I live in northern california and was pulled over in my 66 fastback twice in 2 weeks, both for "loud exhaust". Both times they popd the hood and did a quick examination.
1st time the cop was saying that i need a box of some sort over my air filter. is this true? he then askd if i had any stickers showing that my parts were street legal, which i dont. Wrote me up a ticket saying i have to go to the state ref. so they can examine my whole car and tell me what i have to change to get it street legal (this ticket only says loud exhaust)
2nd time was at nite and i was going about 60 in a 45, the officer was going the oppisite way and i seen her so i let it roll to the speed limit before she even got behind me. when she came up to my window she kept asking how fast i was going so i know she didnt know exactly how fast so i kept saying im not sure but she still wrote 60+ in a 45 zone (i dont think she has any proof). She also examined my car and was complaining about my side pipes and same thing with my air filter. (this ticket says 60+ in 45 and loud exhaust)
i have alot of stuff done to my car but i didnt know i can get tickets because i was always under the impression that cars that made before the smog law were exempt.
i have a 351w afr heads, edelbrock intake, holley 750 carb, msd, tcp rack&pinion, tcp uca&lca, 9" posi, shorty headers, dynomax full exhaust. is stuff like this illegal on streets. should i fight the tickets?

 

Street legal they mean d.o.t. approved and your car was build before this standard came to be.Some of the early mustangs came with a open filter i forget which ones.Loud exhaust is a db sound level but they don't carry a db meter.Best thing is to move out of California.The speeding part take it to court have them pull the last time that cops radar gun got calibrated.

 

she didnt use her gun. she wrote 60+ for the approx. speed and left the radar speed blank. but this was done at nite and she was oncoming traffic so i dont know how she got 60+?
moving out of cali is never happening but if i take it to the state ref is there anything else they might want me to change? as for my exhaust, its not loud until you really step on it. i dont want to keep getting tickets for the same thing. is there any way to fight it?

 

for the exhaust i would ask them how they came up with to loud. whos opinion is to, find out the statute see if it points to a federal law(mvss more than likely) more than likely it is not under mvss standards for noise restriction IANAL

also for the speeding tickets file for a freedom of information act to demand the officers certification to pace a car or do a visual estimation of speed. if there are non move to dismiss on the lack of qualifications ont he officers part

also do a foia request on for the officer certification in the automotive field and how they are able to determin a non compliant part from compliant one










also with the exhaust i doubt your car is any louder than a shelby of the same year and glass pack exhaust that were quite loud im sure would have nbeen a dealer installed option

jmho and again IANAL

 

put it this way:
speed guessed, not measured. Forget it
exhaust loud, not measure. forget it

if you have to go for examination they'll probably find a few things they don't like. Most afr heads are not emission legal.

So should have no problem fighting the speed thing, but for the exhaust they can have you measured I guess. But I have no idea what your laws over are. but I'd never pay for a speeding ticket when it wasn't measured. How would she know that you were doing 60+. maybe it was the fact the loud exhaust made you sound quicker or just the shape of the car .. etc ... it's all impression with no proof

 

As far as I know, the HiPo 289 and all the Shelby GT350s in 66 had open air filters. I had a 66 GT350 and the owner's manual even addressed the CARB requirements for the 66 model year (Shelbys were exempt due to low production volume). California actually required exhaust emission equipment starting in 66. As for noise, I had numerous tickets for noise, improper equipment, etc. as Virginia was cracking down on the Corvette owners who added the side pipes. I actually carried the pertinant section of the Va motor vehicle code in the glove compartment, and yes, it was LOUD, you could hear the car about 3 miles at WOT! Good luck with it.

 

I am assuming you have a valid inspection sticker? I know here in Texas you have to have a vehicle inspected once a year.

If the car passed inspection then where do the cops get off writing "smog" tickets.

Check your local law (can probably find online) because here if a car is a classic then the newer smog standards, etc don't apply.

Most they can write you a "fix it" ticket around here for is something along the lines of lights not working, etc.

 

66 mustangs had CA emissions stuff on them in 66. If you don't have this stuff and take it for an inspection it will fail. The cops don't know enough about what was missing. If you have your car registered as a regular car and you get a fix it ticket...you have to get it fixed, which means returning it to 66 smog specs.

And for the record there are only 2 ways I know of to fix getting exhaust too loud tickets.....

Get old and grow gray hair or put quiet exhaust on. You have side exhaust which is automatically louder for anyone in the passing lanes or coming the other way because it is pointed towards them. If you are running cherry bombs put on real mufflers. If you are running 1 or 2 chamber already...put on a 3 chamber.

 

i have shorty headers, x pipe, dynomax mufflers, and side pipes. id rather just pay the $500 fine instead of changing my setup. i was just thought the cops were wrong in this case but seems like you guys are saying if i fight it they will still make me change stuff. As for the speeding i guess i can try to fight it right?

 

yeah but im wondering whqt the dso of his car is??