exhaust

[Grant Schou]

How will they police the likes of hot rods etc - does the law mean they will have to change from straight headers to an exhaust system that is no louder than the original 1930's ford ?

I am sure that the performance shops will be on the case already with attachments to an existing system that quietens the exhaust, without reducing performance too much. I spoke with a vehicle testing station yesterday as my car is coming up for a warrant - they are definitely enforcing it, but admitted themselves that because they test the cars inside and with no dB guidelines, the test is very subjective. Apparently most big bore systems have failed.

[lou Girardin]

That's dead right, I've just taken my wife's car for a WOF and asked about
exhausts. Apparently it is purely subjective, if he thinks it's too loud, it's
out. His advice was, find a good WOF place that knows you, be friendly and
hope. Try not to look like a boy racer. Personally I'd avoid testing stations,
they seem to reject 1st, ask questions later.

[Scott]

This is going from bizarre to just plain stupid. If people start taking
this issue to court, surely the files will be dismissed. It's like
getting police officers to stand on the side of the road and gauge
vehicle speeds in order to issue speeding fines.

How many other club members have modified exhausts that are
"significantly louder" than the standard?

I think it's outrageous that these kinds of laws can be put in place
without any effort being made to make it publicly know. With an issue
such as this which will effect a vast number of car, surely something
more should have been done ie a stand down period between passing the
new law and when they start to enforce it, giving those people who wish
to make their cars road legal time to do something about it.

I give up

[peter]

One of my clients had his Nissan fitted with a big bore system, sounded great
so I got mine done. He drove quietly past a month later : had failed a warrant
at the Grey Lynn (Auckland Council) Testing Station, so paid his installer
another! $100 to remove the big bore and put his old system back on. Went for
my warrant that week at Vehicle Testing in Avondale, and passed. Once the WOF
sticker was firmly in place I had a quiet chat with the assessor : who said
Grey Lynn choose to enforce city council noise control by-laws, VTNZ only
worry about safety. My client was very upset when I told him this... this
was about three years ago.


Peter

DRGN-1