Side exit exhaust legalities

[Cloud]

Well after removing the manifolds and the rest of my exhaust today it got me thinking. If i wanted to put a short side exit exhaust onto my 360, what are the MOT requirements, as it has no cat anyway, would it just be a noise issue? could i say...get away with bike cans from the down pipe or am i going to need a silencer?

[WooDooUK]

As long as the system is complete with no holes in it (i.e blowing) it should be fine. Complete means anything TBH custom side exit or standard.

As for noise it is up to the MOT Testers discretion, I have seen my local tester fail silly chav exhausts for being to loud but then pass a 115db AC Crobra replica, so as long its loud and sounds good your should be ok.

[Cloud]

AWESOME! Because i know the local MOT mechanic rather well ^_^

[filthyjohn]

I imagine most testers will be fine about it. There'll probably be the odd cantankerous jobsworth who'll kick up a fuss but if you know your tester it'll all be gravy.
The police on the other hand can be a problem with this sort of thing. If they think it's too loud they can whinge about it and give you a DRN, or try and say you have no insurance if you haven't declared it to your insurer. That'll depend on which lovely member of the constabulary you deal with, some are human, and some are just workie tickets.


Not meaning to be captain bring-down or owt, I say go for it.

[Jason B]

I think declaring any mods goes without saying fj, it's likely to not cost anything to declare and means that whatever happens you are insured. Just try to make sure its not tooo loud because under new rules, the police can give it a section ?59? and tow it away for a vosa test iirc

[filthyjohn]

Section 59 is terrifying, and for that reason I'd recommend at least one silencer, as the easiest place for a side exit is just in front of the NSR wheel, where the exhaust comes close to the side of the car anyway.
Section 59 gives a copper the power to seize your car based purely on opinion, with no proof needed whatsoever. It even gives him power to use reasonable force to enter your property to seize your car or your keys IIRC.

[WooDooUK]

, as the easiest place for a side exit is just in front of the NSR wheel, where the exhaust comes close to the side of the car anyway.

Like this after my standard exhaust backbox disintergrated (speeling ) i did this by chopping it just before the second 90 bend and welded on the tale pipe from the backbox pointing it at the floor It was supprisingly loud running just the centre box, sounded a bit iffy if im honest. Looked cool tho

[V6 Man]

There is a rule to the effect that no exhaust exit is allowed to be within 'howevermany' centimeters of a door/entrance/whatever.

[MJ]

I'd not heard of Section 59 before, but it does indeed sound rather frightening

Obviously the purpose is to get dangerous, MOT failed Novas, belonging hooligan chavs off the raod, and that is a noble cause - but like so much legislation these days, it can easily be misused.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin

What's next, 42 day detention without trial... Oh yeah, we already have that... "I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery” Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Sorry for the off topic, good luck with the side exhaust.

[Jason B]

Yeah, its a problem for a lot of real drifters with cars that are road legal and mot'd but basically only driven to the tracks as I think one or two of them had their cars impounded on the way to a european championship round - how unfair is that!!

[filthyjohn]

Yeah, a copper can basically decide that something is illegal even if it isn't. I'll try to dig up the actual legislation.