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On my 71 C3 LS1/4L60E project I used Patriot mid-length LS universal headers. Borg steering swap. They fit well but on the passenger side one tube was very close to the fame rail. Modded one tube and they fit fine. Using a Summit 2.5" box of bends I built the complete exhaust going thru the stock trans member. Zero rattle issues.
I just bought the LS/4l60 exhaust system from Corvette Central. The kit has Doug's headers, 21/2 pipe that are flat on the bottom and Magnaflow mufflers. Corvette Central told me the headers would fit with the Borgeson steering box. I will let you guys if it fits.
I just bought the LS/4l60 exhaust system from Corvette Central. The kit has Doug's headers, 21/2 pipe that are flat on the bottom and Magnaflow mufflers. Corvette Central told me the headers would fit with the Borgeson steering box. I will let you guys if it fits.
Let us know how it sounds too. I’ve kept an eye on that kit, specifically because the whole thing is about the price of nice headers.
I liked the system because the pipes are flat on the bottom . My 73 is low so I need all the clearance I can get. I will give feed back when I get it installed .Corvette Central said it might be a month before I get it.
Let us know how it sounds too. I’ve kept an eye on that kit, specifically because the whole thing is about the price of nice headers.
If they made more cost effective sidepipe headers for the LS engines I likely would have gone that route myself vs the 406 im swapping in now. Last I time I looked they wanted about 4 times the cost for the headers alone than I paid for my whole sidepipe setup new. Which coincidentally is the same price I paid for my rebuilt 406 with a roller cam and edelbrock aluminum heads.. Just seems crazy to me but hey they will charge what they can get right?
Last edited by augiedoggy; Sep 13, 2024 at 08:38 AM.
If they made more cost effective sidepipe headers for the LS engines I likely would have gone that route myself vs the 406 im swapping in now. Last I time I looked they wanted about 4 times the cost for the headers alone than I paid for my whole sidepipe setup new. Which coincidentally is the same price I paid for my rebuilt 406 with a roller cam and edelbrock aluminum heads.. Just seems crazy to me but hey they will charge what they can get right?
Don't say we didn't warn you about the 406!
The "problem" with LS-swap side pipe headers for C3s is that it's a bit of a niche market. So Dougs, Hooker, and the rest can't make enough cheap headers (overseas?) to be worthwhile. Unsurprisingly, the (basically custom) stainless options cost about the same, $2K and up, whether for an LS swap or for a Gen 1 SBC.
Just don't think of it as an expense specific to the swap. It's an exhaust upgrade, independent of the engine upgrade. If you're spending that much on an exhaust, you'd be foolish not to buy one that is LS-compatible, right? Unless you want a single or double turbo setup.
The "problem" with LS-swap side pipe headers for C3s is that it's a bit of a niche market. So Dougs, Hooker, and the rest can't make enough cheap headers (overseas?) to be worthwhile. Unsurprisingly, the (basically custom) stainless options cost about the same, $2K and up, whether for an LS swap or for a Gen 1 SBC.
Just don't think of it as an expense specific to the swap. It's an exhaust upgrade, independent of the engine upgrade. If you're spending that much on an exhaust, you'd be foolish not to buy one that is LS-compatible, right? Unless you want a single or double turbo setup.
It may make sense to someone starting from scratch.. But I already have a full stainless sidepipe exhaust kit for my SBC I bought new back in 2012 for $650 + 275 for chambered inserts, not 3-4k as the whole sidepipe system for the LS would likely run. I also had the heads I bought for this future 383-406 project that I temporarily ran on my 355. So yeah spending 2-3k for just a set of headers is kinda silly in my mind... I tore the 406 down to a bare block and already swapped in different pistons, cam and heads. So I know its good for what I want. I did install the LS firing order roller cam. You would think with LS swaps making so much practical sense and being so popular that the LS version of the exhaust kits would be flying off the shelves right? I mean there are multiple companies still making them for those old antiquated sbc and bbcs? and if the LS swaps truely are the cost effective no brainer way to go it would stand to reason there would be just as many of those selling.. I dont get it.
Also its a slippery slope.. If I had the LS i would want the MPI and the 480e trans with electronic control and I already have the 2004r and TBI setup waiting to go in with the 406. Maybe the next project car..
Last edited by augiedoggy; Sep 13, 2024 at 10:49 PM.
It's a slippery slope indeed!
And it's just not hard to get serious power, (enough to break stuff and get killed power) from our old gen.1 stuff.
Yet many insist on a LS swap.
Sometimes it just comes down to what one really wants. But these headers surely make one wonder!
I run the 3rd gen firebird/camaro ls swap headers on my 78 which was converted to a 80-82 style. I also picked up a set of C10 LS swap headers which fit but didn’t fit great on the floor boards but they could be modified to fit. Each was less than $300 new from speed engineering and the other was racing innovations.
I run the 3rd gen firebird/camaro ls swap headers on my 78 which was converted to a 80-82 style. I also picked up a set of C10 LS swap headers which fit but didn’t fit great on the floor boards but they could be modified to fit. Each was less than $300 new from speed engineering and the other was racing innovations.
When you say they didn’t fit well on the floorboards, how so?
When you say they didn’t fit well on the floorboards, how so?
see below, these are the speed engineering c10 swap headers. Lots of clearance around everything but the floor boards. I would like liked them about 1” lower on each side and the angle isn’t great on the pass side.
