GT6 Cant restore my GT6 - what do I do? - [long]

[UmmYeahOk]

Aside from selling it anyway...

Despite having half the block come up to us asking about the car, complementing it, and talking about cars, someone doesnt like us. We dont have an HOA, so pretty much the only rules we follow are the towns. We are breaking one rule, no junked vehicle may be seen. To be a junked vehicle, it much 1) not be registered or inspected, and two 2) not be able to move on its own power. Tried to get it registered last week, but because its never been registered in the state of TX before, it has to be inspected first before they'll let me register it.

Anyway, knowing this I have not had any issues with the town over this vehicle. However a few minutes ago a police officer walked up explaining that someone made a complaint. I was inside at the time, so I asked my husband specifically what it was. I think apparently it had something to do with the noise. Either him grinding, cutting metal, hammering, or our air compressor, I dunno.

This was about 5:30pm when he showed up. An odd time, being that most people are just coming back from work. (but I understand that not everyone has the same hours.) It just bothers me that I get woken up by peoples dogs and people mowing, but because its in the day time, its ok?!? Why is it ok for them to do that, but not us to grind? I have often wondered about toddlers and babies who have nap times, but it shouldnt be too loud if theyre inside a house. It does echo down the street though. But we only do this stuff around 11am-7pm, so its not like early bed times, people sleeping in should be a problem.

It was just a warning though. The cop said that if he had to come back though, hed issue us a citation. Since hes a cop, and he mentioned some ordinance, Im guessing disturbing the peace, or noise pollution, or something cop related, because if it were a junked vehicle, they would have just sent some town official in one of their white town vehicles, and not a physical cop. He didnt seem to mention "junk vehicle." The topic was somewhat related to noise, but again, never specified directly.

Ive wanted to report tons of people, but dont simply because I didnt want code enforcement being focused on our street. Not just because of the GT6, but because I dont always mow the yard every week. Im not the worst lot on the block, but I know theres always something they could get us for.

From what a neighbor told us Saturday, hes been harassed about his vehicle too. I wonder if its not personal, just someone trying to clean up the street again. A couple years ago someone was selling their house, and several people got warnings for stupid stuff, some things they were actually grandfathered in to do. Thats how I know about the junked vehicle. They got us for two of our vehicles that were parked in our driveway. They looked perfectly fine from the street, just didnt move. Guess thats what you get for having 20th century cars in this town.

Anyway, my husband is out there still being noisy (we've got a couple minutes of daylight left) I asked him what we can do, since thats the only way we can finish the car, and we're almost done with metal work. He said that he'll just risk it, and if he gets a citation he'll just have a lawyer fight it for him (we have legal insurance). Otherwise, I guess we'd just have to pay for the privileged.

 

[HerronScott]

I thought I recalled seeing a picture of a garage with your house. No way to do the noisy work in the garage?

Scott

 

[UmmYeahOk]

I thought I recalled seeing a picture of a garage with your house. No way to do the noisy work in the garage?

Scott

Well, 1) we'd have to move the body (which is currently off the frame) into the garage with just my husband and me 2) we would have NO ROOM to work, as thats where all of our tools are, and an additional car (which we'll have to do anyway when we paint) 3) we like to work with the garage door open because its texas and we need the breeze, so its just as loud. 4) with the door closed, I doubt it would be any quieter. Those things exactly werent designed for sound proofing. Theres been many times late at night when Id want to wire wheel something in the garage with the door closed, but chose not to because of the late hour I was worried Id [censored] off the neighbors. I am a very respectful person. I wont even blast my music in my car if its a certain time of day/night.

Anyway, the cars body is currently 10 feet from the garage, which is why I think the decibel level wont be effected much. And the frame is currently in between the body and the garage. Oh, and for the record, we are the second lot from a HUGE 6 lane road. Oh, and right across the street is a care flight helicopter pad... ...so this whole noise thing is kinda a personal attack, IMO. Makes me wonder why we dont get the junked car threat like everyone else does.

 

[jsfbond]

How high is the overhead in the garage? I have stored mine for years in parts and pieces. The body was on a couple of 4x4's just high enough to back my Elcamino under it. The frame (sans engine and trans) can be stood sideways on its wheels to be out of the way for working on other parts.

