Article from the Boston Globe
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Article from the Boston Globe
well, couldn't get the link to work out i'll just post the whole thing...
see below...
"la pipa, a special muffler to make the little Japanese-made engine scream like a jetliner."
Please NO! I hope the woo woo isn't coming to Massachusetts!
see below...
"la pipa, a special muffler to make the little Japanese-made engine scream like a jetliner."
Please NO! I hope the woo woo isn't coming to Massachusetts!
Last edited by deezshady; Mar 31, 2003 at 10:42 AM.
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Rep Power: 0 Politicians, residents seek to muffle roaring cars
By Scott S. Greenberger, Globe Staff, 3/30/2003
''El Baby'' is hot. She's candy-flake electric blue, ''tricked out'' in silver rims and clear taillights, and rides low. Luis Baez spent $4,000 on accessories for the 1993 Honda Civic that he bought for $1,500, but he says the final, critical piece is still on order: la pipa, a special muffler to make the little Japanese-made engine scream like a jetliner.
''I'll be all set for the summer,'' Baez said on a sparkling afternoon last week as girls flocked around his car in the parking lot of English High School in Jamaica Plain. ''That's the last thing.''
But Baez and all the other drivers of so-called ''tuners'' -- the super-slick rehabbed Hondas and Acuras that are all the rage -- have run into enemies on Beacon Hill and at City Hall. Besieged by angry residents at neighborhood meetings, City Councilor John Tobin has called for a hearing on mufflers that he says can make a modest engine sound ''like an airplane is landing in front of you.'' For the second year in a row, a bill that would ban the sale or installation of the mufflers is pending in the Legislature as well.
''It's speeding and it's the noise of the cars, the mufflers,'' said Tobin, whose Jamaica Plain district has seen a boom in tuners in favorite cruising spots like Centre Street. ''We're not trying to upset anybody or ruin anybody's hobby. But we are trying to protect the quality of life of the people we represent in our districts.''
Tobin pointed out that Massachusetts law already bans the use of modified exhaust equipment, but doesn't prohibit the sale or installation of it. Given the roars that routinely rattle windows in his district, he said, the law isn't having the desired effect.
Making cars with small engines sound like powerful behemoths has become increasingly popular since the 2001 release of ''The Fast and the Furious,'' a film about Los Angeles gangs who race tuners. Fast cars, young men, and authority have always been a volatile mix. But in taking on the teenagers, politicians also have run afoul of a more potent constituency: baby boomer fans of classic cars who say antimuffler measures will block them from upgrading the exhaust systems on their vehicles.
''Some people just associate this with gangs,'' said Bob Cecca, 58, owner of a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1965 Ford Mustang -- both of which have modified exhaust systems -- and a member of the Massachusetts Cruisers Auto Club. ''What we want to do is preserve our hobby, and preserve a part of American history.'' Local car clubs have turned out to be a surprisingly influential lobby, and with the help of national groups such as the Specialty Equipment Market Association, they were able to quash a bill to ban the mufflers in last year's legislative session. Car enthusiasts say the measures proposed this year and last by Representative Elizabeth Malia, also of Jamaica Plain, are far too broad and would cover car owners seeking a more durable, better-looking muffler as well as those looking to enhance the roar of their engines.
''It's just poorly written, poorly worded, and has too many holes and avenues of misinterpretation,'' said Warren Meyer, the 55-year-old owner of a 1970 Oldsmobile and a member of the Spindles Auto Club. ''It's the government trying to control every little insignificant part of everyone's life.''
If reducing noise is the goal, Meyer said, the city and the state should set a maximum decibel level and give police officers the equipment to enforce it.
At Jamaica Plain's Mr. V's Discount Auto Parts and Accessories, where the stainless-steel mufflers hang like glittering trophies on the wall and the automotive stickers popular with tuner fans are plastered all over the window, there's a lot of support for that idea. Eddie Vasallo, whose family owns the Centre Street store, said the police officers who lurk nearby on sunny Saturdays harass the teenagers who cruise by in their souped-up cars, while ignoring motorcycles and trucks that can be much louder.
''They pick on the younger crowd, thinking they're the `thug' crowd,'' said Vasallo, 35. ''It's just affecting the little `Fast and Furious' guys.''
If the antimuffler measures pass, Vasallo said, he'll just move his business to Providence.
