i have 87 vert, auto and the stock exhuast has got to go. i really want to get something that will give me the most hp gain. i was thinking about long tube headers? i am not really to concern about how loud it is but idealy i want something that is quit until i give it some gas. my friend has a 98 c5 with long tube headers, hi flow cats and stock mufflers and it sounds great. if anyone has any suggestion and about how much $ it would cost to have done and about how much more of a hp gain i could get. Thanx

 

I have an '87 as well and am looking into a better exhaust system because my pre-cats are rattling, signaling replacement is needed. I have muffler eliminators now and it sounds great with my cam.

Hedman has 1 5/8" long tube headers for our car for $172.00. The best price I've found for name-brand long tubes. This is without the A.I.R. fitings. $288.00 with them. I'm going to just cut the fitings off my stock exhaust and weld them on to the hearders, saving an bit of cash. With headers, it's a good idea to get the header wrap to keep the engine bay from heating up so much. If you have plenty of money you can get them Jet-Coated for $300.00 which sounds insane to me. Header wrap is only $50.00.

Since I live in CA, I'm going to replace the pre-cats and have them put behind the collector, I think. I'm not sure as the interior is torn apart right now and requiring my full attention. And I have to get that back together before I do anything. Eckler's has a 3 way main cat that supposedly replaces the precats and is 49 states legal. This would be ideal for the long tube headers. It all depends on what you can get away with in your state.

With long-tubes, be prepared to spend some cash at the muffler shop. There's no bolt-on-yourself headers and exhaust system that I know of for our cars.

Good Luck,
BIG JIM
Hope this answers some of your concerns.

 

I would not buy Hedman, never heard a good word about their quality.

I would get some 1 5/8" Hooker 2149s, ceramic coated. Feed that into a Random Tech or Car-sound main cat and any catback you prefer. The headers would give about 15hp by themselves, all the catbacks give roughly 10.

Only difference between these catbacks is sound. Your friend with a C5 probably has Corsa if its quiet til he stomps it, but they dont make Corsas for us. Most of ours have resonance problems. The one i really like is Power Effects, because you can close it down to close-to-stock airflow and open it up and it can get real loud.

 

:seeya I have hedmans, i haven't had any trouble yet

 

87vettte,

I went with the Hedman's. I'm using a part of the stock front Y to combine the headers with a hi flo cat. From there I have the Dynomax/Walker cat back. The sound is very reasonable as well as the price but the fit of the headers was my biggest broblem. My coating sucks big time too. If you want you can see my 87 at Powerhouse Performance tonight. They will be open at 4pm and won't close til after 9pm. It's up on the lift waiting for an O2 sensor and an exhaust hanger. Hopefully it will be running tonight so you'd be able to see it and hear it. :cheers:

 

I run hedman's too, with no problems

BTW, summit has them for $119.95 http://store.summitracing.com/partde...rt=HED%2D68440

 

unlike vader86 i heard lots of good thing about hedman. i got some hedman header befor i heard of the good thing about them .i heard it on hp tv
tnn on saturdays. they said something about the inlet of the headers :thumbs:

 

how do u put a pic of your car

 

I got hedman in my 88,by the time I coated them (200.00) plus modified the front y pipe welded the o2 dung ect. I ended up expending almost 500 bucks, my buddy went with the hookers, coated and the "y" pipe from hooker all for 600.00 and every thing fits nice, all brakets fit, the oil dip stick braket fits ect. plus he can change his plugs normally not from under the car wich you have to do with the hedman.
the job is not easy so you don't want to do it more than once if you don't have to, so buy some thing good make sure they are coated so they will last , and that every thing fits ok.
as for mufflers try the 50 series flow master they sound good not too loud at low speed but a good grawl when you open them up.
you will definitly feel the power, compared to the stock set up.
good luck happy motoring

 

If I had my CHOICE of exhausts, I would run the Hooker Super Comp with a Jet Hot Coating (Coming out at a cool $750, but WHELM worth it!) and run dual 2½" Mandrel Bent Stainless Steel Tubing all the way back to a pair of Hooker Maximum Flow Mufflers ($60 each)...this is probably the exhaust that I'll be going with in a month or so. :reddevil