Hey all,
So locally where I live we have some stupid laws regarding vehicle modifications, coupled with a large crackdown on the formally-large cruise scene here in Winnipeg by the police "Vehicle Inspection Unit". They're out every weekend pulling cars over for inspection, and according to the local paper, 97% of all vehicle inspected fail - either ticketed or towed.
One of the laws that needs fixing is in regards to exhausts. No straight-through or "hollywood" style mufflers are allowed. How the VUI has been known to check for this is to stick a broom handle up the tailpipe, if it can go past the muffler, you fail.
My car has an aftermarket stainless steel exhaust that while reasonably quiet, would fail their inspection. I'm trying to make my car "VUI-proof" so I'm looking for a new muffler.
Does anyone have a recommendation for an aftermarket stainless-steel muffler that isn't a straight-though design? Car is a 1999 Honda Civic.
Honestly my suggestion: Put a turndown on the tailpipe. They can't fit a broomstick in it that way.
Make the pipe longer then the broomstick.
curtis73 wrote:
Honestly my suggestion: Put a turndown on the tailpipe. They can't fit a broomstick in it that way.
Or a turn out, or a 45° bend.
Spintech would be my choice, but really any chambered muffler will do.
Flowmaster or Cherry Bomb Extreme
Don't civics of that era have cross-over mufflers anyways?
How about installing a screen inside the pipe at the muffler. Can't get a broom stick past that and wouldn't restrict what you have. Although you might have to disassemble your exhaust to put the screen in.
mount the muffler sideways and run a relatively large radius 90° bend feeding the muffler and exiting the muffler. (look at how the NA Miata exhaust runs and you'll know what I'm talking about). your exhaust may exit on the opposite side of the car compared to what it does now (idk how Honda exhausts are routed) but the larger radius bend shouldn't futz with flow too much, and there's no way it's gonna not pass the VUI test, unless they suddenly get flexible broomsticks. if they do, just find a muffler where the inlet and output are on the same end
lol, I don't think bosozoku exhaust would really improve my chances of passing inspection..... 
Osterkraut wrote:
Spintech would be my choice, but really any chambered muffler will do.
Thanks, I didn't consider them, looks like they might have something that could fit the ticket.
curtis73, HappyAndy, good ideas but visually I'm not a fan of turndowns, sorry. If my bumper didn't have a cutout for the tip I'd totally tuck it up and do this.
BoneYard, looks like the Cherry Bomb is aluminized steel only, but Flowmaster does have a few SS mufflers I'll have to look into, thanks.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid, you're thinking of the 88-91 style civic, here's the best pic of my exhaust I have on hand:
Basically the piping goes over the lower control arm, and has the space between the spare tire well and the bumper for a muffler before exiting the right side of the bumper.
wlkelley3, I thought of that. I'd need to finder a welder talented enough to weld the very thin metal though, and it would technically still be illegal if they shone a light up the tailpipe for a look.
Run a few pieces of 1/8" dia TIG welding rod through the exhaust in a cross shape right after the muffler. Plug weld the ends, grind them smooth, paint the exhaust. Problem solved.
Weld an "X" in a cherry bomb. It will stop a broomstick and shouldn't harm flow. Damn, your laws suck. We can get away with almost anything here.
You might also use a Supertrapp 'disc only' muffler with a whole lot of discs as an end cap. It's pretty easy to make it quickly removeable.
