Back in the 80’s before I ruined my hearing, I could literally tell you what kind of car was driving by by the sound of the exhaust. I even proved it to a friend one day by closing my eyes and listening to traffic drive by.
Ford, Dodge and Chevy all have a distinct sound compared to each other.
These days, some of these fucking cars are so quiet, I can’t even hear the engine running standing right next to the fucker and let’s not even get into these electric/ hybrid sonsabitches.
Loud Pipes Save Lives?
We were actually trying to decide if the Tango (www.commutercars.com) needed a “sound” when cruising around the inner city, but I told Rick that the stereo would do a good job of making noise… especially if it was a youngster driving it!
Back in the 70’s my dad bought a Cab-over Mack that had cracked block for the farm. Dad was an engine mechanic in the USAF before I came along. He bought a Cummins out of a wrecked Freightliner and did a full rebuild on it before we dropped it into the Mack. The turbo-charged Cummins mated to the “performance” Mack single stack exhaust had a sound unlike any other truck.
The ’76 Dodge Power Wagon my dad had when I was a kid was like that. Glasspack mufflers and low gearing made for a distinctive growl you could hear coming from a block away.
Nothing fancy, just a 318, four-speed and full-time four-wheel drive, but you could NOT get it stuck and it had gobs of literal stump-pulling torque. When Dad’s co-workers got their Fords and Chevys bogged down in the mud, Dad was always their first call . . .
Back in the early ’80s I had a CL Valiant ute with a 245 Hemi 6-banger. Early one morn before dawn, I overtook a dawdling Mini-Moke* on the highway, the sudden increase in gas pressure blew my rusted exhaust pipe open well near the engine pipe, just as I was level with the Moke. The hapless unprotected Moke driver jumped about 6″ from his seat, veering away from my ute. I was only running a bog standard engine, but each of those 245 c.i. did a better job of waking him and I both up than any morning coffee. The glow of the exhaust gases ejected from the pipe in the morning gloom got me a few stares from other drivers. *the Mini-Mokes were a British exercise in minimalism, they should never have been certified for road use, the occupants being wholely unprotected in any collision. Not that they could reach a high enough speed themselves, but if struck by a heavier vehicle, say a Moped, injuries were certain in the Moke.
Johno, here in the states that ute would be an econo box small pick up and not worth spit…
Well Cederq, you’re right. Chrysler Australia made a few marketing choices that made people scratch their heads. They used the Dodge brand for budget locally-made work vehicles and imported mid-range sedans. Valiant was used as it’s own brand name for 6 and 8-cylinder mid-size cars built and sold locally, and exported to the UK and NZ. They imported optioned-up DeSoto cars, also flash imported Chryslers. One brand of flash local models they gave a wanky name to: Chrysler by Chrysler, ptt! One mistake was not offering a pickup or 4WD setup for farmers or hunters. Ford and IH sold quite a few. So did Jeep, until buyers found that they couldn’t make the drive home on the crook roads of my youth. As for not worth spit? While you’re warming up in front of a fire, suss out the selling prices of Aussie Valiants and related brands.
I know every single time my neighbors diesel departs and arrives.
Early 90s the Bison Transmission crew had a Ford that they pulled the Backhoe trailer and pipe trailers. Was not a class 8. That diesel through a single stack sounded sweet. Of course Kirby was an excellent driver and could shift perfectly.
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Back in the 80’s before I ruined my hearing, I could literally tell you what kind of car was driving by by the sound of the exhaust. I even proved it to a friend one day by closing my eyes and listening to traffic drive by.
Ford, Dodge and Chevy all have a distinct sound compared to each other.
These days, some of these fucking cars are so quiet, I can’t even hear the engine running standing right next to the fucker and let’s not even get into these electric/ hybrid sonsabitches.
Loud Pipes Save Lives?
We were actually trying to decide if the Tango (www.commutercars.com) needed a “sound” when cruising around the inner city, but I told Rick that the stereo would do a good job of making noise… especially if it was a youngster driving it!
Back in the 70’s my dad bought a Cab-over Mack that had cracked block for the farm. Dad was an engine mechanic in the USAF before I came along. He bought a Cummins out of a wrecked Freightliner and did a full rebuild on it before we dropped it into the Mack. The turbo-charged Cummins mated to the “performance” Mack single stack exhaust had a sound unlike any other truck.
The ’76 Dodge Power Wagon my dad had when I was a kid was like that. Glasspack mufflers and low gearing made for a distinctive growl you could hear coming from a block away.
Nothing fancy, just a 318, four-speed and full-time four-wheel drive, but you could NOT get it stuck and it had gobs of literal stump-pulling torque. When Dad’s co-workers got their Fords and Chevys bogged down in the mud, Dad was always their first call . . .
Back in the early ’80s I had a CL Valiant ute with a 245 Hemi 6-banger. Early one morn before dawn, I overtook a dawdling Mini-Moke* on the highway, the sudden increase in gas pressure blew my rusted exhaust pipe open well near the engine pipe, just as I was level with the Moke. The hapless unprotected Moke driver jumped about 6″ from his seat, veering away from my ute. I was only running a bog standard engine, but each of those 245 c.i. did a better job of waking him and I both up than any morning coffee. The glow of the exhaust gases ejected from the pipe in the morning gloom got me a few stares from other drivers. *the Mini-Mokes were a British exercise in minimalism, they should never have been certified for road use, the occupants being wholely unprotected in any collision. Not that they could reach a high enough speed themselves, but if struck by a heavier vehicle, say a Moped, injuries were certain in the Moke.
Johno, here in the states that ute would be an econo box small pick up and not worth spit…
Well Cederq, you’re right. Chrysler Australia made a few marketing choices that made people scratch their heads. They used the Dodge brand for budget locally-made work vehicles and imported mid-range sedans. Valiant was used as it’s own brand name for 6 and 8-cylinder mid-size cars built and sold locally, and exported to the UK and NZ. They imported optioned-up DeSoto cars, also flash imported Chryslers. One brand of flash local models they gave a wanky name to: Chrysler by Chrysler, ptt! One mistake was not offering a pickup or 4WD setup for farmers or hunters. Ford and IH sold quite a few. So did Jeep, until buyers found that they couldn’t make the drive home on the crook roads of my youth. As for not worth spit? While you’re warming up in front of a fire, suss out the selling prices of Aussie Valiants and related brands.
I know every single time my neighbors diesel departs and arrives.
Early 90s the Bison Transmission crew had a Ford that they pulled the Backhoe trailer and pipe trailers. Was not a class 8. That diesel through a single stack sounded sweet. Of course Kirby was an excellent driver and could shift perfectly.