zr1fred

If you have the time, fight it ,or at least show up, and make them go to the trouble of going to court. They don't generally charge you any more than just paying the fine. If you have to pay for the show, you might as well enjoy it. Make 'em earn it!

Graybeard ZR1

Exactly, That's what I always have done, and it usually works out well. In fact, it's very rarely a worse outcome if you choose to fight it.

One mitigating factor though, it's only an equipment violation so you won't incur any points on your license. (Check your state, but I'm pretty sure). Always fight moving violations.

Your choice, but I say, "Fight Da Powah !!"

bamawrx

Go to court. Do your best. If convicted immediately file appeal. Then ask for jury trial. Be a fun exercise in the judicial system. Make sure your boys get out of school to attend this educational event. Great learning experience. I recently beat a bs traffic charge. It was fun. He picked a fight so put the system to work.

rhipsher

Yes but now the cops have video evidence of your exhibition of speed. Probably wasn't a wise move to let them do that. Now you've kind of screwed yourself.

brodykelly

the video evidence was on my property not on public roads also it was after the ticket for "loud muffler" was issued so i don't see how that would have any relevance on the case. the guy who the cops had stopped originally at the end of my driveway stopped by last night and wanted to thank me for what i did, he said there still are some good ole country boys around. he said he never laughed so hard when i pulled out of my drive, the look on their faces was priceless. he wanted to see the car that caused the one cop so much greef, he said he was rolling when i lit up the beast in my drive in front of them, his last words were the car sounded great....lol...only in the country in illinois do you hear stories like this. brody p.

cv67

Wow. Tell em Corsa is the mfr replacement for these cars I believe being as the original stuff is NLA. They should have passed the decmal test Id guess?

That kind of stuff worries me. My car is rediculously loud even with 20" case mufflers.

20 yrs ago you could hear about every car on the planet nowadays they are all whisper quiet so hearing a car with a little something esp with lower gears makes it sound like youre getting on it. Cant have any damn fun anymore

mike100

Well, what really got me the ticket was speeding, but any loud muffler is pretty much a cop caller. I learned that when I was 17. Anyhow my latest trick was to adapt some C6 NPP exhaust flaps onto my 91. It works great and is mellow at part to mid throttle- no drone or max decibels.

mazdaverx7

i can offer some advice from the law enforcement side of the situation. our city's law states that if the exhaust is audible from a distance of 50ft or more, its in violation. a modified exhaust is also illegal and states that if the exhaust is modified to be louder than the exhaust originally equipped, it becomes illegal.

i do not cite for a loud exhaust on the first go around. i understand that there is a difference between a loud and or obnoxious exhaust and a modified exhaust. both are illegal in the state of Ohio of course but that's where an officer's discretion is key. I recognize that a modified exhaust can also be obnoxious but there are different degrees of opinion as well as tone. a muscle car or sports car's tone is different from a fart can and such is different from a motorcycle. i would never cite a motor cycle or muscle car for a loud exhaust as long as the exhaust is done properly and the exhaust is not ridiculously loud. now with that said, a warning would be issued first with a chance for the operator to correct the leak or make the tone a bit more mild. so what i'm saying is that a lot of it is the officer's discretion.

sounds to me like the officer thought you were trying to screw with him and interrupt the traffic stop by "showing off" as you drove by. we both know that this is probably not the case. the officer was most likely irritated and it was probably a misunderstanding. it sounds as though you were somewhat polite with the guy, but again, only you and the officer know the details of the conversation. it does seem to me that the officer was being a bit harsh on a first offense.

research your state and county or city law regarding exhaust regulations and violations. talk to the judge or prosecutor and see how they feel about the violation. bring the car and present it as evidence or bring a video of the car and exhaust. explain to them that the original exhaust is no longer available. be polite and understanding and hope for the best. if you have any questions feel free to pm me and i'll see what i can do to help you out.

DDSLT5

Really nice post - very helpful!

Tom400CFI

How can that be?? On private property??

Could you get a ticket for "reckless driving" at the drag track? The road course? An Autox? I don't think so. Private property, you should be able to do what you want until someone complains.

Tom400CFI

So by your city's law, you could pull over ANY car (except for a Nissan Leaf or Tesla) for loud exhaust AND loud induction. RIght? 'Cause I can hear just about any car's exhaust from a paltry 50'.

FASTAZU

If they came to give me a citation for anything on my driveway they better take me to jail as my drive is a mile long. I can't count the number times I have done burnouts or gone over 80mph on it.

The main road is at least half a mile from this pic.

glass slipper

I'm just the messenger, I don't make the laws. You don't get a ticket at the drag strip, road course, or autox because those are sanctioned events.

This was the explanation given to me by my friendly policeman...what if I'm raising hell on my property, lose control, and shoot onto the road colliding with you just as you're driving by? Think you'll complain?

For the people who have plenty of property, the large area may sound like a good excuse. But can you depend on them to always be far enough away from the road? And then you have the people who'll say "if he can do that on his property, I should be able to raise hell on my ¼ acre lot". So you make a law and apply it to everybody. Like I said before, I dislike it more than anybody else and have raised hell on my property too...I'm just letting people know the legal risks they're taking, they can do what they want because that's what I'm going to do every chance I get.

Most police are crazy and they enjoy watching crazy, when it gets to stupid crazy they have to step in. So it's simple, just don't get stupid crazy.

zr1fred

If you are operating a motor vehicle, you are subject to laws, no matter where you are. Hell you can get a DUI just sitting behind the sitting behind the steering wheel, happens all the time here in AZ. They can ticket you for anything they want, there is no presumption of innocence, quite the opposite, you have to prove it.

Steve A 454

While I understand your desire to do what you did in your driveway, you have just made yourself a target by these officers anytime they see you on the roadway in the future.

Also, I don't know if they have video cameras in their cars in your area, but if they do and the camera was running during their original stop, they might have you recorded as you went by them.



(625 ILCS 5/12-602) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-602)
Sec. 12-602. Mufflers, prevention of noise.
Every motor vehicle driven or operated upon the highways of this State shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler or exhaust system in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise. No such muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass or similar device. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and such original muffler shall comply with all the requirements of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 77-37.)

Tom400CFI

So any stock late model 'Vette with NPP is illegal in Illinois right off the show room floor then?

I mean, they come stock, with cutout, bypass or similar device that amplify or increase the noise.

I can't stand arbitrary laws like that. BS! Put a db limit @ a certain distance and make it f'n objective. This subjective, "hitting a moving target" is bullsh!t, and creates confrontational situations.

pushrod-v8

Illinois is such a b/s state sometimes...

glass slipper

I agree, every one are very good points.

mazdaverx7

i suppose, but the exhaust on a normal car is not very audible at distance. most of what you will hear is tire and road noise, mixed with engine noise, not clear straight up exhaust noise drowning out everything else. there is a distinct difference between a loud or modified exhaust and a stock exhaust, all of which could possible be heard from a distance of 50' or greater. again, this is where discretion and good judgement as a law enforcement officer come into play.

Steve A 454

The problem is, many officers do not possess these traits.