 

[jessebogan]

Go to the library/law office/ whatever, and check the local noise ordinance. Most places have one. If you are between the approved hours, you can make noise. Think construction, dumpster emptying and things like that. Also, what about Historic tags? Around here (Maryland) there is no inspection required.Try to find the local streetrod club. The folks in those tend to be home builders, and may have some insight on local laws. Don't give up without a fight. It is your car and your property.

 

[ChrisS]

If you register it as antique in TX there is no inspection required. I did this in Travis county last week, just brought the title (had a MA title in my name) and forms application You will need to get an insurance policy for it, but antique policies are cheap. This won't fix the noise issue but they won't be able to complain about the "junk" vehicle.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

How high is the overhead in the garage? I have stored mine for years in parts and pieces. The body was on a couple of 4x4's just high enough to back my Elcamino under it. The frame (sans engine and trans) can be stood sideways on its wheels to be out of the way for working on other parts.

10ft. Besides. I dont want to store it. I want to work on it. I could easily put it in the side yard (hidden by a fence) next to the free GT6 frame I gpt.

Go to the library/law office/ whatever, and check the local noise ordinance. Most places have one. If you are between the approved hours, you can make noise. Think construction, dumpster emptying and things like that.

Welcome to the 21st century. =) My husband just search "the internet" and discovered that you can have up to 62dB in a residential area between 7am-10pm. And your average lawn mower is way over that (90-140) except owers because its electric Even my car, that I so kindly turn the volume down on, for some reason, got ZERO decibels, when I cranked up my bass full blast, and I got a pretty sweet system. I mean its pretty loud, so I dont know why it didnt read whenever everyone else before and after did.

Anyway it seems that if it comes to it, we'll be a pain and make the cop measure. I mean, he was just doing his job, so it sucks that we have to be a pain, but if you give us any rights to fight with, we'll use em.

If you register it as antique in TX there is no inspection required. I did this in Travis county last week, just brought the title (had a MA title in my name) and forms application You will need to get an insurance policy for it, but antique policies are cheap. This won't fix the noise issue but they won't be able to complain about the "junk" vehicle.

I already got insurance because I knew Id need it to get it registered. Im not sure if the whole antique thing applies since its never been registered in TX before. But I know lots of people register TX cars as antiques just so they dont have to deal with inspection.

Problem is I want to register it as a classic because I dont like the idea of the government telling me where and how long I can drive my car for. And if you dont drive a bland boring SUV, cops will notice a car like that. And if they see if often with antique plates they may pull it over wondering how come they see it on the road so often.

Anyway, I said my neighbor got in trouble recently... ...well it has a beat up rusted 70s suburban. I think its whole purpose is to haul a boat. Well, its had a flat for weeks, so I guess thats when he got in trouble, since it doesnt move, and isnt inspected. But apparently its registered as an antique, so it doesnt matter. But thing is, if someone complains, they go out there, and once theyre there, theyre there.

 

[DougF]

Talk to your neighbor and see if he would be interested in going together and rent a garage with electricity that would be big enough to suit both of you. Don't pursue going after neighbors with loud dogs, lawn mowers, children, etc. until your situation is under control.

 

[DrEntropy]

If ya live in a place with a HOA, you're at odds. It's all politics.

 

[mclaugh]

Re: Sound level measurements

62 dB is not the whole story. If the law is not more specific than that, it's useless and they can't bother you with it. Sound pressure level (SPL) specs require 3 parts: dB, weighting filter, and distance. (and a 0 dB reference level, which is implied because we're talking about SPL measurements).

1) They probably call for an A weighted measurement. That filters the high frequencies out and is better for you.

2) They must specify where the measurement is to be made. I think in our county it is at the listener's property line. This makes a big difference because SPL drops off proportional to the square of the distance from the source. That means that if a lawnmower measures 100 dB at 1 foot, it measures 94 dB at 2 feet, 88 dB at 4 feet, etc.

You can get a pretty decent sound level meter at Radio Shack for ~$45. You may find that if your noise is too loud, so is everyone else's lawn mower, weed whacker, or motorcycle without a muffler (my personal favorite). 62 dB sounds low to me.

