Excessive exhaust noise

[CJ]

An observational rant if you will, I should preface it by pointing out that I like a nice exhaust note, nothing too in your face though.

I've been stuck at a desk for the past month hittin' the bukes, theres a road just behind the house where I have full visibility / audibility of the cars going past. Over the past few weeks, my tolerance level for excessively loud exhausts has dropped considerably. Some cars are fitted with louder aftermarket exhausts than others, heres my top 5 based on my observations (in order of loudness):

1. Honda Civic Type-R (EK9)
2. Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)
3. Honda Civic SiR
4. Nissan 200SX
5. Honda Civic LX saloon

As you can see theres a pattern forming out in this corner of west Dublin. Some thoughts:

Why do so many Civic drivers in particular feel the need to stick stupidly loud exhausts on their cars? (Down with this sort of thing)
Are high-lift cams part of the problem (sorry MIVEC fans)? Is the urge to engage VTEC making drivers put the boot down even more?
Any Civic owners (past or present) on the forum want to help me answer these searching, philosophical questions? Am I being too harsh on a minority perhaps?

What about your part of the country - which marque is the biggest offender in terms of waking up sleeping babies, scaring dogs and frightening the bejaysus out of cyclists (please don't say FTOs, we'll be tarred with the same brush!)?

Careful now...

CJ

[Muad_dib77]

a loud exhaust can be quite quiet if the car is driven right (does that make sense).. If the drivers persist in driving at 5k+ rpm through your neck of "the woods" they deserve to get pulled over and slapped to the back of the head.

I cant really say much though.. Stones, Glass houses and all that jazz..

[CJ]

a loud exhaust can be quite quiet if the car is driven right (does that make sense)

It makes sense, granted the cars I've flagged are generally being driven by lead footed youngflas.

I cant really say much though.. Stones, Glass houses and all that jazz..

True, you have the loudest exhaust I've heard on any FTO, its falls into the 'stupidly loud' bracket!

CJ

[colm_mcm]

The ones on the Civics and Tegs seem to be loud at all RPMs.

[soc]

CJ your just getting old

Seriously though, I do think it's a young thing - my first few cars had loud exhausts - 205 gti's with screamers on the back - I thought it was cool. I guess you grow out of it - although I like to think I grew out of it much faster than people these days

Personally I hate loud exhausts on anything that's got less than 6 cylinders and even then it should be subtle - an exhaust should only wail at full revs and not when you're tipping along at 3k rpm.... I guess I'm getting old too

[cullen5998]

Civic SIRS with straight through exhausts. Horrible rasping noise.

Thats round here in Kilkenny anyway

[optical illusion]

Civics are big culprits. Usually the bog standard ones, they think it makes them sound like they are going fast when in actual fact, they are not.

[Muad_dib77]

I thought it was cool. I guess you grow out of it

it IS cool..and age is a state of mind.

True, you have the loudest exhaust I've heard on any FTO, its falls into the 'stupidly loud' bracket!

If peeps think it's too loud they're standing too close to where I'm busy testing my rev limiter.

exhausts should be big enough that you'd be able to fit a large watermelon up it.
and yes I did use plural.

(it's normal for your ears to be ringing after a "potter" to the shop for milk and bread, right?)


wha? Five lamps!
(Just kidding exhausts ought to be sensible!)

[Dragonheart]

I'm living in a part of Cork just outside the city. The cop station isnt a million miles away, and the road I'm living on is well known for boy-racers. Out of a group of about 10 idiots who I would love to report, there are 7 Civics, (2 are Type R's, 1 is a Jordan, the rest are 1.3's), and out of the other 3 there is one DC2 Type R, a Corolla, and a BMW. The cops are a joke, and dont care about it, its a dangerous stretch as the school is just around the corner, and people always walk on the road with their dogs. My exhaust isnt the quietest, but I sure as hell dont go through towns or villages at ridiculous speeds trying to make all hell break loose!

[Kace]

I'm with you CJ, nothing worse than some rubbish tin stuck onto a car making a cheap racket. Some exhausts on a decent car sound great but some of them are just boy racer pants.

Having said that I have just de-ITG'd my FTO (after about 10 years) as I prefer the smoother sound without now - it causes less notice when accelerating hard.

[Myfeckin FTO]

I've got some young guy living with his parents next door whos just traded his Glanza (which was loud) for an STI with aftermarket exhaust (which according to his mother he's not insured on) and he's just spent the past 2 weeks going for 2-5 min spins X 30 times per day at ALL times of the day and night (2am-5am spins every night) - its really starting to get wearing - I actually like the flat 4 burble on the STI but does he absolutely have to rev the ar$e off it EVERY time he pulls away from next door?

I take my Zed out a couple of times a week and love the superchager sound - its not excessive but I fear I'll be tarred with the same brush by the neighbours who I know are already giving out yards about this kid. It just ruins it for genuine petrolheads who like to occasionally go for a blast.

[soc]

I've got some young guy living with his parents next door whos just traded his Glanza (which was loud) for an STI with aftermarket exhaust (which according to his mother he's not insured on) and he's just spent the past 2 weeks going for 2-5 min spins X 30 times per day at ALL times of the day and night (2am-5am spins every night) - its really starting to get wearing - I actually like the flat 4 burble on the STI but does he absolutely have to rev the ar$e off it EVERY time he pulls away from next door?

I take my Zed out a couple of times a week and love the superchager sound - its not excessive but I fear I'll be tarred with the same brush by the neighbours who I know are already giving out yards about this kid. It just ruins it for genuine petrolheads who like to occasionally go for a blast.

+100% -

[Mustang]

I've got some young guy living with his parents next door whos just traded his Glanza (which was loud) for an STI with aftermarket exhaust (which according to his mother he's not insured on)

I suggest you refer the matter to the neighbour on the other side -the guard.

(2am-5am spins every night) - its really starting to get wearing

Loud exhaust in the day, can be annoying but not a big issue, loud exhausts in the middle of the night, every night, with a young child, and days work ahead of you is unacceptable. I'd be having a word with this fella, or his parents.

Back on topic. Loud exhasut =fast and cool, For lads of a certain age. Many of these are the same people who distastefully modify average cars, so that the car looks like a dogs dinner, effectively trying to polish a turd. For many many years the honda civic has been the weapon of choice for any young lad on a budget looking for something.
-quick
-reliable
-'sporty'
- decent bhp for car size and engine size (With vtec)
If you are in any doubt about this put yourself in their shoes and look at the alternatives for a mid 90's early naughties hatch/sporty car 1.6 or less for insurance reasons. (VW golf -fat slow agricultural image, Ford escort mk 4 -crap, Ford focus -nice but too slow, Citroen Xara and whatever it's predessor was -crap, Corolla 3 dr slower and more bland than civic, same applies to the colt "poor mans civic", Almera -slow & bland no street cred. No coupes as they are all excluded by engine size (hyundai excepted although, still no self respecting male should be driving one).

What you are seeing CJ is this car choice and the desire for a noisey exhaust. End result Civic with noisey exhaust.
These are lads working basic jobs borrowing from the credit union for their wheels and mods and living week to week.
With decreasing employment and tightening credit. These people will have less money to spend on loud exhausts. The new NCT regs will hopefully discourage this practice also.

[Mustang]

Having said that I have just de-ITG'd my FTO (after about 10 years) as I prefer the smoother sound without now - it causes less notice when accelerating hard.

The driving experience without the ITG, is very different and quite nice in some ways. Instead of concertrating on the noise and trying to get it into the mivec zone, you instead concentrate on the driving and making swift progress. I wouldn't be too upset if I had to remove the ITG in the morning...