So, this winter I am adding headers and sidepipes to my 68 427/390. I thought I'd buy Hooker...but the reviews on Summit are terrible. What is the best brand to choose? I'd like to do chrome. Looking for great sound, not too loud, but loud, if you know what I mean.

 

Check out Corvette Mods for Billy Boat Headers.


I posted a picture farther down the thread.

 

check out xs-power.com ss headers+sidepipers

 

I'd go with Stahl side exits and Hooker 4" tailpipes. Stahl headers are now made by ACP http://www.acproducts.us/ This is from Stahls' website http://www.stahlheaders.com/Frame%20New%20RR.htm

I don't think these fit with air conditioning or power steering.

 

Picture of Stahl's side exits.

 

I have the Hookers on mine. I have read some people have bad luck with them. I didn't have any problems. Fit right up on my '77 with an SBC.
Whichever way you go I highly recommend getting them ceramic coated. They'll last longer and cut the under hood heat down significantly.

 

Those are pretty nice and the design looks like they would perform pretty well also.

 

Oh I like those, just checked out their web site

 

I went with Doug's ceramic headers and sidepipes after reading reviews on many of the different ones available.
The imports seem to run hot and cold on availability and quality control.
Hookers are listed as 18 ga whereas Doug's are 16 ga.
Cannot address fitment as I am not even close to installing them.
Just picked them up from a fellow CF guy that was going LS1. And he gave me a great price.

 

Are Hookers imported? I kind of wanted to go with those for the nostalgia.

 

I second the recommendation for the Stahls. Much higher quality and better performing due to shorter, more appropriate length primaries. That is such a nice car. Why not a nice performance undercar header/exhaust system? Are you going to get the rear valence, and trim rocker panels? I just went the other way on my car, from sides to undercar and couldn't be happier and performance is much better. Good luck with the project. That car looks great!

Oh and plenty of nostalgia with the Stahl's too. Lots of old race cars used them.

 

I believe they are made in Mexico.

 

that is why there do not FIT!!!!

 

This is the side exit on the Billy Boat headers. Quality construction, thick mounting flanges, and they fit perfectly. These are the black ceramic coated headers.

 

If it is looks go with any common brand but if you want performance and looks Stahl's are the only option ..

 

I have OBX stainless steel and I'm very pleased. The Stahl units are top shelf, I had a set years ago that I got from Jere Stahl back in the late 70's the man knew his stuff.

 

I have Hookers and have been pleased. Fit fine. No banging to make them fit. Thick flange. Installed great.

I am curious about one aspect of the Stahl design: It looks like they collect into a single 4" pipe while under the car and exits the side as such.

The Hooker design (replicated by Billy Boat, Doug's, OBX, etc.) has the four 1-7/8 'collector' pipes running parallel to the ground then roll UP just beyond the sill into the 4" collector.

To the casual observer, it looks like the Stahl design sacrifices about 2" of ground clearance between the pipe and the ground. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that.

I have to say, the Stahl design looks absolutely awesome and if I had a dedicated drag car, there probably isn't a better direction to go. Being as I HAVE whacked my Hookers on the odd speed bump, I would question how well that full-4-inch-under-the-car design would fare in a street application.

I will also add one interesting thing about my Hookers versus others I've seen: My 1-7/8 pipes leading to the 4" collectors are all one piece. Unbroken. In the pictures I've seen of the OBX sidemount headers, for example, there are several smaller pieces of pipe that are welded together. Maybe this is BETTER...who knows. I'm of the general opinion that less welds means less places that COULD be a leak at some point. But perhaps that opinion is unfounded.

You also have "The Insert Decision" to think about at some point. You need to decide how quiet or loud you'd like, because the there are inserts that run the gambit.

A couple of videos of my bucket-of-bolts idling with STS inserts.

 

Bingo. I was going to say the same thing. I put my old eyes on a pair under a car at a local show and they were scraped and dented from riding lower. I have had a few Corvettes over the years with both factory and after market side mount headers and even the standard low profile design leaves little in the way of clearance for every day obstacles like speed bumps, pot holes, and peaks at the heads of drive ways.

 

I agree, and was thinking the same thing. I had a set of the Hookers, but on a Pontiac T/A, not a Corvette. They looked great, boosted the performance, but didn't last worth a crap. I don't know if it was water coming off the front tires, and "blasting the area where the tubes meet the collectors, or what. But they fell apart, after being on the car through only 2 summers....

 

Don't pay attention think the reviews on Summit. I bought my ss sidemounts from summit and I, yeah ne, installed them myself. SS was more money, but the looks and sound are worth it.
Todd