I love my 1994 dodge dakota sport. It has 204000 miles on it and runs like it is barnd new. I have done some mods to it like a body lift bigger tires graphics. I had a custom dual straight pipes but i was sick of the fixit tickets and put a custom standard exhaust. Now i still get pulled over but the michigan state policemen are two lazy to get under and look at it so they give me a verbal warning. There is no catalytic converter on it but from what i have heard is that in the state of michigan if the vehicle is over 10 years old it doesnt have to have one is this a myth or is it true???

 

Not sure about MI, But in Ohio it is 25 years because 25 is the age when the vehicle is considered a "classic."

 

It doesn't matter how old the car is, federal law says if it came with one from the factory, you must have one. Just get a high flow cat and you won't have to worry about it.

 

I have a 360 in my Dakota, headers, no cat. I've not been pulled over yet <knock on wood> I know alot of people with louder cars and haven't got pulled over. They either A get pulled over so the PO can check out the car or B they get pulled over for punching it to merge on the E-way. As for Michigan Exhaust laws...

Sec. 707c.

(1) After April 1, 1978, a motor vehicle shall not be operated or driven on a highway or street if the motor vehicle produces total noise exceeding 1 of the following limits at a distance of 50 feet except as provided in subdivisions (b)(iii) and (c)(iii):

(3) A person shall not operate a vehicle on a highway or street if the vehicle has a defect in the exhaust system which affects sound reduction, is not equipped with a muffler or other noise dissipative device, or is equipped with a cutout, bypass, amplifier, or a similar device.

These are about the closest that matter. MSP are usually the most picky. I usually get pulled over by the MSP for the littlest things.

 

That applies to sound, but the Federal government under the clean air act iirc has made it illegal to remove cats from vehicles equipped from the factory. You can replace them if they're defective, otherwise you and any exhaust shop that works on your vehicle can be fined $10,000. You may never be caught, but if an inspection is ever done on your truck, you may be caught. My 5.0 doesn't have cats, but it was like that when I bought it, and I'm not planning on keeping the engine in that car so I'm not interested in spending a couple hundred to fix it.

 

You're right about getting caught, I guess it's a risk some people have to take if they want to sound better than stock, out here in Illinois people very rarely get pulled over solely for exhaust noise, not to say it doesn't happen, out here the fines for loud exhaust usually come after the subject has been pulled over for speeding, moving violations, etc. and it also depends on how good of a mood the cop is in. I had a car with next to no exhaust and never got bothered, guess it just depends on the area you're in. Regardless, it is federal law and it can be used by law enforcement as a primary enforcement activity.