And if the authorities measure levels much different than you do, don't accept their word for it. Around here they send out a cop who has no idea how to use the meter.

Good luck.
-Tom

 

[JodyFKerr]

Stick to your guns!

My neighbor (they have sites to show you sex offenders, it's a shame they don't have a site that shows you where all the busybodies and buttheads live) started giving me grief the week I bought my house. As I met the rest of my neighbors I learned rapidly that his goal in life was to make everyone in the neighborhood bend to his will. In my case this turned in to a 5 year battle that eventually escalated to garden gnomes and pink flamingos. We have similar "city" codes to what you have in Dallas, but no HOA.

#1. Learn the rules. Learn them well enough to know which can be bent, broken or must be followed to the letter.

#2. When "officials" appear on your doorstep have a printout of said ordinances handy so that they may directly show you where you've "broken" the rules.

#3. Always (and I mean always) be polite. It's hard not to lose your temper, but it doesn't help.

#4. Get all your registrations/paperwork in place.

Your biggest dilemma is the fact that you've got a non-running vehicle in your driveway. Most places have an "out of sight, out of mind" policy with this stuff. Can you erect a car canopy/portable garage in the driveway? Is there any way to put the various bits on to a rolling rotisserie that allows you to store them in the garage when you're not working? I know from experience that you can get 4 cars in a 2 car garage if they're all on their sides. Also, the folks that make the MAX-Jack lift also make a 4 post vehicle storage platform that fits in a normal garage.

There are times when we, in our hobbies, walk a fine line between being good neighbors and appearing like junk dealers. I'd also recommend looking into a shed for the back yard. Get everything that's not car related out of the garage and into the shed. This includes tools that you don't use often.

Whatever you do, don't back down. Every time we don't stick up for our individual rights the world becomes a littl more beige.

Jody

 

[UmmYeahOk]

If ya live in a place with a HOA, you're at odds. It's all politics.

We dont have an HOA.

Re: Sound level measurements

62 dB is not the whole story. If the law is not more specific than that, it's useless and they can't bother you with it. Sound pressure level (SPL) specs require 3 parts: dB, weighting filter, and distance. (and a 0 dB reference level, which is implied because we're talking about SPL measurements).

1) They probably call for an A weighted measurement. That filters the high frequencies out and is better for you.

2) They must specify where the measurement is to be made. I think in our county it is at the listener's property line. This makes a big difference because SPL drops off proportional to the square of the distance from the source. That means that if a lawnmower measures 100 dB at 1 foot, it measures 94 dB at 2 feet, 88 dB at 4 feet, etc.

My husband says they have to measure from 100ft, although I cant seem to find where it says that. I can however find that it says 50ft if its public property. In the back yard its not that loud and doesnt seem to echo. But if Im in the front or in the garage, I have to have ear muffs on.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]You can get a pretty decent sound level meter at Radio Shack for ~$45. You may find that if your noise is too loud, so is everyone else's lawn mower, weed whacker, or motorcycle without a muffler (my personal favorite). 62 dB sounds low to me.

And if the authorities measure levels much different than you do, don't accept their word for it. Around here they send out a cop who has no idea how to use the meter.

Good luck.
-Tom[/QUOTE]

My husband also read somewhere that they have to use a SPECIFIC meter. Not sure why the law would restrict it to a certain brand or model. I could see that they may measure different, but that sounds more like something someone owns stock in, and wanted to promote through law practices.

Stick to your guns!

My neighbor (they have sites to show you sex offenders, it's a shame they don't have a site that shows you where all the busybodies and buttheads live) started giving me grief the week I bought my house. As I met the rest of my neighbors I learned rapidly that his goal in life was to make everyone in the neighborhood bend to his will. In my case this turned in to a 5 year battle that eventually escalated to garden gnomes and pink flamingos. We have similar "city" codes to what you have in Dallas, but no HOA.

