Failed the DMV Sound Test...suggestions?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 12
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Failed the DMV Sound Test...suggestions?
I just bought a 350, 76 stingray that has strait pipes on it. It failed the sound test at the DMV by like 6 decibals. I would HATE to put mufflers on her, besides that I'm 18 and barely affording payments and gas for it. I would really appreciate any ideas or tricks to get it to pass. Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,839
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From: LONG ISLAND
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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in ny............
well in NY, you would bribe the guy inspecting your car......beer usually works well for thirsty guys working hard at a local mom & pop service station, but i'm NOT telling where in NY .....
ZIXXX PACKER
ZIXXX PACKER
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
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From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Take a wad of real course steel wool and shove it in about a foot a block before the test. Fish it out with a hooked rod after you pass. Might just be able to crank it up to 6000 RPM and blow it out on the way home. Cheap, easy, effective and Bubba. 
Might just be able to crank it up to 6000 RPM and blow it out on the way home. Cheap, easy, effective and Bubba.
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Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Plano TX
Years ago when I was a wee lad I used steel wool to quiet down a Camaro w/ glasspacks. I had to drill 2 small holes in the pipe and put in a piece of wire to keep the wool from shooting out. Made the car very quiet. After it passed I pulled the wire out, revved the engine and wool came shooting out.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
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From: Huntersville NC
Originally Posted by zwede
Years ago when I was a wee lad I used steel wool to quiet down a Camaro w/ glasspacks. I had to drill 2 small holes in the pipe and put in a piece of wire to keep the wool from shooting out. Made the car very quiet. After it passed I pulled the wire out, revved the engine and wool came shooting out.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,176
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From: Jennings LA
Originally Posted by zwede
Years ago when I was a wee lad I used steel wool to quiet down a Camaro w/ glasspacks. I had to drill 2 small holes in the pipe and put in a piece of wire to keep the wool from shooting out. Made the car very quiet. After it passed I pulled the wire out, revved the engine and wool came shooting out.
great idea
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,848
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From: Beacon NY
Great tip!
Since I've installed my sidepipes, I'm worried about my car passing inspection here in Germany because of it being too loud. I don't want to drill any holes in my chrome side pipes to hold the steel wool, but a little hole in the sidepipes that can be covered by heatshields is better than having to replace the whole system with something else!
Since I've installed my sidepipes, I'm worried about my car passing inspection here in Germany because of it being too loud. I don't want to drill any holes in my chrome side pipes to hold the steel wool, but a little hole in the sidepipes that can be covered by heatshields is better than having to replace the whole system with something else!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,342
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From: Connecticut
Originally Posted by 63mako
Take a wad of real course steel wool and shove it in about a foot a block before the test. Fish it out with a hooked rod after you pass. Might just be able to crank it up to 6000 RPM and blow it out on the way home. Cheap, easy, effective and Bubba.
Might just be able to crank it up to 6000 RPM and blow it out on the way home. Cheap, easy, effective and Bubba. I bought 2 cheap chrome extenions (tips) stuffed a wad of very fine (finest available) steel wool in each pipe, put a piece of window screen ( metal, not the nylon) over the end of the tail pipe, clamped the extentions on.
This thing was so quiet I couldnt believe it
After I passed the inspection I proceded to drive home and started to push the engine hard.
It was dark out and all I could see were little red sparks coming from the rear.... The heat actually burned the steel wool up and within a few minutes it was back to it's bad loud self.
It worked perfect and totally undetectable.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Summit sells these Dynomax Bullet clones for around $20 - I'd get two of these if you really like it loud. They'll drop the sound level but it will still be louder than a real muffler.
How many pounds of steel wool do I need for each sidepie ?
How many pounds of steel wool do I need for each sidepie ?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Loveland Colo
This was standard stuff for our Harleys years ago--Zwede has the right idea. Drill a couple 1/8" holes thru the pipe, stuff some steel wool into it, drop a 16 penny nail thru the holes. Pass your test, pull the nail, blow out the steel wool.
I did this one time when I had no more steel wool so I grabbed some Brillo pads and stuck in the pipes. Mr. Adams (the noise control officer with whom we were all on a first-name basis) had me rev it up, saw the pink powder blowing out, looked at me, smiled and shook his head saying, "Pink smoke, huh? Go on, get outta here!" Every time I got pulled over for 6 months after, the cops would comment about my pink smokin' Hog.....
Folks just weren't so uptight back then.
John
I did this one time when I had no more steel wool so I grabbed some Brillo pads and stuck in the pipes. Mr. Adams (the noise control officer with whom we were all on a first-name basis) had me rev it up, saw the pink powder blowing out, looked at me, smiled and shook his head saying, "Pink smoke, huh? Go on, get outta here!" Every time I got pulled over for 6 months after, the cops would comment about my pink smokin' Hog.....
Folks just weren't so uptight back then.
John
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
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From: Washington DC
the steel wool thing should work, as an aside though, old corvettes are not a good car to have if you are st4rapped for cash. I dunno about everyone else but I have had all kids of crap break and the repairs are usually a pain since you have to go after-market. If you are doing your own work you might be ok but just be wary. I waited until I had a full time job before buying mine 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
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From: Arkansas
Originally Posted by karioth
the steel wool thing should work, as an aside though, old corvettes are not a good car to have if you are st4rapped for cash. I dunno about everyone else but I have had all kids of crap break and the repairs are usually a pain since you have to go after-market. If you are doing your own work you might be ok but just be wary. I waited until I had a full time job before buying mine
Thats where "bubba" ends up showing up on all the repairs that we have had to make after purchasing our vettes.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
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From: Washington DC
Originally Posted by 1982CorvetteDude
Thats where "bubba" ends up showing up on all the repairs that we have had to make after purchasing our vettes.
bahaha. someone should compile a "Bubba got er done" list or something citing bubba work on car probs. "Yer car had some rattlin down in the suspension by the exhaust so i chewed up about 14 pieces of bubble gum and slapped it on the sommma*beep* and she wont make no more noise fer yah... $44 bucks please".
BTW I feel yah on the having to wait thing. I already made the mistake a buying a 1978 280Z while I was in college. I think I spent more time fixing crap wrong with that car than I spent in school, and it still left me on the side of the road twice. I know its probably too late but if you have friends in school, tell them to be patient, buy an integra/civic/camry etc. or something, you'll save them a LOOOOT of stress, money, and time
.Also I'm suprised they didn't just fail you for the straight pipes. I believe it is a federal law that states that if I car had cats on it when it was purchased, it is illegal to remove them, thus in all 50 states i think it is illegal to have a car with straight pipes if it had cats on it before. Just be careful cause you may fix the sound problem then they will screw you with that hehe.
Last edited by karioth; Nov 6, 2006 at 02:47 PM.