Opinions on loud exhausts
Discussion
Most 'louder' exhausts aren't actually that loud unless you're revving the crap out of your car. Drive at low revs through a residential area and most people wouldn't even notice.
It's idiots redlining their cars (loud exhaust or not it will still sound loud) inappropriately which is the problem.
It's idiots redlining their cars (loud exhaust or not it will still sound loud) inappropriately which is the problem.
pti said:
Ali95 said:
Ian Geary said:
stinkyspanner said:
When I was in my twenties I loved them, and often had them on my cars. Now I'm nearer 50 I hate them
+1My former mr2 turbo had a stainless de cat and blue flame exhaust. Droned like hell on the motorway and would set car alarms off (back in the day when everyone had dodgy after market car alarms) in multistory car parks.
But I did like it and it was legal/mot-able.
Nowadays though I see them (or should that be hear them?) as largely anti social.
The worst vehicle round out way though is a small single cylinder motorbike that is ridden WOT everywhere, with practically no exhaust system.
Not only does it sound s
t, it's so fking slow it takes ages to get beyond hearing distance.. literally minutes will pass before it's gone.At least the t
ts with noisy cars have the decency to drive by and be gone promptly. in residential areas. At full-chat I enjoyed the sound (granted a large part of that is the turbo spooling over your shoulder) and accompanying flames. Was awful at 70mph without the bung fitted, though.
I have memories of an RD350LC with Microns. (Off set) Bored out with 3mm oversize pistons due to a massive seizure (which bent a con rod).
Now in hindsight that was noisy and horrible. But as a 20 year old perfect. (1987)
I did once get stopped by the police. At 7am on a Sunday Morning having got my knee on the ground on a roundabout at the top of Belgrade Middleway in Birmingham.
He was on a motorbike and once he knew I had a tax disc, let me go with the words "just be bloody careful lad"
Never mentioned the hideous noise.
Now in hindsight that was noisy and horrible. But as a 20 year old perfect. (1987)
I did once get stopped by the police. At 7am on a Sunday Morning having got my knee on the ground on a roundabout at the top of Belgrade Middleway in Birmingham.
He was on a motorbike and once he knew I had a tax disc, let me go with the words "just be bloody careful lad"
Never mentioned the hideous noise.
Pit Pony said:
I have memories of an RD350LC with Microns. (Off set) Bored out with 3mm oversize pistons due to a massive seizure (which bent a con rod).
Now in hindsight that was noisy and horrible. But as a 20 year old perfect. (1987)
I did once get stopped by the police. At 7am on a Sunday Morning having got my knee on the ground on a roundabout at the top of Belgrade Middleway in Birmingham.
He was on a motorbike and once he knew I had a tax disc, let me go with the words "just be bloody careful lad"
Never mentioned the hideous noise.
That you Mike ?Now in hindsight that was noisy and horrible. But as a 20 year old perfect. (1987)
I did once get stopped by the police. At 7am on a Sunday Morning having got my knee on the ground on a roundabout at the top of Belgrade Middleway in Birmingham.
He was on a motorbike and once he knew I had a tax disc, let me go with the words "just be bloody careful lad"
Never mentioned the hideous noise.
Loud exhausts can be OK, but only if it's a characterful engine in the first place. A loud exhaust on a droning diesel is hideous. On a mid-70s Ferrari, glorious.
I find that the best noise tends to result from the following:
- Sports manifold with mid and rear sections close to stock; and (crucially), with
- Better intake system – Group N spec or IDBs.
It’s the intake noise that gets me every time, the exhaust is a supporting act.
I find that the best noise tends to result from the following:
- Sports manifold with mid and rear sections close to stock; and (crucially), with
- Better intake system – Group N spec or IDBs.
It’s the intake noise that gets me every time, the exhaust is a supporting act.
AC43 said:
Pit Pony said:
I have memories of an RD350LC with Microns.
I love the sound of an LC on standard pipes - but Microns were ear-splittingly-loud.Had microns on an RD200 and I swear they were responsible for my poor hearing these days
B'stard Child said:
Always preferred the more mellow sound from allspeeds on an LC - much nicer
Had microns on an RD200 and I swear they were responsible for my poor hearing these days
I'd be happy with either, but I did love the sound of my KH500 with Allspeeds - not so sure my neighbours did though, especially on a Sunday morning! Had microns on an RD200 and I swear they were responsible for my poor hearing these days
AW111 said:
The thing is, you can have a nice sounding exhaust without it being LOUD.
I always think back to my Sierra XR4x4 regarding this. I put a full Magnex stainless steel exhaust on it(paid around £460 which I thought was a fair bit back then) and twin K&N cone filters. I always remember still being disappointed with how quiet it was though, however it did make quite a nice cultured noise I thought being fair though. AW111 said:
The thing is, you can have a nice sounding exhaust without it being LOUD.
I've found that I have had to compromise on sound quality to have socially acceptable loudness. I think the more you silence it, the blander it gets. I suppose it depends on where you calibrate "nice" and "loud" to be.sunnyb13 said:
M140i/340i/440i all seem to have hideously loud cold starts from factory. Not even modified.
Mine doesn’t appear to be all that loud. It’s louder on start up than tick over, but I don’t think it’s much louder than my other half’s 125i (6 cylinder as well).Some of the pop and bang maps people add to the 40i cars are bloody ridiculous. A heavily modified one overtook me the other week and it really did sound like fun fire on the overrun. I know my stock exhaust will make a few silly noises in sport / sport + but this was ridiculous.
I don’t equate noise to nice if that are sense. Some cars sound really nice despite being quite muted. My old 330 sounded chunky on start up, but it wasn’t particularly loud. There are some cars that are loud this do sound good as well (TVR).
161BMW said:
If you got a new car on finance or a Nova or anything else with an after market exhaust obviously it sounds crap.
I never knew that the method on which you bought your affected them way it sounded. Every day is a school day on PH.Edited by 161BMW on Thursday 8th April 11:19
Court_S said:
161BMW said:
If you got a new car on finance or a Nova or anything else with an after market exhaust obviously it sounds crap.
I never knew that the method on which you bought your affected them way it sounded. Every day is a school day on PH.Edited by 161BMW on Thursday 8th April 11:19
grudas said:
my s2000 with a modified system seems to idle around 82db.. I usually keep my revs low in residential areas etc and let it rip in country lanes/dual carriageways etc.
I do like my loud exhausts and I know it upsets so people but eh oh can't have it all.
It's your car; you don't do the mods for anyone else...I do like my loud exhausts and I know it upsets so people but eh oh can't have it all.
I think that's what a lot of folk seem to forget on here...!
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