Another Mustang Disturbing the Peace

[Trackaholic]

It seems like you may be seeing this neighbor frequently, so IMO being cordial is probably the best avenue. Maybe when you said you'd try to be quiet, he thought you were being flippant, so he reacted as a tough-guy. I would simply drive through your neighborhood extra slowly, in as high a year as possible, keeping the revs near 1000. Basically idle by his house so he can see that you are making an effort to be considerate. I think once he sees you are really taking his concern seriously he will chill out.

One thing you don't want to do is to escalate the situation. If he really does have time to kill, you don't want him to spend it on ways to annoy you.

-T

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[aspensilver]

Be kind, but be firm. These grandpas like to act tough because a certain % of people will give in. Don't give in, but don't be a dick either.

Personally I suggest you consider just driving away rather than waiting for the car to quiet down which can take a few minutes if the neighbor complaining is close to you. My neighbor has a Harley with illegal pipes (which is what almost every Harley driver does grr) and I also hate him when he wakes me up at 6AM.

But you know what makes it so much worse? He sits there warming it up. Wouldn't matter if he warmed it in the garage or driveway, so loud. If he turned it on and drove away moderately I'd probably just fall back asleep instantly and not really care.

Dunno if his house is close enough to hear your warm-up though. If he is way down the st. and just doesn't like a 3 second pass by, then he is just a whiney douche. If someone is getting angry, the longer time they hear you the longer they may be getting upset, EVEN IF HE ISN'T THAT INCONVENIENCED! I.e. he hears you start and is mad "before you drive by" anticipating the situation. Now shorten it to start and go, and perhaps he likes that better. Worth a shot IMO

 

[TURTL3]

All of the Man Baby Boomers I know are very cool and love old, loud muscle cars so let's not throw stones at an entire generation because old people suck in your subdivision. We don't want to start down the millennial trail trust me on that.

I have never once heard a baby boomer complain about noise coming from a car or motorcycle and we have a couple of straight pipers and Harley in the hood. All complaints are about asshat speeders.

Did you even read the entire post bro?

*Sigh* Retired baby boomers thinking the world revolves around their little slice of suburbia. I know all boomers aren't like that but the large cohort that are, are a massive PITA. HOA's blow because they're usually biased, enforced through nepotism, and influenced by a small group of retired folks and stay at home mom/dads that have nothing else better to do than nitpick the sh*t out of other people's lives.

Anyway, I second the idea of starting and going without the warm up period. It sitting at idle, garage down or not, may be doing more harm than good.

 

[melwff]

I didnt read through the whole thread but the link below is for Columbus, Ohio and shows the laws that apply to noise, trying to interpret them is something else, at 7:00 AM it goes up from 60 decibels average sound per hour to 65 decibels average sound per hour.

https://www.municode.com/library/oh...deId=TIT23GEOFCO_CH2329HESASAFERE_2329.11CONO

 

[VOODOO 6G]

Be kind, but be firm. These grandpas like to act tough because a certain % of people will give in. Don't give in, but don't be a dick either.

Personally I suggest you consider just driving away rather than waiting for the car to quiet down which can take a few minutes if the neighbor complaining is close to you. My neighbor has a Harley with illegal pipes (which is what almost every Harley driver does grr) and I also hate him when he wakes me up at 6AM.

But you know what makes it so much worse? He sits there warming it up. Wouldn't matter if he warmed it in the garage or driveway, so loud. If he turned it on and drove away moderately I'd probably just fall back asleep instantly and not really care.

Dunno if his house is close enough to hear your warm-up though. If he is way down the st. and just doesn't like a 3 second pass by, then he is just a whiney douche. If someone is getting angry, the longer time they hear you the longer they may be getting upset, EVEN IF HE ISN'T THAT INCONVENIENCED! I.e. he hears you start and is mad "before you drive by" anticipating the situation. Now shorten it to start and go, and perhaps he likes that better. Worth a shot IMO

If it's an older carbed Harley (06 and older)he has no choice but to warm it up, they simply won't go when there cold. I had a brand new 06, is sucked. I traded it for a brand new 07 with fuel injection and it was a whole different deal. As far as the whole "illegal pipes" thing goes..... That's a slippery slope so watch what you wish for. People keep on bitching about every little thing they don't like and soon (feels like it's almost there now) we won't be able to mod our cars and bikes at all. I understand some things are just plain obnoxious but every complaint makes it just that much easier to pass more laws.

