Although I'm not sure that this is a good example to illustrate the point you're making - it's to cover a specific (pollution-based, not noise-based) issue, in a densely-populated area.

For what it's worth I don't disagree that people being antisocial with their exhausts just gives ammo to people wishing to ban car modifications. However, you could make the point far better without resorting to rather silly generalisations about the owners' narcissism and self-esteem.

People fit noisier exhausts for all kinds of reasons e.g. road-legal car and motorbike systems which aren't noisy, but look better, sound better (depending on your viewpoint) and save weight. Where's the problem there?

go on then... explain why human males are attracted to the sound 'roar' 'vroom vroom' emitted from a motor vehicle and why efforts and expense are increasingly made to enhance this noise.
whats with the fake popping and banging? if it isnt trying to emulate a Rally hero.

the strange thing is that our roads and our speeds are slower than ever for various reasons, yet the craving for power and noise among mostly young or single males is on the increase, as shown by sales figures from Arrow, Akrapovic and Miltek.

Weight saving, bullst. Buying lighter wheels or driveshafts is a preferable option for anyone not seeking attention who is serious on the subject. The performance factor is an complete no go these days, cars have twice the power in 20 years yet the opportunity you use it has decreased.

The last time I was interested in manipulating pure exhaust noise (and ignorant to engineering) was when I was 17, and frontal lobes hadn't developed.

[jhonn]

oilspill said:

stuff

You've got some good points for discussion - rather than taking this one off-topic, here's a link to a recent thread that's relevant.

Cheers

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Whoops! Edited to add link.

[aka_kerrly]

Within my immediate neighbours the most exciting cars are a Vauxhall VXR8, a E34 BMW M5 and a BMW Z3 M Coupe. I get the impression we are the only petrolheads as the rest of the street (my cars excluded) are duller than a dull thing on a dull day.

I need to travel a few miles to the surrounding villages before finding the more interesting stuff eg HSV GTS + Maloo (same owner), Ferrari 458 Italia + McLaren MP14 (same owner), Overfinch Range Rover, Jenson Interceptor, Dodge Viper, E-type V12 are a few that spring to mind.

[MDMA .]

Gav147 said:

oilspill said:

At least the Goodwood festival of speed are on my side.

Indeed, no modified cars with loud exhausts popping and banging at the FoS is there... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hv2RAHjUEo plenty more as well as that one every year doing plenty of runs.

FOS is on a private drive. Victor Meldrew probably means the track days at the Goodwood curcuit

[blade7]

Guy over the road has got a few old motors, him and his Mrs are such miserable gits that I've haven't spoken to them in the 11 years I've lived here..

Edited by blade7 on Wednesday 31st August 19:42

[jayemm89]

bobbo89 said:

Going back about 10 years or so ago a guy who lived just up the road from me would regularly drive past my house in an orange Murcielago.

I suspect he used to be a writer for Evo magazine or at least a contributor with a regular column. I seem to remember something about him driving down to Italy in the old orange car to pick a new white LP640 with the orange one being demoted to doing experience days etc.

Any old readers remember anything along those lines?

If memory serves it got a quarter of a million miles on it, then the engine block cracked. He decided to get it rebuilt, spent a fortune, then on its first day out some git put it straight into a tree. Heartbreaking.

It did get rebuilt but I don't know what eventually happened to it?

[Phon_E87]

oilspill said:

_Neal_ said:

It could. Although I'm not sure that this is a good example to illustrate the point you're making - it's to cover a specific (pollution-based, not noise-based) issue, in a densely-populated area.

For what it's worth I don't disagree that people being antisocial with their exhausts just gives ammo to people wishing to ban car modifications. However, you could make the point far better without resorting to rather silly generalisations about the owners' narcissism and self-esteem.

People fit noisier exhausts for all kinds of reasons e.g. road-legal car and motorbike systems which aren't noisy, but look better, sound better (depending on your viewpoint) and save weight. Where's the problem there?

go on then... explain why human males are attracted to the sound 'roar' 'vroom vroom' emitted from a motor vehicle and why efforts and expense are increasingly made to enhance this noise.
whats with the fake popping and banging? if it isnt trying to emulate a Rally hero.

the strange thing is that our roads and our speeds are slower than ever for various reasons, yet the craving for power and noise among mostly young or single males is on the increase, as shown by sales figures from Arrow, Akrapovic and Miltek.

