Hot Rods open headers to the shop or not?

just installed new headers and need to get mufflers hung underneath. The question is.... is it ok to drive (with open headers) to the muffler shop or should I tow it? What would the HAMB do? There is a muffler shop about 5 miles away but I live in a congested part of Seattle, WA.

Thoughts?

 

We drive all over with open headers and have even sat lots of times right next to a cop at a light. Generally, as long as you are not acting stupid they will leave you alone.

Don

 

x2 . . .

It may be a little different when the population is for "larger" government up there in WA but down here you mostly get a pass if its old and you don't act stupid.

I drove about 5 miles from the shop I worked at home with open headers once. The worst looks were from the people in the neighborhood.

 

Depends on whether your local authorities have a sense of humor. When I installed my lake headers, the temptation was strong and I went around the block without baffles. On my return, my next door and across the street neighbors were there to greet me. They both wanted to know if I was going to "leave my car like THAT". I smiled, they didn't.

You should be okay.

 

all great comments..... and I decided that I am going to make the drive, eff em. If a cop pulls me over, I will just explain that I am header to the exhaust shop and hope for the best. Beats a tow bill (maybe).

Anyway.... my 27 coupe is loud as hell and I fire it up early in the AM to go to a show or whatever, so they will probably just be glad when it comes home quieter :>

 

Forgiveness is easier than permission. Drive her!!!!

 

Drive it!!!

 

What Don has said has also proved true for me, more than once. I have been given thumbs up by cops sitting at a red light when I had my A sedan with open headers and 425 Nailhead. Another time I was followed for at least a mile to a gas station just so they could look at the car and take pictures. LOL
You'll be fine, you're ears may not be.

LOL! My new next door neighbour heard the break in on my 354 Hemi in my 31 coupe and came over and said "I hope you're not gonna start that car at night" I asked him why and he said " I have a newborn baby", my response was " I hope your baby doesn't cry at night" Not sure he liked that, lol.

 

if you get pulled over you'll have a great excuse.

 

I can't believe a real Car Guy would ask permission. How often to you get a chance to step over the line? You probably never Smoke the tires on a public road either.
The Wizzard

 

puckin fussies

Driving all the time like that is stupid but to get it to the shop or other instances is perfectly fine.

 

good points all.... and yeah, I speed, smoke the tires, ride my Harleys with no legal bits and yes, I WILL drive with open headers to the muffler shop tomorrow. Fukem!

 

go for it--done it a few times--no issues

 

were I am at if the PD pulls you over , you tell them I am taking it to the muffler shop , and sometimes they follow you . when I lived in a town that didn't have a muffler shop . I was pulled over and the officer asked why I didn't take it to the repair shop in town to have them hung , I told him . you don't see a foot doctor if your ass has problems . and I also asked them how many times have there squads had to fixed at the dealer for repairs done by them ... nuff said . I kept my foot out of it and drove sanely till I was out of town limits ( nothing like the bark of a Cammed ,high compression bigblock thru longtubes with 5:13 gears )

 

I have personally done this several times here in the Everett to Lynnwood area. One time, with my DD truck, I drove to the muffler shop (where I had bought the exhaust manifolds from), and they refused to put duals on it because I had removed the catalytic converter, along with the rest of the old single pipe exhaust system. So, I had to drive it back home. This was in Lynnwood, and the cops in Lynnwood are not very forgiving of anything. I wound up buying a universal dual exhaust kit for Chevrolet's, and building an exhaust system for the truck myself. What's the worst the cops are going to do; give you a fix-it ticket most likely. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

You know the local cops better than I do. Personally I would drive it, and just puppy it through built up areas.

Is the car otherwise legal, licensed and insured? You have to use your own judgement here. In most cases there is very little danger of being stopped or getting a ticket. But I would hate to see you come back saying you got hit with thousands of $$$$$ worth of fines for noise, unsafe vehicle, no plates, no insurance etc etc and say we told you to do it lol.

 

You mean there's supposed to be something hooked up to the headers? I wondered what those three holes were for. lol!

 

Interesting responses, I usually decide these things based on how pissed off the neighbors might get, we get along great and watch each others property, don't want to ruin that relationship over something simple, your mileage may vary.

 

I drove about 12 miles with open headers to the muffler shop but drove slow and didn't rev up the engine,,no problem with the police,,even when I eased up behind a officer. HRP

 

Do It! Just to be safe, put the clutch in if you see Barney going by.

 

I tell people to look at what's near the collector... 1200° is a lot of hot... I've had customers start out driving, and show up on a flatbed... or show up with cooked suspension parts, burned firewall paint, etc. Shoe soles melted to the floor board... Johnny law is the least of your worries

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Hi. As soon as I get the engine swap done on my 46 coupe I will be taking a trip to muffler shop myself, lilely in a couple of weeks. I am way out in the country so I have about 25 miles to go to get to nearest muffler shop. Only have a couple of miles in town when I get there.
Just gotta go for it.
Jimmie

 

If you live in a tough law enforcement area you could have the muffler shop weld a couple of flanges on a pair of mufflers, bolt them to the headers, drive to the shop, and have them install the permanent system reusing the same mufflers.

 

1,200*? 850* will have an exhaust manifold red hot. Sounds like those customers have other issues, besides getting to a muffler shop.

 

You could always call the shop before you leave and tell them you're coming over. And if the cops stop ya , ya got an alibi.
-Pat

 

Drove the rambler to a show last fall with the cut outs un capped , had to drive through the downtown section of a nearby city , we got turned around from where we should have been and ended up on front of the police station ! Just then a young patrolman was getting in his cruiser and stopped dead in his tracks and turned arond to see what the hell the noise was all about . Big smile - thumbs up - he had to put his head inside the drivers window to hear me ask directions - got me on the right path with a Huge smile another thumbs up and a polite wave Really made our day .

 

Driving with open headers, shame on you........................ for asking.

 

1) ask the shop what other customers have done. That will reveal the local police response better than we can guess.

2)drive during "non traffic" hours. or, ahem, during the police shift change.

3)what's a ticket gonna cost? If you got pulled over, will they refuse to let you continue on? Getting a tow at the wrecker's convenience may be easier than to get one exactly when YOU need it.

in other words...sometimes what you're paying for, is to make life easier. Or as I like to say, paying for peace of mind is a worthwhile investment in life.

4) yes, some rookie cops are looking for trouble. Others realize if you're just idling around, pay them some respect as you go by and don't throw revs just to hear it...that you probably aren't some hooligan.

 

Drive that thang!!! No different than what some of us do all the time. If you're worried about the noise police just don't romp on it but that will be impossible to refrain from.

 

Just drive it. Im sure it is not as loud as most of the Harleys on the road, or punks with 5000 watt stereos!!