camaro350man

I don't know if any of you live in Mass, but I do. I was on my way home last night doing about 38 in a 40 mph soon. Rpm was nice in low at 1500 (gas is expensive, have to baby it) when I see flashing blue lights. I pull over and the officer says do you know why I am stoppping you. "no officer i don't, i thought I was doing the speed limit" Well that not it. You have modified exhuast on your car! I was like no i don't, it is stock. (my car has a Autozone cat, stocking Y pipe and piping and napa muffler, comes out to duals at the muffler) He says that is to loud and gave me a 50$ ticket This car is not loud, it is if I get on it. I'm ripped now, if I go to court and I can't win it, the exhuast comes off What you guys think of this?

Gumby

Sue NAPA and Autozone for selling illegal parts without a warning.

You live in a funny part of America. Very yuppie uppity. I have heard of towns where it illegal to have rust on your car. It must be kept in A1 shape ad shiny new or you get harassed to no ends. They don't want your type there. Just rich white folks who can afford new cars all the time.

Make sure and plead not guilty and take it to trial. anything else they will win as they will still get you for fines. Drag it out in trial and you can't lose any more but maybe change a stupid law with little proof.

They would have to stop or put laws in place that stopped car or muffler shop from putting on anything but factory parts and stop parts stores from selling any exhaust items with out saying they are illegal to use on the street. Even a muffler clamp from autozone would get you in trouble. If the modify rule or law stands. Anything but original factory GM parts would be illegal.

Id say stand up and make a difference. Start calling lawyers and originations that will gladly take the case for free as it will bring big press. %50 of cars onthe road would be breaking the law.

Gumby

Id mention motorcycles. Nothing is louder than a Harley. factory they are super loud. If your not louder than a HD you should be safe.

They can't say only certain cars are allowed to be loud.There would have to be a set DB level to make it legal. I bet they are just hoping most will just pay up n not fight it. Free money for them. Its all they want.

Fight it man.

RBob

iTrader: (1)

To win in court you will need to provide evidence of having a stock exhaust. The receipts will be the best evidence. Produce those and submit them in evidence. That should be enough to have the case dismissed.

Without receipts then secondary evidence will need to be provided. Information on what the stock exhaust consists of (size, outlets, muffler location. . . then requesting that the judge compare that to your cars exhaust. Yes, out in the parking lot.

Also, the 'loudness' of your vehicle to the police officer was relative. Problem is relative to what? Research if there is a noise limit. If so, then request the officer (at the hearing/trial) as to what he used to measure your exhaust noise level. If he didn't measure it, then he has no evidence that it is too loud.

The above three paragraphs should give an idea of what is required to win in court. You can also sit in on some other cases to get a feel for what goes on, it does help. I'm not a lawyer, nor pretend to be one, but have observed some interesting court cases. . .

Rbob.

89V6FBIRD

I would look up the Vehicle Code in your state that mentions the noise requirements and then take that to court w/ you. I don't think the cop had a decibel meter on hand to measure how loud your exhaust was. And when you do take it to court, I would try buying and then returning one of those dB meters that you can get at Radio Shack and tell them the results... but I'm no lawyer, but that's what I'd do.

It looks like RBob beat me to it, noise being relative... the cop has no EVIDENCE against your "loud" exhaust.

V6sucker

I would also be going to the parts stores PR reps and getting written statements about the parts they sell. And make sure to ask them about 50 state legality.

I had cops harass me about my camaro all the time. One even gave me a ticket. I brought in the flowmaster box. Right there on the front "50 STATE LEGAL" case instantly dismissed and I was apploigzed to for having to waste my time over it.

GreyFox

we have that crap down here in virginia, espically where i live, VIRGINIA BEACH man i have 3 friends that all got that same ticket

Gumby

What town was this in???