Oh god! The city suggested the idea that everyones garbage cans must not be scene from the street, and were going to lower the maximum high of grass from 12" to 6." They just wanted everyones input. At the time we couldnt afford a fence, so I made sure to voice my opinion on it via a letter requested by the town. Almost everyone here lives in a neighborhood that 1) was built with a fence, 2) is cut every week by a PAID company, and 3) has an HOA that already has such rules. It pretty much was a law designed to hurt lower income levels. Im not going to say poor, because everywhere else in the country, a home like mine is to be admired. We just have such a higher income area, that middle class homes, look poor in comparison. Anyway, so since everyone here, man and woman, works, the only time we have to mow is very small. Plus, our neighborhood didnt ever have an official developer like everyone elses. Everyone just settled next to each other on the same street which was established long before the town itself, so the houses here are pretty eclectic.

So anyway, my husband found out about this and honestly thought this ordinance would pass. He swore that he would build his fence to comply with the new law, but then paint it bright @$$ blue, same color as the garbage cans. I saw it more as a punishment for me though. =(

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]#1. Learn the rules. Learn them well enough to know which can be bent, broken or must be followed to the letter.[/QUOTE]

I think my husband jinxed himself when our neighbor told us about his issue. He explained what happened when we got nailed with the "junked car" rule. Apparently the town has their rules set up so that you have 10 days to comply or you'll get a citations. Once a citation has been issued, you cannot apply for an appeal. When he tried to apply for an appeal, they claimed he couldnt until he got a citation #. See the problem? He asked if this has ever came up before, and they explained no. Apparently everyone just pays the fine. Anyway, after being on the phone forever with them they explained that he could get extension. Which would have saved a lot of time if they had just given him that option from the beginning. Anyway, he knew that the car(s) would not be done in time, so he asked "what then?" They said he could get another extension! Apparently there is NO limit on the amount of extensions you can receive! All you gotta do is call and ask.

Because of this he told him that they would most likely leave us alone because of the hassle we gave them.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]#3. Always (and I mean always) be polite. It's hard not to lose your temper, but it doesn't help.[/QUOTE]

Actually its not that hard. 1) theyre just doing their job. They would have let us be, but because some one complained they have to. 2)being that this dude was a cop, and not just some dude from the city, you [censored] him off, and he'll find a reason to bust you for something. That warning automatically becomes a citation. And if he finds out we're going to paint the car here, yikes! Get too up in his face, and he'll arrest you. Give him any reason not to like you and he'll remember your vehicle, especially mine. 2 weeks later and I get a ticket for no front plate, which that car has been doing in that town for the past decade. I dont want to give anyone a reason not to like me, which is why I get walked all over all the time =( ...but no tickets =)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]#4. Get all your registrations/paperwork in place.[/QUOTE]

Well, the states sending me a title, should get it in 8-12 months =) I cant register it until its inspected. Hopefully that will be soon. This citation scare is a big blow because in the past 3 months, we've really made some headway on the car. Been working on it every single day, the two of us. Frankly Id think the neighbors would be thrilled finally seeing the car get fixed, rather than sitting there abandoned. But I guess the constant noise of us grinding every day has gotten to them.

Police typically respond to non emergencies in about an hour or so (if they arent accident related) so this complaint had to have gone out about 4pm-4.30pm which my husband actually took off work early for, which he never does/can. Pretty sad.

Anyway. Reason for the rush:

1) I REALLY want to be able to take my car to the british car show this Halloween. Its at this anglophile store, and only gets about 20 or so cars, (the local triumph club doesnt even list it this year) but I really wanna go.

2) Supposedly they are getting rid of the "year of manufacture" plate option for classic registered vehicles. Apparently you can still use them if you register them as an antique, but not a classic. And if you register your YOM plates as a classic before the end of this year, you are grandfathered in. So in order to register, I MUST pass inspection before 2011. I asked the DMV about it though, and they claimed they had no idea of the change.

