I find myself at the crossroads for my current track car. It's configured for road racing/autocross but could easily be a 1/4 mile car. It was built by a friend (Chris Wilson) of a friend (Jason Short) who had it set up to own Watkins Glen raceway, and it did that. At one point it had the fastest f-body time.

The car has a very strong forged 24X 383 making 440+rwhp, a rebuilt T56 with the upgraded 3-4 fork and the stock 10bolt. It's got a suspension loaded with koni & strano parts. It's loud, it's fast and it's a hell of a lot of fun. The chassis is straight, the paint has failed (meaning degraded over time, not rusting, not accidents/body damage). It's got a cage and the harnesses on both seats. It's a truly reliable race car.

My issue is that now that it is in MA (was in NY) and I want to actually drive it on the street it's become a problem. Shops want nothing to do with it around me and I don't want to drive it far and risk a ticket. I swear, they see a cage or hear it and it is over even though I don't have to pass a plug in or tailpipe test.

Really at a crossroads here between trying to sell outright or parting it out. If you have a trailer and an inspection guy this is a great street/track car. I have neither.

What are your guys thoughts? Sell it outright? Part it? Or other? I'd redirect any funds into another LT1 car I have so don't worry, I will still be keeping my other two LTX cars

Thanks for any thoughts.

Brian

 

I see your problem but every time I see or read about a work of art parted out it makes my stomach turn. Tough dillema for sure.

 

I vote for keep it. Tint the windows as dark as legal and put a quieter exhaust on it. Go with a new paint job, something bland like white or silver. It should have no issues then. My Primered gray 95 is left alone, I blend right into traffic.

 

Well if it's 24x what's the problem? Why won't they touch it? Why does it need to go to a shop?

 

MA is probably second to California in sucktitude for inspections. Its emissions and plug in exempt but I have to bring it in to an inspection shop every year for safety, which is fine. Just because it is emissions exempt shops can still fail you for decibels and really any reason they want. Too loud, check engine light, crappy idle, etc. The state has been cracking down so shops are hesitant.

The car is white so that won't help, haha. I could quiet it down but the hooker catback isn't that loud. I think only a dual dual would help and even then who really knows.

I don't even know what the car whole or the parts would be worth. I've been talking with Jason and have an idea but it's real tough to tell. Hard to get another car that is so tight for the money I would imagine.

Keep em coming guys!

Thanks,
Brian

 

Situation is tough one for sure. Yes, it would be worth money in parts, but I've never been a fan of doing that to nice cars. I've had great luck selling LT & LS cars in the past. Sounds like you have a nice ride. Run a cutout to make it loud as sin, and the run a factory rear catback to really quieten it down

 

Second to Kali and you are exempt from sniff test or OBD readiness???

lulz, cmon man, stop making excuses, if you wanna ditch the car do it, otherwise, make it work.

Safety inspection... lol

 

Ok, maybe I was a bit dramatic on it but still doesn't change the issue, lol. They are tough here. Much tougher than some states even near by and way tougher than most. I used Cali as a reference because I know it's toughest there.

The wrinkle is that they can still fail you or turn you away for those things mentioned even if I don't have to pass a plug in or tail pipe test.

 

If you don't have to, essentially, pass any pollution tests, THEN WHAT'S THE PROBLEM??


Noisy....put a muffler on it!
Safety....do all the lights, turn signals, and horn work?
Additional safety....are the brakes all good, does the e-brake work, do the wipers work, is the windshield not cracked, are the suspension parts all tight?

If all the above is good, then take it to a shop and let them run it through the inspection process. You can't say, "It won't pass", until somebody fails it!!

 

Because even though there's not a formal test it can fail visual/audible 'judgment' based tests by the shop. Like I mentioned - if a station thinks it's 'loud' they can fail it or turn away. Make no mistake, I have tried. That's why I have the post.....about ready to give up.

 

Hit up a high perf shop and see which inspection station they recommend. There's got to be a place that's sympathetic to hot rodders.

