Race twin exhaust

From the outside of the car it looks exactly like the standard exhaust....twin chrome oval pipes.

Peter, perhaps the design has changed since you bought yours. Mine is definately nothing like the original with the crome oval tail ends. Mine is most definately round and the tail pipes are much larger diamter, at 3". The ends are what DG describes as 'slash cut'. This means, if I look at the car side on, so I'm also viewing the tail pipe side on, the end of the pipe sort of slopes, so the top of the pipe sort of juts out slightly further than the bottom. A bit like this forward slash: / (the left of the slash being the front of the car and the right of the slash being the back of the car!)

I'd nit outside now and take a picture, but my car's at the garage having it's MOT right now!

I'll record a short video clip this weekend and post it for people to see.

If you think the noise from our exhausts sounds good peterg, listen to the sound of this F50!

http://www.nsxfiles.com/images/f50_font ... l_rev2.wmv

Perhaps my car never came with an 'original exhaust' then because it came with 3" tail pipes in chrome. David is the only one who will know if the design has changed or not. I would post the photo, but I dont actually know how!!!!!

Yep, petes one was one of the first, and had oval pipes. Now, because of a slight redesign, the main tubing and tailpipes are now all 3" bore, and all in one, so they are round and slash cut.

Well. I don't know if I'll be able to take that video footage of my car this weekend!

I went to collect it from it's MOT, but there's a problem! They told me, just as they were about to do the emissions test, the engine spluttered to a stop and now wont start again! There's no noise from the fuel pump when the ignition is turned on. So it looks like the fuel pump might have packed in. I've had to leave the cart with them to investigate further tomorrow.

But, there was another worrying development! The tester told me he would have to fail it on the exhaust! Because there's no silencer, that's a fail! He showed me his MOT 'bible', and under 'reasons for failure' it stated something along the lines of: An exhaust should be silenced and if a replacement exhaust has been fitted, then the noise level should be no more than a similar car with a silenced exhaust. I couldn't believe it! I told them Renault no longer supply an original replacement exhaust and so I had no choice but to buy an alternative. I wouldn't mind, but they put a big hole in my original exhaust, when they removed it to do the engine work. Which was the reason I had to buy a new one in the first place! It wasn't blowing when the car went in for the work! And they fitted my new one for me, knowing I was going to ask them to MOT it, and they never hinted it would be a problem! He was concerned that if I was stopped by the plolice and they saw I had a new MOT, they would go and b*llock him. But he even admitted, even if I could patch my old exhaust (which they've binned anyway) to pass the MOT, I could drive it straight home and put my new one back on anyway!

The mechanic who did the engine work on my car and fittted the exhaust, is not the same guy who does the MOTs. He said he would have a word with them tomorrow. So hopefully he can talk them round for me. Otherwise, I'm at a loss!

So, just a word of caution for anybody thinking of fitting something similar.

I don't know what the alternative is, because every other replacement exhaust I've seen seems to have minimal silencing. And, as I said, Renault told me they no longer supply OE exhausts.

Even if I did get stopped by the police, they're such a rare car, what are the chances that they've never come across one before, and I could convince them, 'that's how they all are officer!'?

Anyone else had a similar problem? Peterg, I noticed yours passed easily enough on the exhaust.

Have I just got a particulary fussy MOT tester? He even commented that I had different sized tyres on, but it was ok as long as they were on the same axle! I was confused, then I realised, he'd noticed that GTAs have wider wheels and tyres on the back, than the front!

Anyway, this might be the least of my worries. I just hope they can get the damm thing started again tomorrow.

the garage who do work for me are car enthusiasts and Ive known the owner for a while.....it sounds like your garage is being a bit pedantic!!!

Yes, just a bit!

It always helps when you know the garage owners. It's the first time I've used this garage. For years, I used to take my cars to a garage where I knew the owner and all the staff. Sadly, they've now closed, hence I've had to find somewhere new.

[simontaylor]

Juzzblack, were the exhaust heat shields on when your MOT tester looked at the car? If not, perhaps if they were on they would hide the lack of silencer situation, a bit? but too late now, at that MOT station.
Does the turbo not provide enough of the silencing on it's own? I expect it would be unreasonably loud without the turbo!

[simontaylor]

peterg, you must know a few traffic cops? Would they be able to give guideance if the exhaust system on your car was too-loud or a nuisance to others?

Because it's basically just a pipe and therefore alot smaller than the original, with it's large silencer, the new exhaust doesn't have or need the heat shield, which was thrown out with the old exhaust anyway!

[simontaylor]

The fitters (probably not mechanics) have not done them selves any favours with you have they. I guess you will be looking for a new garage, when they've fixed this one.
How about getting a recomendation from a TVR garage for a reliable mechnic as TVRs are nearly like GTAs, non-metal, muscular, raced, loud and bigger tyres on the back.

I think your MOTer is being a bit funny with you for some reason. As you mentioned, the exhaust has to be of a volume of a similar car, which could be compared to any other performance car, eg TVRs, Kitcars, which can be alot louder than the system on the GTA.

If you took it to any other MOT station, youd find the tester wouldnt even know the exhaust was different to standard.

There is nothing that stipulates that a silencer must be in the exhaust system. I have the single exit system on mine which has a silencer in the system, but it is louder than the Race Twin! I have never had a problem with MOTS with this.

Heres the laymans guide for the MOT

http://www.motester.co.uk/cog.html

The only thing that applies to a new system in good condition, is if the tester thinks it is excessivly noisy, and I must point out that the system I sell is no louder than equivalent systems found on Skylines, Subarus, Cosworths etc..

The average traffic police officer has no interst in exhaust noise provided youre not blating around McDonalds on a Saturday night......they are only human and have to look up odd legislation.......which they wouldnt bother doing for the run of the mill people.....even then I suspect theyd be hard pushed to find anything that legislated against loud exhausts!!!

Further to the above....I think you need to forge more links with a local garage.....Ive never had problems with garages....and Ive had more than my fair share of border line MOT fails. There are alot out there who still love cars and are willing to give you time and a bit of effort if you have an interesting car....maybe the MOT tester at the garage hasnt been briefied by the boss.....I'm not saying he should pass unroadworthy vehicles but what youre mentioning is petty in the extreme!!!!