The ticket is easy to fight-1) appeal the ticket, 2) ask for the maximum legal decibel rating, 3) ask what dB was recorded for this car. Chances are the cop won't even show up to ask.


from another site

"We got a case in Ma. where two kids, 12 and 14, were arrested, jailed, and dragged before a Judge in manacles for the heinous crime of.......skateboarding in front of their houses. There's a bylaw in the town against 'coasting or sliding' down the streets..."

Gumby

There should be a law with a set DB level and that cop must use a dector of some kind. Just him making a judgement call that its to loud will not fly in real court.

V6sucker

A DB meter that is similar to those used in stero competitions.

GreyFox

in vb its 80db i believe

V6sucker

If that is the case then Harleys should be illegal in VB. Hell they are louder then that STOCK!

camaro350man

Thanks for all the help guys, I will do eaxtly what you said, he did not have a meter when he pulled me over, and honest, my car is not loud until you drga the rpm up to 3000, then its a lil loud. But at 1500, not bad at all. I hope this doesn't go threw. Thanks again

V6sucker

This just makes you wonder about all the stupid laws of the good 'ol US...

Sometimes, ok more then sometimes, I hear about crap like this and just want to move outta the country.

Go to Mexiko and just pay the cop and he leaves and nothing is said.

FAST RS

Did he have a DB meter. You can not write a ticket for an exhaust being too loud with out proper documentation showing it is IE a Db meter. CHP has them i think it is under 98Db is legal. You are also allowed to modify your exhaust to repair an exhaust leak ETC.

I would fight this ticket. If you need any help PM me. I have fought all my tickets i have won half of them i won exabition of speed ticket, and a ticket for a modified intake and no front licecne plate. I lost one for passing in a double yellow and for turning onto the car pool lane on a off ramp. Long story on those 2. And speaking from someone whos been pulled over 26 times "lsot count" i will be able to help you to the best i can because i see it as a challange and after i get my BS im going to focus on being an attorney.

BLACK ICE

Well my car does not have a v6 in it but my story relates. I was pulling out of my drivway a couple of weeks ago and I pulled up to the stop sign and................ Wait maybe I should tell you that I am running open headers on my Iroc................... so anyway i pull up turn on my signal and stop. I turn left and as I am turning my car slides a little (not quite used to the power of my new motor yet) I look behind me and what do I see behind me? You guessed it an unmarked squad. So I pull up to the next corner and use my signal again. He continues to follow me so I am thinking O.k. one more left and a short dash to my driveway. I make it to my house and just as Im pulling into my driveway i get pulled over over. he walks up to the car and asks me if I know why he pulled me over. I say no and he proceeds to tell me for not using my blinker. Turns out my blinker did not work so I got a warning but he never said anything about me sliding the corner or my extremley loud no exaust.

oil pan 4

iTrader: (1)

If it is illigal what are you going to replace it with if it is stock?
I hate those liberal neborhoods.

camaro350man

You bet I'm going to fight it. I do not have a license plate on the front of my car, do I have to put it on? And if i do get a ticket, how much would they write me up for? It makes hte car look like crap! Police can be odd sometimes!

GreyFox

what really sux is normally if you " correct" the problem before the court date they will dismiss it, well thats here anyway

vsixtoy

I would have refused to sign the ticket and demand that the watch cmmander come out to the scene immediately. This cop is using his personal judgement on how loud your vehicle is and has no intrument on his posesion to record Db levls. Your mufflers are in fact 50 state legal. Let them arrest me- they'd have much bigger problems at that pointI guarantee they'd let me go peacefully after the watch commander showed.

Gumby

You can't fight the plate thing. I have even heard of cops giving bike owners crap when the install them sideways on the bike.
There are rules on how it is to be displayed.

I had a state trooper tell me even if I had to drill holes in the bumper it must be on the front of the car. [ that was on my 79 camaro]

Though you could always make a hanger for just under the front bumper but the plate might scrap the ground at times. But it would be on the front. Super bike guys do that. Install the plate just under the lip of the rear fender where it still visible. But not bolted to the out side nice part of the fender.