 

Put a muffler on it then if it's to loud, not sure how many times that's been posted but damn.

You want a pain in the *** state come visit Colorado, I'm pretty sure the only state worse is Cali.

 

Nope, NJ takes the cake for second to Kali.

regardless, OP what does the state say with the safety stuff, its a state thing therefore it cannot be wishy washy. Find out what you need to do and do it.

 

I see many cars in MA with exhaust out the front bumper rolling around with plates and driven on the street. Your not the only car in the whole state like it is. Post up in the regional section and ask people where they go.

 

The wishy washy part is how loud it is or how it looks. This is the problem. They won't touch it." Even though it passes safety and has no emissions check. Maybe I just still need to find the right shop to inspect it. It's just annoying is all.

I'd hate to mess with the setup based on how awesome it was put together and runs but I suppose if I want to keep it I may have to invest in it. My issue is my 97SS and 96 Impala is where the funds go.

Too many projects I guess.

Any muffler recommendations to quiet it down at least?

 

Safety Tests
Safety inspections typically take about 12 minutes. In a safety test, the inspector looks for or tests 14 key areas:
1. Visual Overview
Certificate of registration
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
License plate(s) Decal
2. Brake Tests
Parking brake
Service brake
3. Exhaust System
Exhaust system components/Muffler
Visible blue or black smoke
4. Steering and Suspension
Steering wheel and box
Suspension/front end
Springs
Shocks
5. Horn
Sound horn to test for adequate signal
The horn must be securely fastened to the vehicle
6. Glazing, Glass and Windshield Wipers
Windshield
Windshield wipers and washer
Windows
Tint
7. Rear View Mirror
Rear view mirror
Mirrors (General)
8. Lighting Devices
Head light aim
Hazard lights/directionals/stop/reverse lights/and license plate light(s)
Reflectors
9. Tires and Wheels
Tires
Wheels
10. Bumper, Fenders, and Fuel Tank
Bumpers
Fenders
Floor pans
Fuel tank
Vehicle Frame or Unibody
11. Altered Vehicle Height
12. Seat Belts
13. Airbags
14. Fuel Tank Cap

Nothing in there mentions sound levels, cages/bars, or anything else regarding your worries.. Toss a muffler on, get it to a state inspection center (not sure if there exist or if its all private?) and see what happens.

 

If it was mine and your worried about noise, get a factory catback exhaust and change out the tips to something nice looking. Then run a cutout for when you want it to perform.

 

What do you currently have for an exhaust system, that a muffler would have to be hung on?

 

So now that I am on a computer and not a phone, some more lengthy thoughts.

I am good with the safety part, always have been. I know the rules, and the car will pass no problem.

The kicker on this whole thing, and this is where my issue is, is that even though there is no plug in test, or tailpipe test, there are laws in MA around noise (this is an easy fix as others have noted with a different exhaust setup). There also seems to be a 'fear' of passing a race car in my area because I guess law enforcement will go after shops that pass non-compliant cars. For example, I swap a catback and pass because it is quiet, and then put my other one back on and get stopped, some will check who inspected it and then the shop is open to a fine. This is what I am told by some shops (when I say shop, I mean inspection station because they are almost always in shops). So you get a car that pulls in with a cage, and lumpy idle, etc. they get skittish with it.

The other issue is that I'm at the stage of my life (21 month old at home) that time is such a damn challenge. My wife and I both work so to be frank, I want to spend my free non-work, non-toddler time with my wife. For those with kids, you know what I mean (it's very easy to lose touch).

So that's the kicker really. It's a pain in the ***, time is at a premium, and I think I could get my money out of it, or close to it. Every $ I put in I won't get back and because I work in finance my head hates that idea, haha.

But the car is so kickass...........which is why I posted this in the first place.

Exhaust:

Pacesetter LT's, no cats, Hooker catback. I will see If I can dig up a stock exhaust, that should be short money, at least. But any aftermarket muffler suggestions would be good as well.

Brian

 

Register in another state, preferably FL.