3) if I slow down, I'll loose momentum, and it may be spring until I continue again. The nights are getting longer, so as far as weekdays go, we have till 7pm for daylight. With daylight savings time after the show, that pretty much means no weekday activity. And with winter, theres NO activity. I honestly dont understand "winter projects" Who want to work in such frigid conditions?!? Sure, we get 80 degree days in December... ...but we also get blizzards (for some apparent reason)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Your biggest dilemma is the fact that you've got a non-running vehicle in your driveway. Most places have an "out of sight, out of mind" policy with this stuff. Can you erect a car canopy/portable garage in the driveway? [/QUOTE]

We actually looked into that when we got in trouble with it the first time. Apparently it cant been sceen from any spot thats not your property. So if you have a gap in your fence and you neighbor can see it, you are technically in violation. But no ones complained yet. Theres also a rule where you cant tarp up your car (even though we sometimes do for storms). The rule makes sense. A tarped up car is more ghetto looking than an exposed car. I totally agree! I hate seeing my neighbors delorean tarped up. Plus car covers tear all the time, and cause damage to the exterior surface. As far as a canopy, thats also against the towns rules. I have considered putting one up in the fenced off area, but if anyone sees the canopys roof and complains, I could still get in trouble.

Its all these dang yankees that move here. They move here, dont like our way of life, so they try to create the same environment they originally fled from.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Is there any way to put the various bits on to a rolling rotisserie that allows you to store them in the garage when you're not working? I know from experience that you can get 4 cars in a 2 car garage if they're all on their sides. Also, the folks that make the MAX-Jack lift also make a 4 post vehicle storage platform that fits in a normal garage.[/QUOTE]

Maybe if they are 4 LBC. We are probably the only people in our town who actually parks two cars in our two car garage. With my mustang and my husbands porche, there is NO room. I pretty much have to squeeze my body and brush my jean rivets against my car to leave. Lately my mustangs been sleeping outside, but the real reason for that is because the GT6 is blocking access.

With the garage door up, I dont see any way a storage system would work. Trust me. Weve though about installing a scissor lift. If there was any way, we would have. We get bad hail storms in the spring. any reason to park a car in a safe environment, we would. This is why we limited ourselves to one daily driver and one toy per person until we can afford a nice 5+ bay garage =)

Plus storage doesnt make sense since we work on it every day. I mean, we're doing well by at least putting up our tools.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]There are times when we, in our hobbies, walk a fine line between being good neighbors and appearing like junk dealers. I'd also recommend looking into a shed for the back yard. Get everything that's not car related out of the garage and into the shed. This includes tools that you don't use often.[/QUOTE]

You obviously dont know how much tools we have. The shed would have to be the size of a garage and at that point, why not just move. Heck, I had a neighbor that did just that. He build another garage, and the town went nuts. Apparently his property is zoned as two lots, not one big one. Got in trouble for his RV, even though he was grandfathered in. Clearly something was wrong if he thought moving to california was a good idea.

Our garage is quite nice for being small. We have a lot of cabinets, its just that it you park cars in there, youre pretty much out of luck. Then again, those cabinet only take up a small room in the front, meaning the sides were already to tight. This may be why everyone parks their vehicles outside. They all have SUVs/trucks. I actually didnt even know we had a two car garage. All my life any time I ever saw a vehicle in one that size, there was only one car, not two. Theres tons of room to play if you only park one.

This is our first home. Built in 2003, original owners. I was 19 at the time. Really nice for a starter home. But it'll be paid off in a few years, so maybe then we can consider a bigger home for our "children." Of course not right away. The bigger the deposit the better. Plus its kinda hard to find a neighborhood around here that DOESNT have an HOA. Pretty much all have rules that state that unless its your only mode of transit you cant work on it. Course, why should you? You should pay some one else to do it for you elsewhere, or just spend the money on a completed restoration.

From the neighbors I speak to, there are 2 "bad neighbors" The people next door rarely mow their lawn (I blame the mower) But I dont complain because if it werent for them, theyd be focusing on our lawn and the other is a few doors down. These ricer kids. Theyre technically adults, and always getting in trouble with the law. Theyre work on their cars more than we do. Problem is, they do so on the street. And if someones already parked on the other side, they park right beside them blocking the street entirely. Everyone hates them either because of their parking, or their insanely loud exhaust. I wouldnt be too surprised if someone complained about them, and the cop thought they were talking about us.

Talk to your neighbor and see if he would be interested in going together and rent a garage with electricity that would be big enough to suit both of you. Don't pursue going after neighbors with loud dogs, lawn mowers, children, etc. until your situation is under control.