Weight saving, bullst. Buying lighter wheels or driveshafts is a preferable option for anyone not seeking attention who is serious on the subject. The performance factor is an complete no go these days, cars have twice the power in 20 years yet the opportunity you use it has decreased.

The last time I was interested in manipulating pure exhaust noise (and ignorant to engineering) was when I was 17, and frontal lobes hadn't developed.

_Neal_ is being completely reasonable, and you're just not having any of it at all.
Are you just determined to be truculent and unreasonable, or have you actually been the victim of some exhaust-based slight in the past?

Your attitude seems way out of proportion to the subject, is it a personal thing? A crusade?
Why have you got such a problem?

[dxg]

1Addicted said:

p1stonhead said:

Guy near me has a 12c and parks its outside of his normal semi detached house.

Love it.

I'm always bewildered by someone who has a £100+k car and a "normal" house. I suppose different people have different priorities for their money, but I've always gone the other way and had an extra nice home before and extra nice car. For that reason, as I'm always spending money on my upgrading home, I'll never own a REALLY expensive car; I'm having trouble talking myself into upgrading my current 6.2 C63 coupe for the new C63S.

When I was a kid, I worked in a country garage. This garage had a caravan park round the back (permanent residents: not some holiday place) and a row of lock-up garages for them to use. Every so often on a Sunday morning, one of the residents would get his *Cobra* out of the garage and potter off in it for a while.

The thing was glorious and, even if it was a replica, would have been worth many multiples of the guy's 'house'. Never did get to find out the full story.

[rvasse]

Hi

My neighbour had an S2 Exige cup 240 and a Golf GTI 1 Oettinger.
He now has an Exige V6 Cup, and still the GTI.

this neighbour is a friend

my other neighbour had a blue Impreza diesel. It got stollen last summer in his garage while he was at the swimming pool on a sunday afternoon.

myself, i have an Elise S1 111S and a Golf 1 GLI (cab'). You understand now why the 1st neighbour is a good friend. The funny thing is that when we settled here in this street (a village near Lyon, France), i already had my 2 fun cars. So, it's sound very cool and funny to got, by chance, a neighbour with a Lotus & a vintage VW...

[P5BNij]

A good friend and neighbour has a late '50s Ford Pop which he bought to replace the '64 Mk1 Cortina he had for about five years, a few doors down from him and just round the corner there's a chap with a 997 Turbo, a Lotus (Elise I think) and a 2014 Mustang, the retired Doctor who's house backs onto ours has a pre-War Austin 7, an MGC Roadster and a couple of '50s bikes, one of which is an Ariel which he's had since he was 16, just round the corner at my end of the road there's a primrose yellow E-Type 2+2 (with Wolfrace alloys!) and a few doors further along is an old boy with a Glacier White Mk3 Cooper S which he's had from new. A while ago I regularly used to see a bright red '66 S-Type Jag driving down our road twice a day which must have lived fairly close by, but I've not seen it since Easter (also used to see it at the local MOT station nearby). Almost forgot, my next door neighbour has a '74 Hillman Imp which he's just finished restoring, it's yet to see the light of day though.

[eltax91]

On my street of about 30 houses or so:-

RX7 hugely modified
964 total minter
RS4
A guy into his americana has a Chevy stepside and Dodge Charger in the garage.

Just around the corner there's a Porsche nut who has a boggo 911 in the garage and then a fully race spec 911 Alongside it

[oilspill]

Phon_E87 said:

_Neal_ is being completely reasonable, and you're just not having any of it at all.
Are you just determined to be truculent and unreasonable, or have you actually been the victim of some exhaust-based slight in the past?

Your attitude seems way out of proportion to the subject, is it a personal thing? A crusade?
Why have you got such a problem?

As I said before, if I was a crusader or activist without doubt the best attitude would be for me to illegally modify, say my thumper trail bike, and ride around until enough people get annoyed to take action. This should be a good enough hint at my point. I also have a RM500 crosser that is unrideable anywhere bar a few one off classic events, unless I ironically I make it 'road legal' then some serious damage would be done.

