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tomsugden

Original Poster:

2,465 posts

257 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
I live in London, and use my 350i as everyday transport, including driving to and from work everyday. I leave home at 6:30am. 2 of my neighbours have complained about the noise my car makes in the morning. For the record I don't use the throttle at all when leaving home, just let the clutch out and creep down the road. On both occasions I have been polite, and pointed out that the car is taxed, mot'd, and road legal, and that perhaps London is not the place to live if you want peace and quiet. Has anyone else had to deal with this, and what did you do ?

Finally, I filled the car up with Shell Optimax this morning. The car has not been converted to run on unleaded, so I use a lead replacement product. The guy in the garage said there was no need to use the lead replacement if I use Optimax. Is the true, as I am very dubious about it.

Cheers, Tom

briantvr350

72 posts

283 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
Tom,

can't help with the neighbour problem, but I'm sure they will return from the pub late in the evening and disturb you. Might just be misplaced envy, they must have seen the grin when you are driving the 350 by now!

As regards petrol, the evidence is clear (The "Bible" and TVR engineering) the Rover V8's fitted to wedges have already got the hardened valve seats so there is no modding to do. However, if you run it on ordinary unleaded fuel you may need to retard the ignition slightly (the actual amount varies from car to car) to get rid of any pinking..

The guy in the garage was right, forget the Lead replacement stuff, and get the car set-up to run on normal unleaded. The grin factor is still there!

By the way I once left home at 5:30am, and I wasn't to careful with the accelerator! Serves 'em right for comming home from clubbing at 4am in their chav mobiles and waking me up!

Regards,

Brian (and a Red 350i)

wedg1e

27,034 posts

294 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
Tom:
I get the same crap from a neighbour; we live 100 yards from the busiest road in the county. If he wants peace and quiet, he's in the wrong place.

rev-erend

21,619 posts

313 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
I'd just ignore them..

Luckily my neighbour has motorbikes (MV Agustava) .. so we both make some noise

planman350i

599 posts

282 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
Can't keep everyone happy. I got bad looks off my neighbour, whos an old lady, the other day when I started my wedge at 8.30 pm (she seems to draw curtains around that time)!

As long as you don't take the pxss revving it at 6.30 and drive straight off, can't see a problem.

If you are revving it at that time you probably deserve all you get!!

tomsugden

Original Poster:

2,465 posts

257 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
That's the whole point, I don't rev it at all when I leave. If it's not raining I put the roof down, get in, seat belt on, start engine, and leave, and don't use the accelerator pedal at all. I don't know what more I can do really

Personally I think my neighbours just enjoy whinging

jamesk

2,124 posts

308 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
There is nothing you can do, which is why they are so unreasonable.

I get woken up EVERY morning by our neighbour (who is deaf coincidentally) who is a window fitter. He leaves at 6.30am and has a diesel van right outside our house. He literally starts it in gear and drives off immediately. Its annoying, and doesn't sound nearly as nice as a wedge but I would never dream of saying anything to him as he simply cant do anything else - we all have our lives to lead - sod 'em the small minded losers.

timpailthorpe

26 posts

254 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
kind of off topic but ......


Forget car noise...
What is it about retired people, who have all week to do whatever they want, that makes them mow their lawn on a Sunday morning?

grahamw48

9,944 posts

267 months

Friday 26th August 2005
quotequote all
Things can get out of hand.

A friend of a friend was having a similar dispute with a neighbour.
The car in question was 2wd Cossie Sierra, and he ended up backing it onto the neighbours lawn, spinning the wheels like crazy, and pebbledashing the moaning neighbour's house with his own lawn!

firefox1712

1,772 posts

284 months

Saturday 27th August 2005
quotequote all
Your neighbours are clearly making a nuisance of themselves as you are clearly giving some thought and care to their confort and enjoyment of their property.

Your Sierra friend should probably brace himself for a prosecution for criminal damage!

badredwedge

3,450 posts

257 months

Saturday 27th August 2005
quotequote all
As you say its MOTd and road worthy, em, they need to get a life ! Maybe you should make a bit MORE noise for a few mornings then they would appreciate it when you are keeping it down
.........................
No I go back to my first point EM In fact em all but 2 and let them themselves

adam quantrill

11,679 posts

271 months

Monday 29th August 2005
quotequote all
Fine that it's MOT'd, but there is also a regulation about making excessive noise via the exhaust (perhaps someone could post this verbatim like the excellent MOT link?).

While you could theoretically faul foul of this reg, the fact that you don't rev it at all while driving out of your street is surely indicitave of keeping the noise down and being considerate.

Perhaps you should mention this in return, and in order to give them something to compare it with post the grid reference and I might take the 400SX down there at 3 in the morning....

cdt

537 posts

311 months

Monday 29th August 2005
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MOT: reason for rejection: b. a silencer in such a condition, or of such a type, that the noise emitted from the vehicle is clearly unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle with a silencer in average condition.

It is also an offence to leave a motor vehicle unattended with its engine running.

I remember being told by an ex-police class 1 instructor that it is an offence to make excessive noise in a motor vehicle. But you are making every effort to be quiet so this surely can't apply.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

313 months

Monday 29th August 2005
quotequote all
I did delete a reply of mine but think it needs airing. I had a run in with a neighbor who didn't like it. I looked into the noise regs and you have to be a tad careful it would appear. Think consideration is the catch word
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/noise/index.htm

tribbster

82 posts

263 months

Tuesday 30th August 2005
quotequote all
I think the only thing to do........ is get a bigger exhaust, to show just how kind and generous you have been in the past, and to show what the future may hold for a person who whinges !

MIKEB

2,869 posts

311 months

Tuesday 30th August 2005
quotequote all
Just ask Pistolar to come visit!

MikeB

tribbster

82 posts

263 months

Tuesday 30th August 2005
quotequote all
mikeb said:
Just ask Pistolar to come visit!

Perfect idea, or perhaps you could host the next BBWF !lol