Just like all that neon crap. sooner or later they will enforce the law. No car except cops are allow to have blue lights. Red lights can only be on the rear half unless your a firemen. You ca run al lthe yellow, white and green you want.

In that case anyone with red or blue lights on the front half of their car could get ticketed.


I do know what you mean. my car looked so nice even in primer without that front plate.

Gumby

Thinking about the plate thing. I bet you could get away with this. Might still get some crap but its there. Bend it so only the numbers show. [most front plate have no stickers] Then mount it under the nose some. As it is with that old plate in the pic it hangs no lower then my AM driving lights.

camaro350man

Thanks guys. Yeah that looks good the way you have it man. I don't know. I was going to try to just leave it off and see what happens, would you not advixe that. I'm only 16 so i don't need nor want my insurance going up with tickets It might already if i don't win the muffler But I think I should.

FAST RS

Your insurance will not go up with a ticket for haveing a loud exhaust or no front plate those are "Fix it tickets" not a moveing violation if you are speeding and doing stuff like that your insurance will go up. But for loud exhaust etc it cant and wont go up.

GreyFox

hmm here the rule is tags must be displayed on both front and rear of the car, luckily mine has a sort of molded holder , bends the plate just a little but it doesn't look like crap

FAST RS

When i got my ticket for no front plate i went to the DMV with it held on with tape. I put it on in the parking lot. Went in said i needed to have a ticket signed off. They came out looked at my plate signed the back of the ticket saying the problem has been corrected. Went showed it to the judge and he dismissed it. How ever if you are cought with no front plate more then 3 times in any one year peroid the ticket will become a misderminer and not a normal ticket.

dream02transam

I grew up in MA. The cops just love to pull over teenagers in sports cars because the think all of them are up to no good. I have very little respect for those kind of cops. On my 85 firebird I got pulled over for some odd reason but then he told me it was for my front license plate which he could not have seen until he came around the front of the car. It was in the windshield and he didnt even like that. said in an accident it could come loose and cut some ones head off or something. They also didnt like my metal louvers in the back hatch glass, also said in some accidents the have come off and hurt people. I was also one time when I was 18 my friends and I were all at cumbies in 4 different cars and all going to my friends house. We were all just going to the same place and not messing around at all. The cop pulls me over in his neighbors driveway as I was parking because I had the firebird. Said I was playing Cat and mouse. He backed down when my friends mother saw what was happening and b****ed him out. He had it out for me then and pulled me over 2 days later. I had another friend who's dad was 2nd in command of his police dept. so I went to him and he just told me to file a complaint against him..... after that he never messed with me again. Try that it works. Oh yeah dont even think of installing red or blue or even yellow lights anywhere on the car in mass. I had a friend with blue that lights up the undercarrage... he got a ticket I had one that had yellow lights on top and he decided to flash them as we go around the foxboro common on our last day of high school... everyone beeps and flashes there lights... well he got pulled over cant use yellow unless your are using it for caution like a tow truck. Stick with green I guess. Oh yeah and one of my friends had a thunderbird and was doing dounuts and peeling out in the foxboro company parking lot which is right next to my friends house. Well sombody complained. I had my firebird parked in his driveway and we all went out for a couple of hours in the thunderbird. We came back and the cop waited there all this time and as we pulled up he came out and told us of the complainted asked us who owned the firebird and said he felt the tires that they were warm and said he smelt burning rubber from my tires. My car didnt do any burn outs and had sat there for 3 hours so they couldnt be even the slightest bit warm. He just lied to us because we all knew it wasnt me or my car it was the thunderbird. Friggen mass cops are real crooked! My point is they just want to pull over kids in any sporty car! I dont trust them at all and have a low opinion of them!

