Some people pay good money for an aftermarket modification. This guy grabbed a drill. A mechanic's video is going viral after he shared a customer's DIY "mod" that's raising eyebrows and probably some noise complaints. Mechanic Shares Customer's Homemade Muffler 'Delete' In a viral video with more than 218,000 views, mechanic Dano (@danman_16) walks viewers through what a customer brought in. "Customer states he wanted some noise, so he decided to drill a bunch of holes in his muffler," Dano explains in the TikTok, panning to show the damage. "Not only that, he did a couple holes in the pipes, so there's a bunch of holes everywhere." The muffler and pipe are indeed full of varying small holes. “What the [expletive]?" Dano says. "He wanted some noise, so I guess that was his self-homemade muffler delete." What Is a Muffler Delete, And Is It Even Legal? A muffler delete is exactly what it sounds like: the muffler gets removed and replaced with a straight section of exhaust pipe. According to AutoZone, the modification reduces backpressure, allows exhaust gases to flow more freely, and produces a louder, sportier exhaust note, with potential gains in horsepower and a price tag typically between $100 and $500. Here are the pros and cons, according to Hendersonville Muffler and Brakes: Pros: increased horsepower, aggressive exhaust sound, relatively affordable compared to other mods, and a slight reduction in vehicle weight. Cons: That aggressive sound becomes an exhausting drone at highway speeds; it can tank resale value; it may void your manufacturer's warranty; and it could get you pulled over. AutoZone notes that more than 20 states prohibit driving a vehicle that emits "excessive or unusual noise," while another 15 or so ban modifying a muffler to be louder than the factory setting. If your car is subject to emissions testing, you're likely to fail. Plus, not every car is a good candidate for the mod. AutoZone points out that larger-displacement engines tend to benefit most from a muffler delete. The bigger the engine, the more it's already pushing in terms of air intake and exhaust output, so the gains are more noticeable. Smaller engines, on the other hand, are more dependent on backpressure to perform efficiently, meaning the mod can actually hurt more than it helps. It's the kind of upgrade that makes a lot more sense on a muscle car or truck than it does on a four-cylinder daily driver. Commenters React “Bro made a flute,” a person said. “A muffler delete costs like $80 btw,” a second pointed out. “I bet that sounds like [expletive],” another wrote. The commenter is merely guessing because, as many pointed out, Dano did not include the sound in the video. Motor1 reached out to Dano (@danman_16) for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We will update this story if he responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