 

[cyandhappiness]

I personally think you are being too considerate too early.
You should just start it up outside, drive it through the normal route
If you do receive the complaint about the exhaust tone, then try the stuff you mentioned. Now that they say you have to do more than try, I guess you do need corsa extreme and kook headers.

 

[MychalS]

The way I see it, it's your car. And when you change out the exhaust or what ever the case may be, its going to be loud naturally. It's a muscle car. You shouldn't ever have to limit yourself when it comes to leaving your house or coming home quietly. There's a big difference between sitting there and revving the hell out of the engine and acting an ass AND simply turning the car on and leaving. It doesn't matter if its 3am. If I want a McDonalds double cheeseburger that late at night I'm going to hop my happy ass in my GT and go get one. I start the car and I'm out the driveway in 30seconds to a minute. You could have a loud car and still be respectful of your neighbors. But it looks like you're doing just that so I really wouldn't worry about it. Seems petty to get HOA involved, especially for a car that has a legal exhaust system and if that's the case, I'm reporting everything on everybody! LOL!

 

[tritus]

The way I see it, it's your car. And when you change out the exhaust or what ever the case may be, its going to be loud naturally. It's a muscle car. You shouldn't ever have to limit yourself when it comes to leaving your house or coming home quietly. There's a big difference between sitting there and revving the hell out of the engine and acting an ass AND simply turning the car on and leaving. It doesn't matter if its 3am. If I want a McDonalds double cheeseburger that late at night I'm going to hop my happy ass in my GT and go get one. I start the car and I'm out the driveway in 30seconds to a minute. You could have a loud car and still be respectful of your neighbors. But it looks like you're doing just that so I really wouldn't worry about it. Seems petty to get HOA involved, especially for a car that has a legal exhaust system and if that's the case, I'm reporting everything on everybody! LOL!

I drive my wife's car on the days that I workout early in the am or when I need that 3 am double cheese lol. Even that was not good enough...

 

[Strokerswild]

If it's an older carbed Harley (06 and older)he has no choice but to warm it up, they simply won't go when there cold. I had a brand new 06, is sucked. I traded it for a brand new 07 with fuel injection and it was a whole different deal. As far as the whole "illegal pipes" thing goes..... That's a slippery slope so watch what you wish for. People keep on bitching about every little thing they don't like and soon (feels like it's almost there now) we won't be able to mod our cars and bikes at all. I understand some things are just plain obnoxious but every complaint makes it just that much easier to pass more laws.

Completely off topic, of course, but the bold situation is entirely due to the crap OEM calibration required to meet emissions. Properly reworked, those CV carbs are arguably the best street Harley carb out there.

The rest, very true.

Now, back to bitchy old men who don't like loud machinery. Glad they don't live in my neighborhood (they would hate me).....

 

[GT Pony]

One thing you don't want to do is to escalate the situation. If he really does have time to kill, you don't want him to spend it on ways to annoy you.

Especially in a legal way. If he has a legal foot to stand on, the OP will be the one getting the short end of the stick.

 

[VOODOO 6G]

Completely off topic, of course, but the bold situation is entirely due to the crap OEM calibration required to meet emissions. Properly reworked, those CV carbs are arguably the best street Harley carb out there.

The rest, very true.

Now, back to bitchy old men who don't like loud machinery. Glad they don't live in my neighborhood (they would hate me).....

I live in the country or I would have the same issues. Like I said before, I've had them. I'm just not as nice as some people about it. I never bitched about anyone's barking dogs, late night parties, loud exhausts(because they were falling off not modded), or any of that shit. I always figured it will be over or gone soon enough.

 

[cbass]

Go to his house in the car. Say that you think things got off on the wrong foot, and ask if he wants to take your car to go get a burger on you. Record the conversation discretely on your phone. He'll either warm right up and back off, or you'll have evidence that he's a douchebag if the HOA gets involved. Either way, you'll win by being the bigger man and showing him that you're not intimidated by him.

