I have a 99' FRC. It has a Borla exhaust set-up on it now. I am going to add a Borla 'X' pipe. What I am unsure of is .... what headers to go with. I know Kooks seem to be the 'preferred' choice but I have to tell you, I am having a hard time forking over $1,200 for a set.

Does anyone have other recommendations? My long-term plan is for heads and cam but thats down the road when I save the scratch. For now though, I would like Headers and X pipe to mate up with the borla on the car.

Thanks!
YetMan

 

 

I'm not too much help since I have the Kooks, but I have seen where other members spoke highly of ones they bought on eBay, as well as Speed Engineering, XS Power, and OBX. Of course I have seen members who were very disappointed in the fit or installation hassles of the same headers so it appears there may be some variance from them lot-to-lot that might not be found in some of the more expensive (and perhaps better built) headers. Texas Speed are generally spoken well of, too.
I believe most who have Kooks or another high end set of headers would prefer to pay less for them, but sometimes people will spend money on what they perceive to be a better built product. And, I like the fact that Kooks are made in the USA.
Best wishes with your search!

 

What ever header system you decide on just make sure they are 304 stainless.

 

 

I have XS power and they are working well. If your money allows no matter who you go with it's best to get them ceramic coated or other types. That was my error, mine are not.

 

Thanks for the input from everyone. I appreciate it. I will definitely have whatever headers I go with ceramic coated. I would not have thought of that ... Good point on the Kooks being made in the USA. I know the speed shop I go to is a Kooks dealer so they naturally recommend them. I guess I will strongly consider them and pay the higher cost. I will just have to put off the cam work for awhile longer.

Thanks again!
YetMan

 

I had a set of Texas Speed headers on my 02 Z06. I know they were made in China but for the price I decide to try them. They were/are very well made for the most part. But they did have fitment problems. I could never get them adjusted so that they did not cause my stock Z06 catback to rub on the side when I made turns. Might have been that my car and the combination of those headers just did not go together good or I got a bad set. Others have had good luck with them.

I uninstalled them and sold them and put on a set of American Racing headers. Perfect fit. But I do kind of regret it.

With AR, you sure as hell pay out your **** for them. And you will be waiting at least 6 to 8 weeks for AR to get off their asses and make them. Realistically, there is no justifiable reason Kooks, AR, LG, etc. cost as much as they do; American or not. They are pipes with a minimal amount of welds to hold them together and a couple of flanges.

Honestly, if I did it over again, I probably would have returned the Texas Speed headers and gotten another set of the same.

Regardless of what you get, definitely get them ceramic coated. If you don't, you will cook the hell out of your wire harness especially on the passenger side of the engine.

Here are a few picture of the Texas Speed headers I had:

 

I just installed a set of XS Power verison 3 headers with catted x pipe. The fitment is okay, but my headers and steering shaft rub a bit. The install was a bit rough. I followed the LG Motorsports install instructions except for I didn't loosen the starter at all. I highly recommend doing Motor Mounts while you have the headers out. It is so much easier without them in the way.

 

I'd pick the x pipe based on the headers, they won't all work together. I have Kooks headers and X pipe and couldn't be happier. No fitment issues at all and the quality is top notch.

 

You get what you pay for with headers or anything else, save your money & buy a quality set of headers, Kooks or American Racing Headers would be my suggestion

 

Totally agree. Many times people that have installed mild steel headers report they rust thru, or get cracks here and there. I bought a set of KOOKS long tubes over 12 years ago. After a minimum of 50,000 miles, they still dont leak, didn't crack, didn't rust, and sound good/great. As close to a "lifetime" header as you can get. This is one product you truly get what you pay for.....
.

 

I have a set of XS power headers and I am well pleased. The fit was good and no clearance problems. And the price did not break my budget.

 

I went with Kooks and they were very easy to install. I chose the street version with the air tube connectors for the 1997-2000 model years and went with the optional ceramic ceramic coating. I chose Kooks for fit and ease of installation. I have absolutely no clearance issues with Kooks and the installation was relatively easy, using a lift and having the proper tools. The Kooks headers slipped right into place from underneath without having to remove the starter or lift the engine or undo the steering shaft and O2 sensor extensions are not necessary.
After Kooks built my headers they sent them to be ceramic coated before being shipped to me. Ceramic coating is essential for keeping the under hood temperature cooler and for a nicer appearance and keeps them looking nice as the headers age. I recommend installing heat protection for the spark plug wires, starter wires and the brake lines as well. Summit Racing sells their own heat protection products for the wires and lines which offers the best protection and price.
Every brand long tube header made for the C5 Corvette will produce about the same power and sound. The main difference is the quality, fit and ease of installation which is how I based my choice. What was most important to me was that they had to be made in the USA. These pictures speak for themselves.

 

I had ECS do mine and they swore by ARH. Do the Elite Engineering insulated tunnel plate while you're at it