Beat a ticket for Modified Exhaust
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12
From: NH
Car Info: 2003 WRX Wagon- Prodrive axle back, debadged, 225-50-16 S03's summer tires
Beat a ticket for Modified Exhaust
I live in the LAKES REGION of NH. I put a Prodrive muffler on my 03 Wrx wagon shortly after getting it (only mod except for tires). NH's finest (State Police) pulled me over in Sept 03 and gave me a ticket for a "modified exhaust" - IE TOO LOUD; - with a fricking PRODRIVE muffler!!!!!!! I took it to court... The sorry a** (female) trooper had NO idea what the law was - the law said "can't be louder than the the original factory muffler" . I asked her if she had any training or instruction on how a factory Subaru WRX exhaust sounds. Ans. - NO.... She basically admitted she didn't know the law during her testimony. My defense was to first get the car inspected - this month - and I made copies of the garage receipt and took a digital pict of the new sticker. Then I made a audio/vidio strip of the Prodrive muffler at 3500 rpm at 20" and 45 Deg. behind the tailpipe (used for measuring motor cycles exhaust noise in NH) - then swapped out the muffler to the factory muff and made the same audio/vidio of the factory muff. Believe it or not the G.D. factory SOUNDED MUCH LOUDER on a LAPTOP computer than the Prodrive (NO BASS SPEAKERS!!!!!!!!). The Judge let me admit the receipt, the pict of the inspection sticker and the two vidios as evidence and and said he would "take it under consideration and notifiy me by mail". I THINK I BEAT THIS S**T A** TICKET!!!! After playing the vidios the cop was SPEACHLESS... The good old USA - I don't beat many tickets but the ones I beat are SWEET....
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 110
From: Natick, Massachusetts
Car Info: 1999 Subaru Legacy GT Limited - Quick Silver Metallic
Re: Beat a ticket for Modified Exhaust
Originally posted by sridge
The Judge let me admit the receipt, the pict of the inspection sticker and the two vidios as evidence and and said he would "take it under consideration and notifiy me by mail". I THINK I BEAT THIS S**T A** TICKET!!!!
The Judge let me admit the receipt, the pict of the inspection sticker and the two vidios as evidence and and said he would "take it under consideration and notifiy me by mail". I THINK I BEAT THIS S**T A** TICKET!!!!
The fact is the stupid trooper thought your exhuast was too loud, and pulled you over for it. I suspect that this judge will likely back her up, and even if you had an independant 'testing' organization submit actual decibal meter evidence, many judges will still err on the side of the trooper.
The law in this case may be reasonable, but many of the Judges aren't. This is one reason why I have yet to install my Brullen cat-back setup on my Legacy GT. I sincerly hope that I am wrong, and you win your case, although I doubt you will.
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18
From: Nashua, NH
Car Info: 2005 Impreza WRX STi
Hey guys, I am about a month away from moving to NH or MA, not sure where yet. I have an AVO exhaust and I am told it is quite loud. What are the modified laws there?
I am not liking this......
I am not liking this......
Originally posted by sridge
I THINK I BEAT THIS S**T A** TICKET!!!! After playing the vidios the cop was SPEACHLESS... The good old USA - I don't beat many tickets but the ones I beat are SWEET....
I THINK I BEAT THIS S**T A** TICKET!!!! After playing the vidios the cop was SPEACHLESS... The good old USA - I don't beat many tickets but the ones I beat are SWEET....
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F***. I hope I don't have to present all that evidence if I get a ticket.
I think all you really have to do is state the actual statute, which I believe (as of Jan. 1) is a 95db law, ask the officer if they measured your vehicle's sound level with a decibel meter, then ask them how they know your exhaust is in excess of the limit.
If they didn't change it to the 95db limit, the law is, in effect, "nothing louder than stock," in which case, it should be much easier. The cops in my town won't even give out the tickets anymore because they know they won't stick if the driver chooses to fight it. Staties are another story.
I think all you really have to do is state the actual statute, which I believe (as of Jan. 1) is a 95db law, ask the officer if they measured your vehicle's sound level with a decibel meter, then ask them how they know your exhaust is in excess of the limit.
If they didn't change it to the 95db limit, the law is, in effect, "nothing louder than stock," in which case, it should be much easier. The cops in my town won't even give out the tickets anymore because they know they won't stick if the driver chooses to fight it. Staties are another story.
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Posts: n/a
well, i better not drive my car to bike week this year. i have a blitz nur-spec r exhaust and perrin short-ram now and by the time bike week rolls around, i'll have the perrin catless DP and up-pipes installed along with a loud worx tuning dual stage bov. way too loud.
