Shorty Header's ?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas Nv
Shorty Header's ?
A quick question, I have a chance to pick up a pair of BBK shorty Headers for 300$ , first is it worth the work, second how much of a gain do you think they will be, thank's for the time guy's 
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 16,270
Likes: 30
From: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18-'19
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Waste of time and money - don't bother. Get yourself some quality long tubes, and good intake and a custom tune.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
In C5 Tech, use keywords "shorty headers" with search or search this forum (in the red banner). You'll find hundreds of past debates, pro/con replies.
I don't agree they're a "waste of time and money". Better options...obviously. An outlay of $300 is a significant savings over more expensive long tube headers, required tune, etc.
They are a good option for owners who live in emissions inspections states if they're CARB certified.
You should see about 10hp. About the same as most popular air intake systems. Whether that gain is worth it is your decision.
They'll clean up the engine compartment over the oem cast iron manifolds. You may detect a slightly different exhaust note depending on the rest of your exhaust system. An owner can usually install shorty headers themselves w/o difficulty. Shorty headers don't require any modification to your oem exhaust system. The biggest benefit is that you'll remove approx 20-25# of weight over the front end. That's significant.
I don't agree they're a "waste of time and money". Better options...obviously. An outlay of $300 is a significant savings over more expensive long tube headers, required tune, etc.
They are a good option for owners who live in emissions inspections states if they're CARB certified.
You should see about 10hp. About the same as most popular air intake systems. Whether that gain is worth it is your decision.
They'll clean up the engine compartment over the oem cast iron manifolds. You may detect a slightly different exhaust note depending on the rest of your exhaust system. An owner can usually install shorty headers themselves w/o difficulty. Shorty headers don't require any modification to your oem exhaust system. The biggest benefit is that you'll remove approx 20-25# of weight over the front end. That's significant.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,011
Likes: 9
From: Dublin GA
I personally wouldn't want to do the install for what they're worth performance wise
Get a good pair of low to mid price LT headers like the new XSPower headers and you can pick up some good torque and hp, and not spend a ton of $$$$
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 9,526
Likes: 12
From: Los Angeles California
Some short minded responses.
Shorties have benefits. They're lighter than stock exhaust and they do yield 5-7 RWHP. You can use stock cats and hardware which makes installation really easy. Also, they're legal in California if they have the CARB stamp.
Shorties have benefits. They're lighter than stock exhaust and they do yield 5-7 RWHP. You can use stock cats and hardware which makes installation really easy. Also, they're legal in California if they have the CARB stamp.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,857
Likes: 234
From: SW Nuh Hampsha
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
I just put on some B&B shorties and I'll agree with most posts here: they don't give much more oomph by themselves. I also added a ported TB, LS6 manifold and had it tuned by ECS. The four together yielded a noticeable throttle response, slightly louder tone (Titaniums) and lighter weight. Good enough for my cruisemobile.
BTW, you can buy NEW BBKs on that auction site, coated and shipped for $400.
BTW, you can buy NEW BBKs on that auction site, coated and shipped for $400.