For his part, Tobin emphasized that he asked for a hearing on the issue so he could hear people on all sides of it. ''We're just examining whether it's feasible to do this on the city level,'' he said. ''We haven't drawn anything up.''
But whatever action state and local politicians might take, the lure of la pipa is likely to remain strong.
''It comes with a silencer, but I took it off today,'' 21-year-old Jose said of the muffler he installed on his maroon Civic, a popular attraction in the English High parking lot last week. ''Because I missed that noise, you know?''
Scott S. Greenberger can be reached at greenberger@globe.com.
This story ran on page B1 of the Boston Globe on 3/30/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
By Scott S. Greenberger, Globe Staff, 3/30/2003
''El Baby'' is hot. She's candy-flake electric blue, ''tricked out'' in silver rims and clear taillights, and rides low. Luis Baez spent $4,000 on accessories for the 1993 Honda Civic that he bought for $1,500, but he says the final, critical piece is still on order: la pipa, a special muffler to make the little Japanese-made engine scream like a jetliner.
''I'll be all set for the summer,'' Baez said on a sparkling afternoon last week as girls flocked around his car in the parking lot of English High School in Jamaica Plain. ''That's the last thing.''
But Baez and all the other drivers of so-called ''tuners'' -- the super-slick rehabbed Hondas and Acuras that are all the rage -- have run into enemies on Beacon Hill and at City Hall. Besieged by angry residents at neighborhood meetings, City Councilor John Tobin has called for a hearing on mufflers that he says can make a modest engine sound ''like an airplane is landing in front of you.'' For the second year in a row, a bill that would ban the sale or installation of the mufflers is pending in the Legislature as well.
''It's speeding and it's the noise of the cars, the mufflers,'' said Tobin, whose Jamaica Plain district has seen a boom in tuners in favorite cruising spots like Centre Street. ''We're not trying to upset anybody or ruin anybody's hobby. But we are trying to protect the quality of life of the people we represent in our districts.''
Tobin pointed out that Massachusetts law already bans the use of modified exhaust equipment, but doesn't prohibit the sale or installation of it. Given the roars that routinely rattle windows in his district, he said, the law isn't having the desired effect.
Making cars with small engines sound like powerful behemoths has become increasingly popular since the 2001 release of ''The Fast and the Furious,'' a film about Los Angeles gangs who race tuners. Fast cars, young men, and authority have always been a volatile mix. But in taking on the teenagers, politicians also have run afoul of a more potent constituency: baby boomer fans of classic cars who say antimuffler measures will block them from upgrading the exhaust systems on their vehicles.
''Some people just associate this with gangs,'' said Bob Cecca, 58, owner of a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1965 Ford Mustang -- both of which have modified exhaust systems -- and a member of the Massachusetts Cruisers Auto Club. ''What we want to do is preserve our hobby, and preserve a part of American history.'' Local car clubs have turned out to be a surprisingly influential lobby, and with the help of national groups such as the Specialty Equipment Market Association, they were able to quash a bill to ban the mufflers in last year's legislative session. Car enthusiasts say the measures proposed this year and last by Representative Elizabeth Malia, also of Jamaica Plain, are far too broad and would cover car owners seeking a more durable, better-looking muffler as well as those looking to enhance the roar of their engines.
''It's just poorly written, poorly worded, and has too many holes and avenues of misinterpretation,'' said Warren Meyer, the 55-year-old owner of a 1970 Oldsmobile and a member of the Spindles Auto Club. ''It's the government trying to control every little insignificant part of everyone's life.''
If reducing noise is the goal, Meyer said, the city and the state should set a maximum decibel level and give police officers the equipment to enforce it.
At Jamaica Plain's Mr. V's Discount Auto Parts and Accessories, where the stainless-steel mufflers hang like glittering trophies on the wall and the automotive stickers popular with tuner fans are plastered all over the window, there's a lot of support for that idea. Eddie Vasallo, whose family owns the Centre Street store, said the police officers who lurk nearby on sunny Saturdays harass the teenagers who cruise by in their souped-up cars, while ignoring motorcycles and trucks that can be much louder.
''They pick on the younger crowd, thinking they're the `thug' crowd,'' said Vasallo, 35. ''It's just affecting the little `Fast and Furious' guys.''
If the antimuffler measures pass, Vasallo said, he'll just move his business to Providence.