Well, for that we'd have to rent a hanger. I mean that guys vehicle IS a DINOSAUR! Its huge! Plus, I honestly thought it was a junked vehicle too. I never saw his antique plates, and with that flat, I too joked about it being "junked" just about every week (only to my husband though) Plus, its more rust than suburban. I didnt think vehicles could rust that bad in Texas. Theres like barely any rocker panel left. And the red paint is so faded, that it looks like rust. Honestly I think its registered as an antique simply to avoid failing a safety inspection, not because hes a true enthusiast of the vehicle. I mean hes a car guy, but I dont see him ever fixing up his "junked vehicle."

 

[Lewis_McDorman]

I once lived in a town with the same rule. My Triumph sat in the driveway on a busy street for over a year, unlicensed and and undriveable. There was never a problem because I kept it covered. Either no one cared about it or no one wanted to walk up the driveway and lift the cover to see if it had plates on it.

Is your back yard in plain view? Could you possibly store it back there?

 

[71MKIV]

I bought one of those fabric enclosed carport thingy's. The township couldn't say anything because it's classified as a temporary structure, and it hid all the parts for the car. I tied mine down with auger type tie downs and ratchet straps and rebar through the legs into the ground. Been up for two years and went through 60 MPH winds so far with no damage.

There is no more oppressive government than a local fiefdom. The fix for this is to get involved and get it changed.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

This town harasses CHURCHES for their "temporary structures."

Hiding the car isnt the problem. As I mentioned, if it were, all they can do is give us a warning and we file for an extension. We havent been harassed about it being a junked vehicle like our neighbor has. Im pretty sure it was strictly a noise issue. But the only way to prevent the noise is to NOT work on the car. Again, Im not going to store a car Im currently working on, especially if it means that I would have to push it back out each time I need electric outlets, or air tools.

There is no more oppressive government than a local fiefdom. The fix for this is to get involved and get it changed.

Ive been running an "unofficial" town site since 2001. Unfortunately our newest government was elected illegally. They scared voters by running on platform claiming that a road expansion would result in people crashing into homes, and natural gas drilling would result in a cancer cluster. What was "illegal" about it was they got so many people involved believing their claims, that they were electioneering, boosting right next to the polling place. They actually blocked the parking lots with their decorated vehicles preventing voters from parking there. The sad thing is, even with these platforms, nothing has been done about it. The road was still expanded. But pretty much its about people moving here, not wanting others to do what they are allowed to do, like use their mineral rights. Its like moving next to a ranch and complaining about the cows.

 

[Richter12x2]

I'm the husband, and just wanted to add a few things. First, I enjoyed that even the police officer knew it was retarded. He actually apologized. He did pull the "Do you know why I'm here" thing, which I greatly enjoyed. 'I suppose it's the meth lab and three dead hookers in the back yard.' (Does that ever work?)

Anyway, he was very good about it, and said that if he got another call he'd have to issue a citation, but if I waited about 30 minutes, he would be off work and it wouldn't be his problem. I gave him until he got out of the neighborhood, but mostly because while I was stopped, I might as well go to the restroom and get some more water.

We're almost done with the welding, at long, long, long last, and I'm not about to stop now. I realize that not everyone appreciates restoring cars, or understands it as a hobby, but I think golf is a waste of money. In this country, our citizens are guaranteed the pursuit of happiness, and making something with my hands makes me happy, and I'm respectful of others while I do it, to the extent that I can be. (Grinders make noise, but I only start up after 10am and I shut down by 7pm, the noise ordinance hours are 7am to 10pm, which is much longer than I'd feel comfortable.) So if one my neighbors wants to try to impede my happiness because they think I'm being too loud for the 5 minutes they're outside in a day, they can kiss my !@$%. If someone had a night shift, or a bad night, or a kid trying to sleep, all they had to do was ask. Otherwise it's like I told the officer, if he needs to issue a citation, I understand, that's his job, but I'm happy to fight it, too, and I should be done with the car before it ever gets to court.

We're also insured through Hagerty, who's put together a nice little special interest group supporting the collector car hobby, and they were just asking for examples where individual town ordinances discriminate against individuals who restore their cars. Our town, with its totally unthought out Municipal Codes and Ordinances, near one of the biggest cities in possibly the most car friendly state in the US would probably be just the kind of thing they're looking for to get some publicity.

