Well I was gonna wait to post until I had more information about my engine, but I am bored out of my skull at work.

By the end of the week I should have in my posession, a 454 out of a Blazer or something used for mud bogging, the guy is switching to a small block. It's carb to pan, and I got a pretty good deal on it. The only thing I'm not getting is any kind of headers. I guess the ones he have won't fit the Vette anyway so he's not giving me them (bastid!). I'm not totally partial, but I would love some Hooker's. I have the stock '68 TRUE (aww yeah) dual exhaust, what kind of headers should I get? And if I do get Hookers, which ones? I saw some Hooker Supercomp's on eBay for a GREAT price, but they weren't the same model # as listed for the Corvette.

If Hookers, is there a huge difference between Comps and SuperComps? And which models can I use on the Vette?

If not, what other Headers are out there that are good and priced right?

The car is Non-PS, Non-PB, Non-AC.

Did I miss any information?

Sorry for the long post, thanks!

 

Get the Hooker Super Competition Headers. Not sure what your budget is but if you can swing it I would go side pipes. BB and sides = WAY COOL. I beleive the Hooker Headers are 2 inch primaries.

 

There are 2 hooker supercomps for the vette. AFAIK, there are no comp, just supercomp.

The 2 supercomps are 1 7/8 and 2 1/8. I highly recommend the 1 7/8 over the 2 1/8. The large ones are more for race cars. the collectors hang lower (less ground clearance) and further back which makes it almost imposseble to run undercar exhaust.

I have the supercomp 1 7/8 and like them a lot. Get them bare and send them to jet hot for coating. Don't use hookers coating, it's not very good.

 

Thanks for reassuring me on the Hooker idea

zwede, I'll take your advice on the 1 7/8. I definitely love side pipes, you're spot on with that Scuba, but as long as I already have the under car exhaust, and I am desperate to get my car on the road, I am just going to use what I've got for now. If I get those headers, can I use them for side pipes? Or are they different headers? Might be a stupid question.

 

I have the Hooker Super Comps also. Mine are Jet Hot coated, which is a good investment since they are a bit pricey. I have the 1 and 7/8ths and they fit decent with the under car 2 1/2" duals. I had to put one little dent so they wouldn't touch the right frame rail. The side pipe headers are completely different.

 

The Hooker supercomps for a bigblock 68 are #2123, Summit has them for $339 (did somebody say pricey??). With Hooker coating they are $519, but Markus and others have said Hooker coating is not the best. Jet Hot will quote you I think $250?? or more? to coat them and you have to pay shipping back and forth. I found the most cost effective was to buy them direct from Jet Hot. Ask for Todd and see if you can get a corvetteforum discount. They quoted $619 but it became $560 DELIVERED ( emphasis added because ordering from Summit + shipping and sending to JETHOT shipping would add up! ). I dont know if CF discount is still available. For some reason JEGS now lists the coated Hooker headers #2123-1 but the uncoated ones #2123 have no price and are now a special order item. (I just happened to be checking this stuff last night! )

You will also need different front exhaust pipes to match up to the headers, and if you ask the forum for recommendations on upgraded gaskets and bolts that will be an additional $100 !!! :eek:

I think Hedman makes a less expensive header that will fit, but your options are very surprisingly limited. A lot of the smallblock guys have Dynomax JETHot coated headers for around $200!!! which is less than the cost of the coating alone. No Dynomax headrs yet for bigblocks :( MJ


[Modified by MNJack, 10:44 AM 8/7/2001]

 

Sorry if this is a dumb question, and I think I already know the answer, but I'm not sure. Can I eventually hook side pipes up to those headers? Or are they different headers? I guess I'm thinking maybe you could have a L-shaped piece at the collector.

 

Sidepipe headers are a lot different from these headers. The headers we are talking about, hooker supercomp #2123 point straight back where they connect to a short front pipe that connects with your rear pipe directly in front of the frame crossmember. The stock 69 sidepipes I believe connect right up to the stock exhaust manifolds. You can also get headers (This is also an "I think") that are designed to point outwards to hook up to sidepipes.

So the basic answer to your question is no, there are 2 very different types of headers, one for sidepipes and a different one for undercar exhaust systems.

Now...... having said all that... Just the other day I was at a car show and I was parked next to a 65 bigblock with factory looking midyear sidepipes. I look under the hood and see he has hooker supercomp headers, so I'm thinkin those sidepipes are cosmetic only and not hooked up. I stick my head under the car to have a look around and he has the headers connected to U shaped pipes that come back and hook up to the sidepipes!! So you can do it with a custom installation. He said it works real well. MJ

 

MNJack, As always your replys are friendly and exactly what I needed to know Thanks. Like I said before, I'm gonna use the stock exhaust I already have, but I love side pipes, and eventually I might like them. I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it, and either sell the whole kit and get new headers, or do a custom job like that.

Thanks all!

 

Along with about everyone else I have the 1 7/8 super comps on mine and also got them Jet Hot coated. The coating for mine ran 299 bucks, but they look superb , just put them on the other day in fact.

Pat Kunz

 

Guess I'll be different on this thread, I've had good luck with Hedman's, 2" primaries, 3" collector (Part #68090 for black finish, #68096 for coated). Not nearly as expensive as the Hooker Supercomps, and as far as I'm concerned work just as well. In regards to hooking these up to sidepipes, Hedman, Hooker, and other major header manufactures make an "S" kit to for sidepipe installation.

Just my .02 :cheers:

 

Don't use the "S" pipe, major, major back pressure, will hurt performance. I had this on my 67 427 and it robbed horsepower bigtime. Headman makes a header that exits to side so be mated to side exhaust, much much better. :crazy: :D