Just curious from looking on summit racing's website i notice that a set of ceramic coated long tube headers for an L98 from hedman is offered for about..$300 which is $200 cheaper than the hooker long tube ceramic coated headers. My question being, what is the difference between the two? What are the pro's and cons of both headers? Is there a reason for the huge price difference? Or is it just the name?


[Modified by 85vettelovin, 11:31 AM 2/12/2003]

 

I was wondering the same thing.

There has to be a difference since there is a price difference.

 

Hedmans are cheap, low quality. I wouldnt have a set.

 

...and i think they're 1 5/8" primaries. The Hookers are 1 3/4"

 

I don;t know for sure becuase I heaven't seen the two headers side by side, but the hedmans supposedly have a thinner mounting flange on them as well. Its genereally accepted that the hookers are better overall quality

 

I had the hedmans and they are not that good. I picked up a set of TPIS and they make the hedmans look like poopie.

Hedmans have poopiety flanges. they have the welds on the inside protruding out. This means they cut into the gasket. Some say this is better sealing, I say :bs Mine leaked. the damn header bolts came loose all the time. and I dragged those headers on every speed bump untill they died. I went over the speed bumps at .00001 mph too.

The Hookers are like the TPIS headers (I consider the TPIS and LPE as one of the best) with out the flanges.
This really is the case of, you get what you pay for.

I chose the TPIS, and to pay more becuase they are said to be the best fit by many people I talked to. I want the ground clearence back too. I have not installed them, but I hope they have better clearence.
The TPIS flanges use the stock bolts with the spacers welded on the flanges just like the stock manifolds (L-98). After messing around with headers bolts on the hedmans, I chose to pay more for the TPIS headers just fot this feature. I never had a leak with the stock manifolds.

Now someone on here posted that he got the hookers and welded those spacers on the flanges as well (some spacers had to be grinded into half circles). if you can weld, this is something you can do. then get the headers coated after you finish welding.

I think the hooker and hedmans both use a 3 bolt flange on the collectors. the TPIS have the slip over connector which gives a hair more clearence because you dont need a collector flange. this something else you can do to the hooker if you wanted to. cut the flange, weld on a piece of metal and have a slip fit connection.

Just some ideas and what I think of the hedmans.

My hedmans lasted 1 year. they have a leak I cannot find and caused many driving problems.

The hedmans are a 1 5/8ths primaries
Hookers are 1 3/4 ths.


[Modified by bill mcdonald, 1:42 PM 2/12/2003]

 

Hedmans are junk. Went through two sets on my stang, each lasting about 1 1/2 years, before literally rusting through the pipes. Fit was poor, flanges were poor. Just a very low quality piece. Save up and pop for the hookers (which is good bachelor party advice too).

 

BAD BAD idea to by inferior headers. They always co$t more in the long run. Youll have to replace junk parts with good parts sooner or later. Why not do it right the first time and save money? :thumbs:

 

I might be insane but mine came with headman headers and they fit ok, dont really leak

 

I have both. Ceramic coated Hookers on my '88 and black painted Hedmans on my '84. The Hookers are 13/4" tubes and the Hedmans are 15/8" tubes. They both go into 3" collectors. They both have the machined welds on the head sealing surface and the Hookers have a little thicker flange, and yes, the Hookers seem to be of better quality. They both fit well and if I remember right the Hedmans were a little easier to get on. I haven't had any problems with either set and I paid $105 for the Hedmans and over $500 for the Hookers. I bought the Hedmans without the smog trees and cut the smog trees off the stock manifolds and welded them on. Even if the Hedmans don't last 3 years, I can buy 5 sets for the price of one set of Hookers.