Gumby

No plate will defiantly get your some crap from a cop or even worse a state trooper. Now the bent up version. You might still get flack from a picky cop as that could be considered illegal display of plate. [ It may be worth while checking out the display of plate law in your state.] n e ways it shouldn't make too much of a difference. All the important info is shown. If anything you can say it keeps getting bent from scraping curbs. Then sort of bend it down more flat n go about your business.

Though fully bent down it would not scrap the ground but it would be close. I think the chances of useless harassment will be less with a bent plate, then no plate.

If you do get some crap say its bent from scraping curbs.

SSC

That stinks! I couldent live in MA, they probably wouldent even let me drive through the state with anything I own.

You need to run down to Nappa and get the specs on the muffler the cat you dont need to worry about but if you feel the need get specs for the cat that state stock type replacment. Then with these in hand you need to go to a muffler shop and get a written statment for inspection of the system where they can look at whats on the car and on you receipts and write a ticket that says this exhuast conforms to (X-1bla noise code) Stock system. Then go to court with this information, present it to the Judge and the case should be droped with no fee or whatever the court cost is, $20-$40. Some states have laws against cops giving tickets out just to meet quotta and that may be the case here.

BTW stock Harleys are quiet sound just like stock Hondas. Most Harleys dont leave the dealer with stock mufflers on them a very good estimate would be 80% are either upgraded before they hit the showroom or before the owner leaves the dealer.

V6sucker

Also from a old mans point of view, most states have laws and rules about just how much a cop can ticket a person in a given time frame.
IE the same cop gives 5 tickets to the same person (Also being little "meaningless" tickets) and then is considered harassment. USUALLY, it is 3-4 tickets in a month, or 3-4 "confrontations" in a month.
Trust it helps to know th actual number. Also, if the area has no such law, and you find yourself going to court over truely stupid things, make it a point to have the judge notice you. I know it sounds crazy and stupid, but just make freindly conversation about the issue. Because it will tick him off eventally having to spend his time dismissing your tickets and he will ask, "Just why in the hell are you back here again?" and you tell him, BLAH BLAH officer has written this obscure ticket again for BLAH BLAH.
Then you hand him that it was looked over and nothing was found wrong, which will show the jusge that the cop is just harassing you.
Trust me, it gets ugly when a Judge gets pissed at a cop. Expect to be called by the D.A., or some other State official and be asked to come to court. But this time you are putting tesimony against the cop and his actions. Because what he does gainst you is multiplied by many many people, cause I will bet that you are not the only one.
I have been called to testify for 3 freinds(3 different cops), and against 4 cops including a FLA state tropper. My 4 testimonies along with others, got all but 1 cop fired by the judge on the spot. The other was banned from patrol and stuck behind a desk for the rest of his "so called" career.

BitchinRS

As far as the front plate goes check your state laws.

Here in California if your did not come with a front plat, like mine, they can not make devaule your car by drilling holes in the bumper.

I was cutting through the small town Ripon and got pulled over by 3 board local shierfs deputys (SP?) at the same time. All charges were bogus. In cluding the no front plate. When I told him the car didn't come with one he sudenly changed his tune to, "Oh well I will give you a warning this time". I just let him walk a way while saving face. Best thing to do when pulled over by 3 different police cars at once!

ljnowell

What do you expect from a state that gives us john kerry?

camaro350man

Yeah, I think I will risk not putting it on there, it makes it look like ****, I will drive slow and courtous. I think I may go ahead now and buy myself a nice flowmaster 80 series muffler, **** cops off, and that is 100% legal here in Mass. My car isn't even that nice to be honest with ya, dented up fenders and yellow facia. The car looks good from a 20-20 stand point other then the bumper though. But its alright, new paint, hood, fenders, are in store for the spring

V6sucker

I'm sorry but you ACTUALLY think Bush is better?

Let me give you a family history lesson on the Bushs'.
His grandfather owned a company that SUPPORTED **** Germany and their war effort against the world.