For his part, Tobin emphasized that he asked for a hearing on the issue so he could hear people on all sides of it. ''We're just examining whether it's feasible to do this on the city level,'' he said. ''We haven't drawn anything up.''
But whatever action state and local politicians might take, the lure of la pipa is likely to remain strong.
''It comes with a silencer, but I took it off today,'' 21-year-old Jose said of the muffler he installed on his maroon Civic, a popular attraction in the English High parking lot last week. ''Because I missed that noise, you know?''
Scott S. Greenberger can be reached at greenberger@globe.com.
This story ran on page B1 of the Boston Globe on 3/30/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
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Rep Power: 419 La Pipa? WTF, are they saying that all tuners are latino's? Stupid article. Stupid law too. There should be decibel restrictions. That way the stupid Harley's wouldn't be so annoying. I hate those things when they pass you by. Bleh.
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Rep Power: 0 I'm going to write to the author...what do you guys think?
Dear Mr. Greenburger,
I have recently read your article in the Boston Globe (Sunday, March 30) titled “Politicians, residents seek to muffle roaring cars.” In response to your article, I would like to state that I’m in complete agreement with these new mufflers that engines ‘scream like a jetliner.’ However, I wanted to address some common misconceptions that many reporters have been making lately with car enthusiasts today.
Beginning in the 40’s and 50’s, there was a certain stereotype made with teenagers and their cars; pick any movie reflecting that era and you will see them as reckless or at the very least against the grain of normal society. This stereotype extends out to today and with the rise in popularity of import and domestic ‘tuning,’ I feel that we are unjustly represented by the worst of our kind. Take any month during the year and you will see at least one article of a teenager who was street racing and lost control – but these are not enthusiasts that represent the hobby.
For the most part, the tuner culture can be split into two categories – those who work on the car for looks and/or sound, and those who work on the car for performance; I belong to the latter of the two. Some might question why we do what we do and the answer is simple: Some people are content with looks or performance out of the showroom while others choose to make it. Hollywood has chosen to capitalize on looks with such films as “The Fast and the Furious” but this hardly encompasses the vast majority of tuners that are out there.
To give an example, I consider my group of friends to be tuners. Our ages range from 18-30 with professional jobs or pursuing technical or higher educations. We get together on a fairly regular basis and work on our cars. We wouldn’t think of putting one of those mufflers you mentioned in the article on our cars because they serve no purpose. For us, function is more important than getting heads to turn around. To me, our group of friends is more representative of what tuners do and what isn’t commonly shown.
The unfortunate part of being represented by the wrong people is that the consequences from their actions undoubtedly will become ours as well. The best example of this is exhaust systems and decibels. People have had to endure the wail of a motorcycle rolling down the street, but hardly have I heard of a motorcycle being pulled over for a sound violation. Modified imports and domestics require the use of a less restrictive exhaust system in order to achieve gains in horsepower and is usually one of the first things to do (commonly referred to as I/H/E – intake, header, exhaust). I protest the use of equipment on a car that serves no function or is loud enough to disturb neighborhoods, but there is a limit to how quiet you can make the car without sacrificing one’s ultimate goal of performance.
This is the debate that has politicians up in arms. Other places around the United States face the same problems such as Oakland, California that also wants legislation for ‘whistle tips.’ I contest that these things should be regulated but only to a certain extent. I believe that there is an acceptable range that won’t prevent enthusiasts from doing what they have been doing for decades, and be respectful of home owners at the same time.
I strongly suggest you take a look into the other side of car enthusiasts – teenagers and adults that don’t street race; who don’t have huge spoilers on the back of their cars that serve only to be flashy. We are here, but we’re harder to find because we don’t make it a point to announce ourselves. But if you do take the time, I’m sure there would be a lot to learn.
Sincerely,
Blah blah
Dear Mr. Greenburger,
I have recently read your article in the Boston Globe (Sunday, March 30) titled “Politicians, residents seek to muffle roaring cars.” In response to your article, I would like to state that I’m in complete agreement with these new mufflers that engines ‘scream like a jetliner.’ However, I wanted to address some common misconceptions that many reporters have been making lately with car enthusiasts today.
