Troubles in Texas: Is My Modified Muffler Legal?

Yes, it would be illegal for you to pass the Texas State Inspection.

I'd also recommend a new set of tires from B.F. HoodRich. The ones you have now look like crap and your homies are definitely not impressed.

And spinners. You gotta have spinners. On those 10" chrome wheels.

Undercarriage LED lighting. Get the one with the remote and 18 modes. Don't get neon. Neon is just so yesterday.

An airbrush painting of the Virgin Mother holding Baby Jesus (pronounced 'hey-Suse') on the rear window along with your surname in a large, campy Gothic typeface across the top. You can buy the appliques at Pep Boys.

A great big chrome exhaust tip to convince ppl you're driving more than a weedwacker. They won't be convinced, of course, but you'll be a hit with the local goyas.

Giant woofers in your trunk and a Tejano CD in your deck so other drivers on your street will notice you and seriously consider getting that firearms licence after all.

I think we're done here.

You forgot the extra spare 'dummy' chrome exhaust tip so it looks like you have dual exhaust. If they use that one for the sniffer test, you will pass with flying colors. No pollution comes out of that exhaust.

You also need to replace the washer jets on your hood with blue LED's.

Oh, lots of faux race stickers on the quarter panel so you look like a race car. Pep Boys has a nice selection.

Be certain that you paint your hood a different color than the rest of your car. Primer black or grey are your only two color options. Anything else and you will be called (Rightly) a poser.

If your car has front wheel drive, then a gigantic rear wing is a must. It is imparitave that you move the weight bias from the driven wheels to the undriven (rear) wheels to facilitate a more rapid new car purchase. The economy needs you to buy a new car as soon as possible and this rear wing should speed the process up.

Three exhaust tips; one for the weedwacker proper and one per each 4-cylinder faux manifold. You want the vatos to think there's an Allison in there, not that they'd appreciate the difference. Ka-ching!

Along with all the suggestions that have been given here, head to your auto parts store and purchase a bacurmpeter pump and mount it to the frame fashion a hose from your windshield washer tank to the pump and then connect to the input side, from the output side of the pump take some stainless tubing and run along the frame bend a 90 degree angle so that the tube will spray the coolant on your muffler.... you will be legal to be a total dumb ass in the state Of Texas

Here in Pittsburgh we say "yuns" instead of "y'all". It's much more poetic.

The only way to really test the exhaust is with a sound meter. I would bet it's not going to be legal though. What good is an exhaust that you can't hear the tunes over anyway?

Here in Pittsburgh we say "yuns" instead of "y'all". It's much more poetic.

Being a former Pittsburgher (for >42 yrs) I appreciate the proper use of "yuns", but your Bio says you are in Rochester, NY. Now Rochester, PA is a suburb of Pittsburgh, but Rochester, NY now that's a stretch.

In most states any change from OEM exhaust is illegal. However, if your obviously within the states db limit, you won't get bothered by the inspector. They usually don't have db meters so it's very subjective. I suggest you find a customization shop who can issue stickers. They would be more liberal.

I have say that it's only an "upgrade" if your car actually benefits from it. Most 4 bangers lose torque when an open exhaust is bolted on. Without an ECU tune your new exhaust is most likely a downgrade.

Dear OP,

Leave the muffler alone, yank the Tejano CD out of your deck and plop in a binaural recording of Tom Schumacher doing 4.435 in the quarter mile (0-100 in under one second at 5 gees). Make sure your woofers are thermally protected.

-E da Meany

So you like a little car that sounds like a chain saw?

Oh be Stihl.

The only correct answer to your question is in the code book brought to you by the municipality you are in at any given moment. Some only object to excessive noise, but fail to specify what is excessive. Some have a strict decibel level at a predetermined distance. That requires a reading from a decimeter to be able to convict. Others prohibit anything that is not accepted as "same as original equipment".

Re read # 10. Put it on your IPod with the best headphones you can afford. It will solve two problems. 1 It will give you the sound you should have, without annoying the rest of the world. 2 You will not be annoyed by the gentleman with the blue lights on his roof that wanted you to listen to his stupid noise maker.

"Put it on your IPod with the best headphones you can afford."

Driving with headphones is illegal in most places. As longs as he stays in Texas, I don't care what he does.

"You will not be annoyed by the gentleman with the blue lights on his roof that wanted you to listen to his stupid noise maker."

If the above scenario plays out, I don't think our OP will care that much about the headphone ticket.

Heavens, he is Texas and yall forgot the dingle balls and chrome chain steering wheel!!! What is the world coming to?

Just keep a stock muffler and when you go to git checked just put the stock on. Problem solved. Now for the blue light special just drive slowly by....