 

[Jdenkevitz]

The way I see it, it's your car. And when you change out the exhaust or what ever the case may be, its going to be loud naturally. It's a muscle car. You shouldn't ever have to limit yourself when it comes to leaving your house or coming home quietly. There's a big difference between sitting there and revving the hell out of the engine and acting an ass AND simply turning the car on and leaving. It doesn't matter if its 3am. If I want a McDonalds double cheeseburger that late at night I'm going to hop my happy ass in my GT and go get one. I start the car and I'm out the driveway in 30seconds to a minute. You could have a loud car and still be respectful of your neighbors. But it looks like you're doing just that so I really wouldn't worry about it. Seems petty to get HOA involved, especially for a car that has a legal exhaust system and if that's the case, I'm reporting everything on everybody! LOL!

This is not really the world we live in. I understand our love for our vehicles, and part of that is the visceral rumble of an aftermarket exhaust. It is however something completely optional. You do not have a specific constitutional right to own a loud ass mustang which in turn trumps local and common law rights pertaining to others rights to the quiet enjoyment of their residences.

There is an implicit and in many cases explicit (HOA's) social contract we abide to when living in neighborhoods. You don't have a right to make as much noise as you please. Whether your vehicle is unreasonably loud only when you go WOT or even just at idle, it doesn't matter. Idling doesn't mean you have a pass when it comes to noise laws and disturbing others right to the quiet enjoyment of their property.

I think people 'get away' with a lot when it comes to pushing the bounds of local noise ordinances and MVA regulations regarding exhaust noise with many of the exhaust systems sold. Its one thing when you are driving down a road passing other vehicles, but quite another if you have to hear it every morning at 6am.

Many folks put aftermarket exhausts on their vehicles to stand out and get attention. Its saying "Look at me!". I get it, its part of the overall experience, but if you overdo it and live in a tight neighborhood, expect the consequences.

If you woke me up every morning with that, I would take action to remediate the situation.

 

[MRGTX]

Living in close proximity to other people comes with a give and take. The HOA is one way that people mutually decide on rules so it doesn't come down to banging on your neighbor's door to settle a dispute.

I hate to say it but before you buy into a home covered by an existing HOA, it's on you to read it and understand. These guys may have been doing you a favor by talking to you first.

I'll also say that while my inclination is to be sympathetic to the OP in this story, there are two sides to this. I've always loved loud cars, etc...but having found and bought my house in the winter, I didn't know that it was on a major Harley Davidson country ride route. They have to slow down for a sharp curve near my house and the throttle is wide open again by the time they pass my driveway. These folks are obviously out trying to have some fun and MOST of them aren't total jackasses...but they have no idea how startling and jarring it is when they go by the house and rattle the windows with their ear-shredding, flatulent unmuffled tractor engines...and they really don't care.

This made me rethink my position on loud exhaust systems. I don't ever want to be one of those guys.

The only advice I can offer is that you can't win by telling them to "stuff it." These are your neighbors. Hear them out, take their position to heart and recognize that any complaints they have are real and relevant to them. This is your community, like it or not. There has got to be a middle ground...and that might mean selling your current exhaust system and buying electric cut-outs.

If you really don't want to change your car back to something quieter, I'd advise that you navigate this in a diplomatic fashion as possible and take into account that you've made enemies out of the people who very well could save your ass some day...

 

[mustang1]

First, I am an old guy, 72, and as you see I have been driving Mustangs, among other Muscle/Sport brands for years. My next door neighbor is 76 and drives a HEMI Dodge with pipes that shatter windows. And, my other next door neighbor, who is a young'n, 40, drives a Ford 150 with straight pipes. No complaints. Your problem stems from the fact you have a Mustang. They resent the fact you have one.

If I moved into a nice neighborhood with an HOA and had neighbors complaining about my car, I would put on a quieter exhaust, or even stock. Probably on condition that they stop with the 6:30 am lawn mowers.

everyone likes their own noise. But not necessarily other people's noise.

It's all fun and games until some Section 8 moves in next door and makes noise that "shatter windows".

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