Beginning in the 40’s and 50’s, there was a certain stereotype made with teenagers and their cars; pick any movie reflecting that era and you will see them as reckless or at the very least against the grain of normal society. This stereotype extends out to today and with the rise in popularity of import and domestic ‘tuning,’ I feel that we are unjustly represented by the worst of our kind. Take any month during the year and you will see at least one article of a teenager who was street racing and lost control – but these are not enthusiasts that represent the hobby.
For the most part, the tuner culture can be split into two categories – those who work on the car for looks and/or sound, and those who work on the car for performance; I belong to the latter of the two. Some might question why we do what we do and the answer is simple: Some people are content with looks or performance out of the showroom while others choose to make it. Hollywood has chosen to capitalize on looks with such films as “The Fast and the Furious” but this hardly encompasses the vast majority of tuners that are out there.
To give an example, I consider my group of friends to be tuners. Our ages range from 18-30 with professional jobs or pursuing technical or higher educations. We get together on a fairly regular basis and work on our cars. We wouldn’t think of putting one of those mufflers you mentioned in the article on our cars because they serve no purpose. For us, function is more important than getting heads to turn around. To me, our group of friends is more representative of what tuners do and what isn’t commonly shown.
The unfortunate part of being represented by the wrong people is that the consequences from their actions undoubtedly will become ours as well. The best example of this is exhaust systems and decibels. People have had to endure the wail of a motorcycle rolling down the street, but hardly have I heard of a motorcycle being pulled over for a sound violation. Modified imports and domestics require the use of a less restrictive exhaust system in order to achieve gains in horsepower and is usually one of the first things to do (commonly referred to as I/H/E – intake, header, exhaust). I protest the use of equipment on a car that serves no function or is loud enough to disturb neighborhoods, but there is a limit to how quiet you can make the car without sacrificing one’s ultimate goal of performance.
This is the debate that has politicians up in arms. Other places around the United States face the same problems such as Oakland, California that also wants legislation for ‘whistle tips.’ I contest that these things should be regulated but only to a certain extent. I believe that there is an acceptable range that won’t prevent enthusiasts from doing what they have been doing for decades, and be respectful of home owners at the same time.
I strongly suggest you take a look into the other side of car enthusiasts – teenagers and adults that don’t street race; who don’t have huge spoilers on the back of their cars that serve only to be flashy. We are here, but we’re harder to find because we don’t make it a point to announce ourselves. But if you do take the time, I’m sure there would be a lot to learn.
Sincerely,
Blah blah
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From: North, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by Grey
La Pipa? there should be decibel restrictions. That way the stupid Harley's wouldn't be so annoying. I hate those things when they pass you by. Bleh.
La Pipa? there should be decibel restrictions. That way the stupid Harley's wouldn't be so annoying. I hate those things when they pass you by. Bleh.
Easy Now.. my mom and my step Dad are bikers. Even my Little Sisters name is HARLEY..
DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 Still makes sense IMO. Decibel restrictions instead of restrictions on exhausts. Same with tint on SUV's and minivans. Why should they get to have it darker and not sport compacts?
There's this one dude on my street with a Harley and you can hear him coming and going from a mile away. Makes car alarms go off too. Wakes people up. Noise polution. Bleh.
There's this one dude on my street with a Harley and you can hear him coming and going from a mile away. Makes car alarms go off too. Wakes people up. Noise polution. Bleh.
Yup, i'm an A$$hole.
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From: Florida
Rep Power: 329 Some Harleys sound nice, but nice or not, when you can hear it from a mile away, it's very annoying. I like the sound of a Ford F350 with bombs and 3" pipes with 90degree angles on the tips.....but it's annoying when you are trying to sleep and they go WOT down your street with the exhaust screaming.
DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 Exactly. Imagine the little babies waking up. Imagine car alarms going off and draining batteries. There's just a ton of things wrong with that. Any kind of noise pollution isn't k3wl actually.
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From: Woostah
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Originally posted by Grey
Exactly. Imagine the little babies waking up. Imagine car alarms going off and draining batteries. There's just a ton of things wrong with that. Any kind of noise pollution isn't k3wl actually.
Exactly. Imagine the little babies waking up. Imagine car alarms going off and draining batteries. There's just a ton of things wrong with that. Any kind of noise pollution isn't k3wl actually.
WTF???? And you never drive around in the summer with your windows open and stereo blaring????? come on now.... You have issues w/ B and I since we have some "boom boom" and we play it loud at 3AM....
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