So a stock GT350/GT350R is too loud for Florida? Wtf?

[RPDBlueMoon]

Just had a cop turn on his lights and pull me over while I was on my way to get my haircut this morning. I was behind a bunch of cars at a red light and as soon as I gave the car some throttle to go, the guy came out of nowhere and flagged me.

He told me that he pulled me over because my car is too loud, because I modified the stock exhaust. The only modifications that I have done was replace the resonators with the LTH resonator so they my GT350 sounds just like the GT350R. After I told him that my car's exhaust was still stock (because it still is) he said that according to the law my car is too loud and I'm supposed to drive it normal mode with the valves closed. So if you have a GT350R you are breaking the law by driving with exhaust valves open.

This doesn't make any sense to me because Florida doesn't have yearly vehicle or emissions testing, also I hear tons of loud ass cars all the time here because people delete their catalytic converters. To make it even more funny while I was stopped there was another GT350 that sped by and he said "oh there's another one"

I could understand maybe if I was being obnoxious and just sitting in traffic bouncing the car off the rev limiter, since I was nearby a school or was driving by pedestrians and just slamming on the throttle to scare them but I didn't do anything like that. As I drove off I saw the cop stop somebody else so maybe the guy was just stopping people just to find something wrong?

Idk the whole ordeal rubbed me the wrong way, and it seems stupid that a stock car is considered too loud. I looked up the state law (here) where there are db limits but they laws explicitly states: No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle or any other noise-abatement device. I really wasn't in the position to argue or create a scene so I just put it in normal mode and then flipped it back after he left. I have driven by cops before with my exhaust flaps open and it never was an issue, I will make a mental note to go to normal mode whenever I see them.

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[TrackMustang]

There is a chance they are getting complaints about loud cars and he’s told to do enforcement on it (doesn’t sound like you got a ticket so maybe he’s just trying to inform to keep it quiet due to complaints). Also possible he has a personal issue with loud cars and got you on a technicality. Also possible he’s petty and has nothing better to do… I hope he was at least courteous about it..?

It is 100% possible stock exhaust with the valves open is “track use only” and not street legal.

 

[CarbonZ]

I mean it's pretty damn loud, and most cops would just assume it's modded if they were not in the know. I have to same lth res delete and generally keep the valve closed in certain areas to avoid that situation.

Maybe a Leo can comment on the legality of stock exhausts, modded exhaust that sounds stock 350-350r, db, noise complaint etc. I've always wondered.

 

[Saxgod]

Sounds pretty strange that just taking off from a light flagged you for too loud exhaust. The guy probably picked you out because of the way your car looked or some other reason. There is not way a resonator delete exceeds the DB level when taking off normally from a stop. Now if you got on it 3/4 throttle or above and didnt notice the cop i could see you getting pulled over.

 

[Avispa]

There is a chance they are getting complaints about loud cars and he’s told to do enforcement on it (doesn’t sound like you got a ticket so maybe he’s just trying to inform to keep it quiet due to complaints). Also possible he has a personal issue with loud cars and got you on a technicality. Also possible he’s petty and has nothing better to do… I hope he was at least courteous about it..?

It is 100% possible stock exhaust with the valves open is “track use only” and not street legal.

^^^^^
That about sums it up. There are so many rice burners around the Tampa area with obnoxious "fart can" exhaust, and so many cars and trucks that have taken cats off (yes you can smell those a mile away) that sometimes you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time for not even as big an infraction as the ones that go by. I drove this thing for 3 months after I bought it with Magna Flow comp cat back and nary a cop bothered me. Don't look for rhyme or reason. You won't find it.

 

[rcald]

Just had a cop turn on his lights and pull me over while I was on my way to get my haircut this morning. I was behind a bunch of cars at a red light and as soon as I gave the car some throttle to go, the guy came out of nowhere and flagged me.

He told me that he pulled me over because my car is too loud, because I modified the stock exhaust. The only modifications that I have done was replace the resonators with the LTH resonator so they my GT350 sounds just like the GT350R. After I told him that my car's exhaust was still stock (because it still is) he said that according to the law my car is too loud and I'm supposed to drive it normal mode with the valves closed. So if you have a GT350R you are breaking the law by driving with exhaust valves open.

This doesn't make any sense to me because Florida doesn't have yearly vehicle or emissions testing, also I hear tons of loud ass cars all the time here because people delete their catalytic converters. To make it even more funny while I was stopped there was another GT350 that sped by and he said "oh there's another one"

I could understand maybe if I was being obnoxious and just sitting in traffic bouncing the car off the rev limiter, since I was nearby a school or was driving by pedestrians and just slamming on the throttle to scare them but I didn't do anything like that. As I drove off I saw the cop stop somebody else so maybe the guy was just stopping people just to find something wrong?

