You guys are nuts. I just got done fitting my downturn and it is seriously fricken loud!!!

madcityEP - I don't remember your car being as loud as this.

 

"loud" is a relative term!

I agree with you... it's freakin loud. I don't care what any sound meter says. My home made exhaust using a stock resonator as a muffler (see above) registered 91 dB at the San Diego National Tour (autocross) in 2008. The limit there is 93 dB.

 

its not, just dont like rules lol

 

Ok, after driving it to work this morning it's not as bad as I thought last night. It's still very loud and pretty boomy between 3,000rpm and 4,500rpm but not as loud as I remember it from last night.

I think first firing it up at 11:15pm in my sleepy suburban neighborhood had a lot to do with my perception of how loud it was.

 

I ran the turn down temporarily while configuring the rest of the piping to the rear bumper outlet. It certainly is quieter inside the cabin with the rest of the pipe installed, and sounds much better as well.

I laugh at all the JDM knuckleheads who dump $$$ on tarty catbacks when my catbacks cost on average $50, are way lighter, and the sound is as good as it gets.

 

One more update from the guys that were working sound - Apparently the loudest reading is when off-throttle for shifting or braking for a corner. They said there was a reliable 10 dB spike whenever I shifted or braked for a corner. They also commented that it wasn't something they actually perceived/heard, but it showed up every single time I shifted over the last 3 events.

 

wierd... but good to know.

 

sorry for the double post... I don;t know how they measure sound in your region but here they have the meter on a slow response so it doesn;t read quick spikes, just the maintained sound... if you guys have it on quick response it mite be picking up the louder pops and burbling from the deceleration as being louder.... just a thought

 

Where we run, the limit is at 92 db from 50 feet and it is measured on slow response. WOT into Vtec, my car was 91 db consistenly for all my runs. It was only at the end of the straight, where I lifted for the "bus stop" that the exhaust registered 96 db on the meter.

And having DD's this car for a week with the dump exhaust, I can confirm my ears are telling me the off throttle deceleration is louder than when I am on the gas.

 

It's not just exhaust noise that's the 'problem' with the neighbors, tires are included. If you fail once, you get a warning. If you fail twice, you get sent home. 100db is 100db no matter what is making the noise.

Also, if you are caught turning your exhaust away from the sound meter, you are also told to go home. That does not solve the issue of producing too much sound and it still pisses off the neighbors. I'd rather have the extra weight and keep racing than to cut it off and NO ONE is able to race. We're all responsible to keep sites...

NER has 90db at 75'. I don't think this shorty will pass that at all.

--kC