Oh and yep, the municipal code says 63 decibels, measured on or adjacent to the property in question, using ANSI approved testing methodology. I was thinking about it today, and I was thinking that if they wanted to cite me, I'd ask for a trial, and with a nice helpful attorney, exhibit A would be my $20 grinder and a spare fender, and exhibit B would be a normal gas powered lawnmower, and we'll see which is actually louder from 100 feet away. And even though technically it'll probably still prove that my grinder is over the limit, I'll make sure to let them know that if my citation stands, then I'll add the police station number to my cellphone, and anytime I drive down any street in town and see someone mowing their yard, I'll make the call and wait to make sure that someone shows up to issue a citation.

Actually, before it got that far, I'd probably let the officer write the citation, then go to court and get it thrown out because it didn't include an actual measurement.

Then if it happened again and they measured, I'd let him write it, then get it thrown out because he's not certified to take a measurement.

Then if it happened again. . . dB(a) approved meter . . . appropriate measuring distance . . . meter last calibrated . . . ANSI standard not followed to the letter. . .

I'd figure I'm probably safe, even if it took me into 2012 to finish the car. :laugh:

 

[UmmYeahOk]

And even though technically it'll probably still prove that my grinder is over the limit, I'll make sure to let them know that if my citation stands, then I'll add the police station number to my cellphone, and anytime I drive down any street in town and see someone mowing their yard, I'll make the call and wait to make sure that someone shows up to issue a citation.

Ya know, I just got to thinking... ...if the noise issue did ever go out into full enforcement, any vehicle requiring such loud noise for repairs would eventually be deemed a "junk vehicle." And if lawns cant be mowed for the exact same reason, more ordinances/rules would be broken (12" town, 3-6" for HOAs)

Its kinda like the "10 days to appeal" issue where you cant get an appeal without a citation number, and if you receive a citation, you cant appeal.

 

[Mark Jones]

I feel for you, I really do. You seem to be doing all your can to be considerate of your neighbours while you restore your car.

I restored the body of my Spitfire two years ago. There was a lot of grinding and cutting and welding; lots of noise. I was fortunate to be able to do the restoration in the garage but the door wasn't always closed and some of the work took place outside. I did not have one complaint from a neightbour. I even primed amd painted the car in the garage and still without a complaint. Actually, my neighbours were very interested in my project and enjoyed seeing the finished project, and probably an end to the noise. I hope they are as understanding when I start the body restoration of another Spitfire this winter.

 

[Silverghost]

Go to the local florist, buy a BIG cactus or similar plant, then write the word "A Life" on the pot. Next, hire a delivery person to go house to house and tell the home owner "This for the person who so thoughtfully called the town about the noise ordinance violation." When he finally finds the right house, he can give them the plant and that way both the home owner and ALL their neighbors will know the home owner in question FINALLY has "A Life"!





Aren't I SO thoughtful??!! :angel:

 

[TR6oldtimer]

We have a noise ordnance similar to yours, 8am-10pm. My next door neighbor and her husband are artists and work from home. I have been very open with them about what I am doing, and have told them how I have modified my daily work schedule to minimize the time I am making a lot of racket, and try to avoid doing for several hours at a stretch.

Now while the noise ordinance goes until 10pm, in our community it was not intended that you can make that level of noise day in and day out. If I did so, the charge would not be excessive noise, but doing work in a residential area that should be done in a commercial area.

So here is what I have done to be reasonable to the neighborhood. I plan my work to start at 10am and knock off around 5:30pm when people start coming home. I attempt to plan the work so there is a day or two break between the heavy grinding. I also found that a lot of the noise goes away by using a couple of heavy shipping blankets to deaden the drum effect of the sheet metal surrounding the work area, and I minimize the time I use the 20,000 rpm air grinder (now that is an ear pitching sound). In addition to my artist neighbors, I have visited all the others around me. Talked with them about my project and when they can expect me to start and end my work. I also gave them my phone number and asked that they call me if on some particular day, for whatever reason, the noise is intrusive, and I will stop.

These concessions have avoided problems for me with neighbors.

All that said, if you have a neighbor who works the midnight shift, or one who is just plain crotchety, not much is going to work to make them happy.