Side Pipes

[01Townie]

I live in spotsy so we dont have emmissions, and the guys i go to for my inspection really dont care as long as the horn and lights work

[Ziggy]

It's been a long time since I've lived in VA, but I was in Loudoun County when they first started doing emissions inspections. At the time, I was driving my first car ('86 Firebird with a 305, T-Tops, and "Hello Officer" red paint) and there were several things that I had going on that weren't strictly legal. As with many things, State Inspections and emissions inspections many times came down to connections. I drove that car for years in NoVa and I don't think I ever had a fully legit State Inspection. As a matter of fact, I only ever once put my car on the rollers for the emissions test (it failed due to hollowed out cat). I waited a week, then took it to "a guy I know" and did an after hours cash deal for a clean cert. Kinda funny how clean a GM 305 V8 will run when a 96 Ford Escort is the one turning the drums. Meeting the requirements to become a State Safety Inspection Station were kind of a joke too, back in the day. I knew a guy that ran a kinda big HVAC company, who opened a service garage to service his fleet of trucks. He was able to get his own garage certified to do State Inspections on his own vehicles. Those guys did quite a few inspections for me... REAL quick too!

*This is a story for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual persons and places is strictly coincidental, and the above shall not be construed as an admission of guilt.

[Ziggy]

yeah, pretty much. I been runnin no muffler, just cats and the stock y pipe for a week and a half with no problem. even had a county deputy give me the thumbs up one day last week. cant wait to get my glasspacks in. should be in tomorrow

I reckon I get away with all kinds of stuff in my GMQ based simply on the fact that it's a GMQ. I imagine your TC is the same way. As long as you don't go out and put stupid huge rims on it, or wild paint, the local LEOs will probably turn a blind eye to a lot more of your shenanigans than they would if you were rockin a fox body Mustang.

[01Townie]

yeah, pretty much. I been runnin no muffler, just cats and the stock y pipe for a week and a half with no problem. even had a county deputy give me the thumbs up one day last week. cant wait to get my glasspacks in. should be in tomorrow

[packman]

It sounds like VA is picky; but dependent on enforcement of the laws. I ran open headers on my 305 sbc Malibu for several months without harassment. I didn't even know that flames were shooting out from underneath the car until after I repaired the exhaust. And I know the police must have seen that when I was slowing down for the tolls and such. When the exhaust was repaired, it was Tri-Y headers, 3" cat, 3" exhaust piping to the tails, and a 3" glasspack with a cutout. Still got away with that. I feel bad because I would pass the out-of-towners being pulled over. I know they must have been asking the LEO why they were getting pulled over when I was able to run like that in my car.



Packman

[01Townie]

that depends on where you go. i just passed inspection last month with a bald tire, fuel leak, exhaust leak, and a couple other different issues. of course it was a couple of 70 year old dudes who were tired and wanted to go to lunch so they didnt even put it up on the lift to check the brakes

[01Townie]

i know a guy who did that and tried to get away with it but he failed inspection

[Lincolnmania]

virgnia is picky about inspections

you also need to remember that steel prices are much much higher now........when i worked at meineke 97-99 the pipe was 10 bucks for a 10' piece........last time i priced a 10 foot stick of pipe it was almost 50 bucks

[88Vic]

Around here i've seen lifted trucks with glasspacks welded in place of the cat and dumped under the cab. You can clearly see no cats and where it's dumped but i've seen guys drive right past cops and they don't care.

[01Townie]

i know, the places around here are nuts. im doin the stock 2" h pipe to 12" glasspacks, then 2.5" from the glasspacks back

[mercurygm88]

$250 for just tail pipes is pretty high, I upgraded to dual exhaust last september I went to 2.5" duals from the cats back with glasspacks and no hpipe total cost was $350 and that was with aluminized pipe. If I'd have gone stainless the price was $700.

[01Townie]

i just ordered teh H pipe and the cherry bombs, went to a few local exhaust shops, everyone wanted to charge me $250 for just tailpipes! found one that will do it for $150, so not too bad considering the other people's prices

[mercurygm88]

In Michigan, at least, since there are no inspections of any kind (you don't even need to prove the car you're registering actually exists) you can do pretty much what you want as long as you are not bothering anyone.

That being said, I ran my wagon with no exhaust behind the cats (previous owner did a pretty "special" hack job on it) for about 5 months, and never had anyone say a word. Granted, having heard both, the 302 is much more mellow without exhaust than the 4.6 is, but side-piping should eliminate a lot of the nuisance. Only time I hear of issues is when state inspection come up or if a neighbor gets upset about your 4am donuts on his lawn.

No inspections or e check where im at either, I know certain places in ohio e check but I don't know if they do annual inspections like some states.

[Bjoern0115]

In Michigan, at least, since there are no inspections of any kind (you don't even need to prove the car you're registering actually exists) you can do pretty much what you want as long as you are not bothering anyone.

That being said, I ran my wagon with no exhaust behind the cats (previous owner did a pretty "special" hack job on it) for about 5 months, and never had anyone say a word. Granted, having heard both, the 302 is much more mellow without exhaust than the 4.6 is, but side-piping should eliminate a lot of the nuisance. Only time I hear of issues is when state inspection come up or if a neighbor gets upset about your 4am donuts on his lawn.

[mercurygm88]

You can run open headers here and won't get bothered, I've had cops tell me they've got more important things to do than pull over loud cars. Funny thing is I've got a buddy with a 78 skylark with a built 350 in it he's been running open headers with homemade sidepipes on it for 10 years and never been stopped.