Driving around town with open headers

[Joes57]

I go to alot of cruise ins and carshows. I have noticed more frequently cars with open headers showing up. Alot of them are the rat rods that have the homemade pipes that come straight off of the head. I have seen a few with regular headers that are open. I always thought you was suppose to have mufflers. I think this is really cool, however I thought it was illegal. I can remember when cops would pull you over and give you a ticket for distubing the peace. These cars are driven to the cruises and not unloaded from a trailor down the street. I'm thinking I might uncork my headers and try this on occasion. Are the cops being more considerate toward the old cars? Maybe they know a car event is going on and they let it slide.
Thanks,
Joe

[Chevynut]

I've always wondered why they give cars tickets for no mufflers, but the Harleys can blast by with ear-shattering exhaust noise but are left un-touched.

[awhotrods]

I ran straight headers on my 55 for a few months. Drove by several cops & CHP, never had any problems. Then I installed dual 3" exhaust with dumped Flowmasters & felt like I was driving a Caddy because it was so quiet! LOL.

[Tuned55]

Electric cut outs are going to a blast!

[dseale4888]

I've seen this in the northeast too. Personally I think that my headers with glasspacks and pipes to the rear bumper talk pretty nice. They are loud in the car also.
Dave

[chevman57]

Bruce i hear you. I have been thinking about a set of those electric cutouts myself. Personally i wouldn`t want to drive too far with the open headers just because of the noise. They sound sweet for a little while but not on a long drive.
Terry

[Rick_L]

If the cops are not ticketing you for open headers, they are just being nice to you, because they can ticket you - anywhere. Most cops are car guys - they are going to give you a break if you aren't stupid, they aren't getting complaints, and if you deal with them courteously.

A friend of mine has the DMH electric cutouts, they are awesome - I'm going to order some soon!

[ETriggs]

I was warned once in my 64 Impala with open headers, but then again that was by a female deputy that had an enormous chip on her shoulder. Other than that, I used to run with headers and cheap mufflers attached to the collecters and that was it (until I put the original rams horn exhaust and single exhaust back on it )

[mike56]

I drove my '68 cougar around a little with open headers before I had my exhaust put on. It was kinda cool at low speed, but rough on the hiway with 4.11 gears. mike

[keith]

Not in this area of the PNW, you drive by a Cop with open exhaust and they jump on you. They'll bail out of there car with there forehead wrinkled and the ink pen smoking. They had a cordoned off cruise street for the big summer cruise after the car show, They were herding open exhaust cars into the big Safeway parking lot and had them lined up. Those people paid for the car show and cruise,,and then paid again!!


But the 4 bangers with the fart pipes and the Harleys with the drag pipes dont get touched.