Car fan Mr. Ray Thompson says he's had nothing but hot air from TCD about his new exhaust.

The stainless steel muffler was the finishing touch to his sporty Toyota Corolla, which already has a metallic blue paint job and chromed wheels.

But when he took the nine-year-old car down to TCD, officials would not pass it.

Mr. Thompson said yesterday: "They gave me some lame excuses like it's creating carbon monoxide and pushing it back into the car, it's causing back pressure which is bad for the car, and I didn't go through the right means to change it. The laws here are stupid.'' Mr. Thompson, 24, is a merchandiser with wholesalers Winter-Cookson. He said he imported the $100 Supertrapp exhaust from California because of its looks, and because it gave his car more power.

He knows of another car owner in Bermuda who has one, but that driver has not yet gone to TCD with it.

"It's not noisy,'' he said. "It just sounds different.'' TCD director Mr. Donald Dane said: "The matter is being looked into and I'm hoping it will be resolved.'' PIPE DREAM -- Mr. Ray Thompson and his exhaust pipe.