Here we go again. Which Headers are best?????
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Snohomish, WA. USA
Here we go again. Which Headers are best?????
I am looking at getting headers for my '69 small block. If price were not the deciding factor, which headers are best? Hooker, Hedman, Dynomax, etc. I know there are different models from the manufacturers as well. Sorry if this has been discussed to death, but I couldn't find what I was looking for in the archives.
Thanks
Thanks
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Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (Teuffelhunde)
I just ordered DynoMax. I had wanted Hooker until reading about the ground clearance problems.
DynoMax is JetHot and 16 guage. They have a lifetime warranty that even includes rust and the price is right!
BTW, see my thread on gaskets.!
DynoMax is JetHot and 16 guage. They have a lifetime warranty that even includes rust and the price is right!
BTW, see my thread on gaskets.!
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Northampton Ma
Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (Teuffelhunde)
Hooker headers, with the Jet Hot coating. They are the most expensive, but you get what you pay for :yesnod:. My Hedman thermal coated headers were $260, and they already have little surface "rust" colored spots :mad. If I could do it again, I'd get the Hooker's with Jet Hot :cheers:
Racer
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: MOBILE ALA
Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (vette69)
I have the coated Hookers and I have never had a clearance issue of any kind.Great quality and easy installation.If I bought new headers tomorrow they would be Hooker.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Okeechobee Florida
Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (OHSIXX)
I just ordered DynoMax. I had wanted Hooker until reading about the ground clearance problems.
DynoMax is JetHot and 16 guage. They have a lifetime warranty that even includes rust and the price is right!
BTW, see my thread on gaskets.!
DynoMax is JetHot and 16 guage. They have a lifetime warranty that even includes rust and the price is right!
BTW, see my thread on gaskets.!
BTW...OHSIXX...i am interested in that thread...do you have a link?
[Modified by SIGNGUY, 9:46 PM 2/5/2003]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Where are the Smoky Mountain Cruisers? Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (SIGNGUY)
quote
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I've got hooker side pipe/side mount headers and love them. The sound is great!
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Sound tone great, but what about the road clearance diminsion of Hooker Sidepipes?
:cheers:
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I've got hooker side pipe/side mount headers and love them. The sound is great!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sound tone great, but what about the road clearance diminsion of Hooker Sidepipes?
:cheers:
Racer
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 352
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From: Alvarado TX
Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (74 vert)
I had a thread running earlier this week concerning ground clearance issues.
I installed the Hooker SuperComps on my "68" last weekend and they only had about 2" of clearance at the collector flange. Keep in mind this is a big block with under car pipes not sidepipes. I might have gained some clearance with new springs but I don't want to alter my cars ride highth. I removed the headers yesterday and am now looking for something else to replace them. I too, am curious about other manufacturers fit and quality as I fully intend to put some type of headers on the car. Ideas, suggestions and recomendations are needed. Concerning your original question, I too believe you get what you pay for. The Hookers are certainly nice. They just didn't fit. :cheers:
Steve
I installed the Hooker SuperComps on my "68" last weekend and they only had about 2" of clearance at the collector flange. Keep in mind this is a big block with under car pipes not sidepipes. I might have gained some clearance with new springs but I don't want to alter my cars ride highth. I removed the headers yesterday and am now looking for something else to replace them. I too, am curious about other manufacturers fit and quality as I fully intend to put some type of headers on the car. Ideas, suggestions and recomendations are needed. Concerning your original question, I too believe you get what you pay for. The Hookers are certainly nice. They just didn't fit. :cheers:
Steve
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Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (vette69)
In my mind the headers depend on the cash you want to spend. I wanted a nice cheap set of headers that looked good so I went with the Dynomax. I was intent on getting headers that were Jet-Hot coated. The next step up would have been a nice set of Hookers, but they would have cost around 300-400 dollars coated.
Mark B.
Mark B.
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From: Dearborn mi.
Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (vette69)
I like and use the Hooker comp. on my track Camaros. The fit on Hookers are always perfect. Equal length and large diameter. Ground clearence for competition cars is adequate because the tracks are smooth. Street driven cars may encounter clearence problems with the comp headers, but there are other Hooker styles specifically for the street. Every once in a while I use the LS7 powered 68 Camaro on the street and I have encountered ground clearence problems. But competition sets are 2 1/4 equal length to the 3 1/2 collector. I also use them on my Race Hemi 70 Cuda convertible. Now thats a wild set. I have one pipe that litterly wraps around the drag link and they come in three pieces to accomplish the installation. Check the picture of the Cuda on the web site below. There is adequate ground clearence but not for off road. :thumbs: {Hooker} :yesnod: http://www.nitroalley.net/cuda.htm
[Modified by wallyknoch, 11:04 AM 2/6/2003]
[Modified by wallyknoch, 11:04 AM 2/6/2003]
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
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Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (Sigforty)
I have not had any clearance problems with my Hooker Super Comps. BUT the coating that came with them ("ceramic" according to them) is dulling after a couple thousand miles. The build quality, other than that, is excellent.
On the other hand, the DynoMax I put on my '76 Suburban 454 still have a great shine on the coating after at least 10K miles of daily driving. The build quality looks about the same and they fit great, but I had to grind down a couple welds where the tubes meet the collector. Not a big deal, especially since they cost less than half the Hooker Supers with coating.
To add fuel to the fire, one of the car mags (Hot Rod or Chevy High I think) actually picked up a few HP running DynoMax on a 400+HP 383 stroker vs the Super Comp, so the bigger tubes are probably not necessary, and may even hurt power with a smaller cam/head combo.
Jeff
On the other hand, the DynoMax I put on my '76 Suburban 454 still have a great shine on the coating after at least 10K miles of daily driving. The build quality looks about the same and they fit great, but I had to grind down a couple welds where the tubes meet the collector. Not a big deal, especially since they cost less than half the Hooker Supers with coating.
To add fuel to the fire, one of the car mags (Hot Rod or Chevy High I think) actually picked up a few HP running DynoMax on a 400+HP 383 stroker vs the Super Comp, so the bigger tubes are probably not necessary, and may even hurt power with a smaller cam/head combo.
Jeff
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Re: Here we go again. Which Headers are best????? (woodenichols)
I had a thread running earlier this week concerning ground clearance issues.
I installed the Hooker SuperComps on my "68" last weekend and they only had about 2" of clearance at the collector flange. Keep in mind this is a big block with under car pipes not sidepipes. I might have gained some clearance with new springs but I don't want to alter my cars ride highth. I removed the headers yesterday and am now looking for something else to replace them. I too, am curious about other manufacturers fit and quality as I fully intend to put some type of headers on the car. Ideas, suggestions and recomendations are needed. Concerning your original question, I too believe you get what you pay for. The Hookers are certainly nice. They just didn't fit. :cheers:
Steve
I installed the Hooker SuperComps on my "68" last weekend and they only had about 2" of clearance at the collector flange. Keep in mind this is a big block with under car pipes not sidepipes. I might have gained some clearance with new springs but I don't want to alter my cars ride highth. I removed the headers yesterday and am now looking for something else to replace them. I too, am curious about other manufacturers fit and quality as I fully intend to put some type of headers on the car. Ideas, suggestions and recomendations are needed. Concerning your original question, I too believe you get what you pay for. The Hookers are certainly nice. They just didn't fit. :cheers:
Steve