Idk the whole ordeal rubbed me the wrong way, and it seems stupid that a stock car is considered too loud. I looked up the state law (here) where there are db limits but they laws explicitly states: No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle or any other noise-abatement device. I really wasn't in the position to argue or create a scene so I just put it in normal mode and then flipped it back after he left. I have driven by cops before with my exhaust flaps open and it never was an issue, I will make a mental note to go to normal mode whenever I see them.

Are you in Florida?

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

Are you in Florida?

Yes I am

 

[rcald]

Where did you get pulled over? I mostly drive in Sport+ and having Steeda H Pipe installed tomorrow. Hope I don't draw attention.

 

[degajake]

I had a Roush + Res Delete setup on my last 5.0 and will soon be doing full Corsa (including long tubes) on my new one. I live in FL and drove that car for 4+ years and was never pulled over for exhaust so either the cop was looking for a reason or it was just wrong place wrong time. I will say that any time I saw a cop I drove extremely modestly or cruised in neutral until I was in the clear

 

[Genxer]

It reads in full, "No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle or any other noise-abatement device of a motor vehicle operated or to be operated upon the highways of this state in such a manner that the noise emitted by the motor vehicle is above that emitted by the vehicle as originally manufactured. "

So if you have a truly stock vehicle, they can go pound sand.

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

Where did you get pulled over? I mostly drive in Sport+ and having Steeda H Pipe installed tomorrow. Hope I don't draw attention.

I got pulled over in Apopka by the high school. On my way back I saw another car pulled over in the same area, it was a moded 370z so I'm just going to avoid that area altogether.

 

[Rsrfan]

I own a landscape business in the Tampa/St Pete area and they increase enforcement every January. Near the Skyway, highway patrol will pull over every commercial truck just looking for any violation as a source of revenue.

by February everything will be back to normal. I have seen this for the past four years since I have moved here…

JP

 

[coz0502]

What part of Florida did this happen? As others have said, traffic enforcement in Florida is quite lax, but you do occasionally run into a "by the book" cop. I'm running a Roush cat back setup with an h-pipe and it is almost obnoxiously loud and never had a problem.
I've had 5% tint all around on my last 6 or 7 cars and never a problem either. Seems you got somewhat unlucky in getting pulled over, but didn't get a ticket so maybe he just wanted an excuse to check out your car.

 

[Angrey]

It reads in full, "No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle or any other noise-abatement device of a motor vehicle operated or to be operated upon the highways of this state in such a manner that the noise emitted by the motor vehicle is above that emitted by the vehicle as originally manufactured. "

So if you have a truly stock vehicle, they can go pound sand.

That's only part of the story. FL has decibel thresholds for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. (which bothers me, I get why they allow motorcycles to be louder, it's a safety feature, but it's still inconsistent).

For passenger vehicles less than 10k lbs and produced after 1979, the noise emitted from the vehicle can not exceed 72 decibels (for roadways less than 30mph) or 79 decibels (for roadways greater than 30mph) both measured 50 feet from the vehicle.

Obviously there's some grey/nuance here, even if you haven't modified the vehicle (which he has, an attorney can argue he modified it to be the same as another stock vehicle, but he's still modified it, specifically the exhaust and sound attenuating components), but even if you haven't modified the vehicle, you could do 30 mph in a very high gear and low RPM and probably stay below the limit, you could do above 30 mph in a very high gear and low rpm and be below 79 dB.

So while you'd probably win in court if you argued that you have a stock vehicle and it was loud because you were just in a lower gear at elevated RPM, you'd lose instantly the moment you had to admit the vehicle has been modified.

In the end, this is one of those broad, catch all type laws that give cops a lot of discretion. If the OP wasn't revving his motor or doing redline WOT hits in front of him, (which it doesn't sound like he was) then the cop is probably one of the micropenis variants that just had a bad day or he's pissed he can't afford a nice car or his girlfriend finally got the courage to leave him for beating her or whatever.

But it's tough to be 100% inside the law in most states with even a stock sports car, particularly if you're in any gear that's not the highest gear at 2k rpm.

 

[Chef jpd]

recently signed into law in New York State:

"Legislation (S.784-B/A.471) Increases Penalties Against Motorists and Repair Shops that Illegally Modify Mufflers and Exhaust Systems to Make Them Excessively Noisy for Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles"

This bill amends vehicle and traffic law, increasing fines and penalties and creating stricter regulations on vehicle equipment. Maximum fines for installing illegal equipment will be raised to $1,000, an $850 increase. Inspection stations will also be required to inspect motorcycles to ensure mufflers and exhausts have not been illegally modified.


But no indication anywhere in the legislation that defines "excessively noisy"

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