A few years ago Pistonheads leaked info of the looming blanket ban on all car mods by the EU. This enabled the makers of illegal exhausts to lobby their MPs and get it overturned. It was overturned due to UK having a thriving classic car industry that apparently "relies heavily on modifications". Coincidently Miltek started producing a classic range of exhaust to save their arses.
What is truly farcical is that Miltek also have to work hard on quieter pipes for the race tracks, when by law it should be the other way around. We will end up with nothing.

The classic angle is not a strong argument IMO and this problem is not going away as noise complaints are the N01 in all UK councils. Coupled with ever increasing concerns with emissions (Paris authorities blaming 48,000 deaths per year on old cars) promoting the the culture of fitting straight through pipes and de-cats is hardly defendable let alone promotable. Yes, a lot of the loud cars mentioned in this thread must have been de-catted as they reduce the sound a fair bit.

Think of the quotes and promises over the VW scandal related to health and quality of life then ask if the loud exhaust and de-cat industry really has a good future?

If you don't see the problem of encouraging and worshiping illegally modified vehicles then that's fine. We have it on record and I'll be back having a go at the s who were too thick to self-regualte if a blanket ban gets brought in.
Surely its bad enough the UK government wish for all electric vehicles on the road by 2040?
I dont have a problem with loud cars per say. Im an ex racer and Ill be the first to start a campaign to ask the government to provide off-road facilities for ICE cars once we go all electric.
Look what the Arabs do in London. Thanks to their noise, speed bumps and laws on not accelerating hard are now proposed. Like I said we'll end up with nothing at all.

[oilspill]

jhonn said:

You've got some good points for discussion - rather than taking this one off-topic, here's a link to a recent thread that's relevant.

Cheers

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Whoops! Edited to add link.

My points arnt really off topic are they. If I was more polite and didn't give 2 sts about the industry I would have told people to be careful mentioning reg numbers of loud cars. Any member of public can call 101 giving details of anti-social vehicles. Some Police websites have online reporting tools for excessive noise. Section 59s are eventually used.

My point is don't encourage it because people will, and are, reporting loud vehicles. We had a blanket ban overturned on all modifications in 2014, luckily we're no longer in the Eu because they'll win eventually. France and Italy are already on board, Uk is nowhere near as sophisticated as mainland Europe (just look at our s hitty houses and s hitty roads) but we'll catch up eventually. People will demand the same level of quality of life. I enjoy many car-less cities over europe, to a point this makes me feel a complete wker when I was a teenager fitting the loud pipes blasting through as many towns and villages as possible. I can name a town in the UK that are no longer visited by the show offs due to speed bumps being installed, job done for whoever went on that crusade. Its now popular with cyclists and latte drinkers.

Edited by oilspill on Wednesday 31st August 20:55

[p1stonhead]

oilspill said:

My points arnt really off topic are they. If I was more polite and didn't give 2 sts about the industry I would have told people to be careful mentioning reg numbers of loud cars. Any member of public can call 101 giving details of anti-social vehicles. Some Police websites have online reporting tools for excessive noise. Section 59s are eventually used.

My point is don't encourage it because people will, and are, reporting loud vehicles. We had a blanket ban overturned on all modifications in 2014, luckily we're no longer in the Eu because they'll win eventually. France and Italy are already on board, Uk is nowhere near as sophisticated as mainland Europe (just look at our s hitty houses and s hitty roads) but we'll catch up eventually. People will demand the same level of quality of life. I enjoy many car-less cities over europe, to a point this makes me feel a complete wker when I was a teenager fitting the loud pipes blasting through as many towns and villages as possible. I can name a town in the UK that are no longer visited by the show offs due to speed bumps being installed, job done for whoever went on that crusade. Its now popular with cyclists and latte drinkers.

Edited by oilspill on Wednesday 31st August 20:55

Oh fantastic

I think we found the root of your issue though. You used to be an antisocial wker, so you think everyone else is.

[toasty]

oilspill said:

"You will be breaking the law if you remove a silencer or make any modification that would make that vehicle emit a noise louder than the original exhaust before it was modified."
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/modified-cars...

That's only for the folks in Northern Ireland afaik.