His Father, as well as himself has put the needs of the American people on hold, to further their own gains. That family has been the bane of the military man such as myself. They have both repeatedly tried to LOWER the military pay. This even though an enlisted service man/woman of 16 YEARS can STILL qualify for WELFARE.

They have repeatedly put this country in harms way. Hell look at the last Iraq war. I am by no means a liberal, but I actually feel a country SHOULD HAVE A REASON before invading and occuping another COUNTRY. At least more then to protect the investments of profits of the presidents personal bank account.

That is my piece.

br()bert

Man i have read all your posts and shook my head at most of them and agreed with none of them untill i read this one. You are 100% correct. Americans need to stop being so stupid and use their heads.



Now back to the subject, I drove my car with no exhaust right after the motor swap, it was very annoying but i didnt get pulled over. Philly is a little easier on you (cops) then other states. I was in VA beach two years ago and got pulled over in my ex's car for no mufflers, mod suspension, tinted windows and passing the same point three times!!

ljnowell

did I say that I would vote for george bush? Not a chance in hell. I just refuse to bow to the massachusetts democrat. Reminds me too much of a ****ing kennedy. Play the unions, round up the blacks, and win an election on promises that will never happen. Personally I wont vote for anyone, because there are no suitable candidates for president. But to answer your question, I would rather have bush than Kerry.

That is a load of crap. I have many friends in the armed forces, that all campaigned for bush, because he raised thier pay. Get your facts right before you flame me. Lets get back on topic anyway.
MA sound control laws suck.

GreyFox

ha i live in va beach i know exactly what you mean and i used to run a lazer tag shop down there, you have no idea howmany times i have been harassed down at the beach...........whats even funnier is that the local judges hate the oceanfront cops............also i have a friend who got 17 tickets in one stop, similar to your situation, but he also was a little rich boy who's daddy funded his fatf crapvic

Gumby

I am not voting for president. I am voting for first lady. As we all know who is really in charge in any marriage. MRS. Bush is the better choice. More motherly and loving. Less b**chy.

dream02transam

Yeah Im in the miliatry too and when Clinton was in I usually got a 2 - 2.5% pay increases a year. Since Bush has been in I have gotten 3 - 4% pay increases. So bush has been better with the miliary anyways with pay. But if you look at your facts its actually for the most part Congress that gives us pay increases. Granted I did get one 4% increase under clinton but tha was when the congress turned from a democrat majority tro a republician majority. I am niether I pretty much hate politics and am with no party. I will vote for Bush though because as far as I can see I can trust him more. He says what he means and sticks with what he says he's gonna do even if everyone else doesnt like it. You at least know where he stands. I like a lot of what Bush has done although I dont like a few things. With Kerry I have no clue where he stands except from the 18 -19 years i lived in mass and what his voting record is. He is just a big flip flopper. How you you trust him if he just tells everyone what they want to hear. How will other countries respect us and trust us if he does the same to them. In case you haven't noticed he isnt very military friendly. A majority of the men who served with him dont even like him. I dont know one person on my base that will vote for Kerry and I know a whole lot here. I think America will be in big trouble if he gets elected. and if you think hes not a big business man too then look at his wife... owns Heinz and she switched from rep. to dem. about a year ago .... about the same time Kerry would have been thinking about running for pres. coincidence... I think not. Anyways sorry to get off the subject ... Kerry just really pisses me off. I know this is TGO.org and not a presidential debate.

So anyways good luck on your car. Be real carful driving without a front plate because all though I dont think they can pull you over for just no front plate but just as I said before if they really want to they will go as far as make up something to get you and they can right a ticket for no plate.

V6sucker

You must have missed where Bush (in ofice) was tring to lower/revoke hazardous and foreign duty pay then. Yes it was stuck down by congress, and yes congress is the one that actually controlls military funding, however, Bush HAS tried to lower it several times, but it (THANK ***) keeps getting beat by congress.

I do not belong to a party, nor will I ever. I just know certain things about the Bush familiy that I cannot as a inteligent American vote for him. Granted, I do not much care for Kerry either, but I do see him as the lesser of two evils.

