Neon SR4T

[COMtech]

There is now a car out there that is street legal, frm the factory, and not allowed to run with COMSCC at all due to a rules glitch. The new Neon Turbo has no mufflers. None. According to COM rules, all cars must have mufflers. I know why this rule was put in place, but wanted to hear y'all's thoughts/opinions/ideas on what to do about this.<br>
<br>
Kevin

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[Tony]

Turbo cars don't need mufflers....last supra I worked on , the turbo was the muffler....that lead to 414 rwhp on a fairly stock car... 18psi.

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[COMtech]

I agree that they don't need turbos for street use, my dad had a Supra TT that he ran without mufflers that was plenty quiet for the street. The problem is that because you're allowed to change the cat-back exhaust, people were doing this the way the rule was peviously written, and not putting mufflers on, which was a big advantage to turbo cars. As a result, it is in the rule buuk that all cars are required to have mufflers. I think it's a bit silly to make this car put a muffler on it, but how do we work that into the rules?<br>
<br>
Kevin

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[Crusin]

What was the intent of the muffler rule? Sound Level or performance gain? A rule already addresses the sound level with the requirement to meet the track db level.

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[COMtech]

The original intent was to limit performance gain, as there was a bigger performance advantage for turbos over normally aspirated cars. At the time the rule was added, the way the rules were written, mufflers were required in ST but not SS. The idea was to keep the sound at the lower of the acceptable extremes.<br>
<br>
Kevin

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[MMiskoe]

I would think that since it was delivered from the factory w/o mufflers it would be allowed to run that way. Similar to cars like the original cobras & GT40's which did not have muffers. They just have to meet noise regs. If it is a kit car, or a grey market car then it is in-elligible for SS or ST which requires it to be a mass produced street car. Once your in SP nobody cares about mufflers, or wheel width, or engine mods or.......

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[Tony]

The rule should be changed along the lines of....No mufflers shall be removed....or....If a vehicle is delivered from the factory with a muffler, than it must remain with a muffler, if it is delivered with out a muffler, It may compete in SS. If the intent is to compete in any other class, the car must have a muffler installed...<br>
<br>
Something along those lines.<br>
<br>
Tony

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[Seth]

I think the wording of "no mufflers may be removed" or "same number of mufflers as delivered from factory" would be better, as not to create a loophole for a kit car which technically wasn't delivered with mufflers (or a motor).. <br>
<br>


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[Crusin]

The wording, "no mufflers may be removed" is quite limiting. This means the stock muffler could never be replaced without cause for protest. You could not add a performance exhaust, and I do not think this is the intent. The rule could read something along the lines of the "replaced with the same number of mufflers in the same locations". You could even go the the extent of requiring the routing of the exhaust to follow the same path as the original.<br>
<br>
Crusin

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[blafromboise]

All cars must meet db levels at each track. Cars originally equipped with muffler(s) must have muffler(s) installed. Exhaust must exit behind the rear wheels outside the body work, except cars that were factory built with side pipes(ex. Cobra Replica).<br>
<br>
This wording should work for the Neon turbo and seems like it would cover our current intent of the rules.<br>
<br>
Brian LaFromboise

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[comsccAdmin]

Actually, there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding.<br>
<br>
If you look under Showroom Stock, section IX.D.6., you'll see<br>
that the rule says nothing about mufflers being required. It just<br>
says you can't modify the stock system. So, it's actually irrelevant<br>
that the car comes with no muffler, in fact, it's probably illegal to<br>
add one. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START ;) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
<br>
Ironically, the hitch comes in Street Stock, because section X.6.A.,<br>
does explicitly say that muffler use is required, although the type is<br>
unrestricted.<br>
<br>
So, no rule change is required for the SRT-4 to run in SS, but<br>
we may have to clarify the ST rule to allow SRT-4s in ST.<br>
<br>
-Herb<br>


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[DennisC]

Can someone point me to a brochure or article on the SRT-4 stating that is doesn't have a muffer, silencer or resonator of some sort? I know how loud my turbo 4 was without a muffler and I'm having a hard time believing that this vehicle is being manufactured without one. Perhaps it is just semantics and it has a "silencer" or "resonator" but no "muffler"?<br>
<br>
Dennis Cleary

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[Mark Swinehart]

Dennis -<br>
<br>
You may be right, but a number of sites on the web contain similar references to the exhaust system.<br>
<br>
". . . and a muffler-less, dual outlet exhaust system with wider, 2.5-inch polished stainless tips."

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[CarlFossum]

Dennis,<br>
Check out Car & Driver, December 2002, page 62-63.<br>
-Carl

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[DennisC]

Thanks Mark and Carl. I don't get Car and Driver but I'll try to check out the article somehow. <br>
<br>
Just another thought. What if they added something to the catalytic converter to quiet things down (baffles, chambers, whatever). It would technically still be just a cat but would also provide the benefits of a muffler. Food for thought. <br>
<br>
Still skeptical....<br>
Dennis

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