Hooker Header & Side Pipe Question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
From: Toms River NJ
St. Jude Donor '08
Hooker Header & Side Pipe Question
I ordered a set of Hooker Header and Side pipes for my '81 from Jet Hot. I got a good deal on them(1199) BUT when I called Corvette Paramedics in NJ to get everything installed they said it was going to be between $1150-1500 for the installation. Am I missing something...but that seems kind of high.
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 2
From: walpole ma
I always try to be an advocate of shops and their rates(having one my self), but I even have to say it sounds really high. That kind of money should get you two to three days worth of work in a shop(at a normal hourly rate).
It certainly wont take that long to do the job....(unless of course they are doing it with their eyes closed and one hand and one leg tied behind their back
)
Are you sure you heard correctly????
It certainly wont take that long to do the job....(unless of course they are doing it with their eyes closed and one hand and one leg tied behind their back
)Are you sure you heard correctly????
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
I would say it took me 8-10 hours to install mine and that was using jack stands. With a hoist it would be much faster. The only things that need to come off are the entire old exhaust system and the rocker moldings. I guess $1,500 might be a bit high for this job. You might ask them if they have ever installed a set before. If not, then they are just being conservative on cost.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
From: Toms River NJ
St. Jude Donor '08
They are a Corvette restoration shop with a very good reputation here in NJ. So yes they have put them on before. They also said something about the headers needing to be "somethinged to the frame" and something about the A/C until and a bracket?????
Last edited by Yankees031; Feb 25, 2008 at 07:02 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Do you have all the brackets for the AC and all the mounts needed for the install. This ishould be an easy install. You are removing the old stuff and putting on new stuff. I have been to Paramedics for a few parts and their shop rate as Iremember is 90 bucks an hour. At $1000 that is 11 hours.
Drive on over to Marlton and we can do it for half that!
Drive on over to Marlton and we can do it for half that!
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 2
From: walpole ma
Do you have all the brackets for the AC and all the mounts needed for the install. This ishould be an easy install. You are removing the old stuff and putting on new stuff. I have been to Paramedics for a few parts and their shop rate as Iremember is 90 bucks an hour. At $1000 that is 11 hours.
Drive on over to Marlton and we can do it for half that!
Drive on over to Marlton and we can do it for half that!
WOW
At $65 per hour our shop has to be the bargain of the century for the kind of work we do(Sorry,I had to say it)
And I agree. If it takes longer than 8 hours to install a set of hookers in a C3(as long as you have all parts needed) there is a problem.Even 8 hours is a stretch in a fully equiped shop. We recently installed a set in a 71 SB car W/out A/C and we were done in about three hours or so.
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Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
Dont forget about the time it will take to remove all the old stuff.
The exhaust manifolds, getting parts out of the way, all the muffler and pipes. You may want to keep the exhaust manifolds, but you will probably throw away the pipes and mufflers. So there is a disposal fee for that.
How long to remove the old manifolds? 4 hours
Installation of new sidepipes- 4 hours
disposal fee?
It may seem that $1500 is too high, but $700 -$800 may be in the ballpark.
kdf
The exhaust manifolds, getting parts out of the way, all the muffler and pipes. You may want to keep the exhaust manifolds, but you will probably throw away the pipes and mufflers. So there is a disposal fee for that.
How long to remove the old manifolds? 4 hours
Installation of new sidepipes- 4 hours
disposal fee?
It may seem that $1500 is too high, but $700 -$800 may be in the ballpark.
kdf
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 2
From: walpole ma
Dont forget about the time it will take to remove all the old stuff.
The exhaust manifolds, getting parts out of the way, all the muffler and pipes. You may want to keep the exhaust manifolds, but you will probably throw away the pipes and mufflers. So there is a disposal fee for that.
How long to remove the old manifolds? 4 hours
Installation of new sidepipes- 4 hours
disposal fee?
It may seem that $1500 is too high, but $700 -$800 may be in the ballpark.
kdf
The exhaust manifolds, getting parts out of the way, all the muffler and pipes. You may want to keep the exhaust manifolds, but you will probably throw away the pipes and mufflers. So there is a disposal fee for that.
How long to remove the old manifolds? 4 hours
Installation of new sidepipes- 4 hours
disposal fee?
It may seem that $1500 is too high, but $700 -$800 may be in the ballpark.
kdf
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
The manifolds might take a little longer to get the bolts out. Disposal, I have the local dump about 5 minutes away and they take anything.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,545
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From: 406ci SB, AFR 180 Heads - 490 HP @5,600 RPM 529 lb-ft @ 4,100 RPM
add one friend, a case of beer, BBQ and a Saturday and you saved $$$. 
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,491
Likes: 2
From: North Royaton Ohio
I've run through the install a million times in my head and I think I've got it planned out pretty well what's gonna happen. Even with rusted bolts and this disposal fee people are talking about, $1100 is waaaaaaaay too expensive. And if it takes you 4 hours to remove your original manifolds, you're doing something wrong. I've had mine out in 10 minutes, and that was at a pretty slow pace.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 57
From: Mundelein Illinois
One is to bring warm air up to the carb during cold winter days. You won't use that with the side pipes. The other is the air pump. I think you can order side pipe headers with air pump fittings or take the pump off.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 57
From: Mundelein Illinois