Kinda like Iliinois' current governor, came in made alot I mean ALOT of promisses, has not kept a one. Infact he has done about the oppisite. And he will be a one termer.

Again, not meaning to hijack the thread, but haw can you actually vote for a person that before Sept. 11, he actually took 6-7 out of 9 months off on "vacation"? He has never ran this country, and he never will. He is a front man that does what he is told. He is even rarely allowed to sit at the "Big Boys" table of sorts. Military men will get what that means.

Again, I just cannot in good faith vote for him.

Back to topic, I spent time in JAX, O'Fallon, Siginilla, Va. B, San Di, Key West, and countless other places in my 20+. And in all honesty, truely Va B was the WORST. I had the unfourtunate pleasure of doing my last horaa at Oceana... IT SUCKED. AIMD Mod shop baby was I, on the VFA side. Great job, very easy, loved it. But if I had to do another 4 years at Va B, I was gonna kill my self. So this Senior C hauled azz.

No where else could a military person be targeted by SO MANY people that absolutely dispised us. Even-though the military BUILT THE ENTIRE S.E. corner of VA! I never went through anything like that before... hell even Osaka was nice! and we hit them with the freakin A-Bomb for gods sake!

Tickets I got and bat In Va. Beach...
"excessive show of Power", "breaking traction"X2, "no front plate"X5, 4-6 "speeding"(3-6 over limit all of them), "Cruising" X3(when I lived on the freaking end of the strip!), "Loud exhaust" X5, "illegal lane usage"(sitting in a turn lane waiting for a Jack A** to move, then went around them), "No insurance"... hell that is just off the top of my head. All in 3 years too. Beat them all.

Hell half the time the cop never showed up, so they tried to postpone and I refused to let them. My time is/was VERY valuable, and I was not going to waste it making court dates.
The other times, I could prove certain things, that make the entire force look like idiots.
I actually tricked a cop into saying that he "targeted" my car because he thought it was a teenager driving because of the type. Oh that was priceless... everyone there chuckled... The judge just looked at me... and smirked. He said, "Ok Chief, thats enough"

That judge knew me VERY well. And he knew that if I came in, I had a good point to make, and more then likely it was correct.

91formulaSS

And you actually believe that Michael Moore B/S. Just because the president is at Camp David or on his Ranch, doesn't mean he's on vacation.

camaro350man

I don't knwo much about the president so I can't really say anything, LOL

Anyone else have pics of a front plate on there car? Thanks

V6sucker

it has nothing to do with M/M. It has everything to do with the other other presidents conduct in their first year.

Name one other president that spent SO MUCH time AWAY from the white house in their FIRST YEAR.
It is unprecidented. period.
Yeah, I know that work can be done in places besides in the office, but it looks like the president is a joke when though the first 6-7 months all his photo ops are on the golf course, or on the back of a horse, or somewhere other then where he SHOULD be, the oval office.

89V6FBIRD

I ended up getting a bracket to mount my front plate... Irvine cops are ****...


I'll try and get some head on shots later.

Nocturnall

I got pulled over for my exhaust being too loud. I used to live in Mass as well and the flowmaster muffler I had put on was supposedly legal but the inspection shop I went to said it was over the legal limit while they turned their heads and passed me. I didn't get a ticket though because I was in REAL good with the cops in my home town.

TomP

Chances are the cop was probably trying to get you for something else (like a bottle of JD in the front seat), and that was just his "intro" to pull you over.

I'd definately get the receipts. I'd also take a photograph (if you can, or maybe from AZ's website) of the box-with part # showing. You also should have told the cop that it was a 50-state legal muffler right away. Hell, even bring in some kind of proof that shows your car is a v6- because chances are, that muffler's also made for (and 50-state legal for) a V8!

I wonder if you can counter-sue for "being ashamed of getting pulled over"?