shorty headers????
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,370
Likes: 8
Long tubes will probably get you about 5-10% HP gain. Shorties will be around 5-10 HP. But if you live in CA, long tubes are not smog legal (visual test) and the shorty tubes (like from B&B = CARB # issued) are smog legal. Shorty headers are also lighter than your OEM exhaust manifold, if you're counting lbs.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,560
Likes: 485
From: Moberly, Mo
Kooks makes a great short tube or they may call them midtubes with high flow cats. I've go the long tubes on my 99vette, no cats. Then on my 08' g8gt I've got the midtube kooks with hiflow cats. I like them both.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
No argument about waiting to get the right equipment. Be patient and do it right the first time. However...
Does your state have strict emissions requirements? The B&B are CARB approved. Long tube headers are not approved.
What are your goals? Is it strictly for looks or sound, the cool factor, more power, cooler engine compartment, less weight on the front end? Is your engine otherwise stock? Do you have plans to leave it stock or heavily modify it more in the future? Consider that with each performance improvement, you'll probably need to consider other areas in the future, such as heads, cam, air/fuel intake, gears, bottom end, transmission/rear end work, additional tune(s), etc. Maybe even bigger headers. It never ends.
Figure out what shorty headers will cost you. Look at both used and new costs. You can probably install them yourself, without having to modify the rest of your exhaust system. You won't need to spend more money on a tune. Their benefits are similar to long tubes, except w/o the higher performance increase. Your engine compartment will still look better, run more efficiently than with cast iron manifolds, improved sound, and much less weight on the front end.
Now figure out what long tube headers will cost you. Look again at both used and new costs, including installation if you can't do it yourself. Consider the cost of modifying your remaining exhaust if that's necessary with what system you chose. Include the cost of a tune to achieve optimum results for your efforts and expense.
And with any performance increases, have you adversely effected the reliability and driveability of your car after the changes.
People love to spend your money...
Does your state have strict emissions requirements? The B&B are CARB approved. Long tube headers are not approved.
What are your goals? Is it strictly for looks or sound, the cool factor, more power, cooler engine compartment, less weight on the front end? Is your engine otherwise stock? Do you have plans to leave it stock or heavily modify it more in the future? Consider that with each performance improvement, you'll probably need to consider other areas in the future, such as heads, cam, air/fuel intake, gears, bottom end, transmission/rear end work, additional tune(s), etc. Maybe even bigger headers. It never ends.
Figure out what shorty headers will cost you. Look at both used and new costs. You can probably install them yourself, without having to modify the rest of your exhaust system. You won't need to spend more money on a tune. Their benefits are similar to long tubes, except w/o the higher performance increase. Your engine compartment will still look better, run more efficiently than with cast iron manifolds, improved sound, and much less weight on the front end.
Now figure out what long tube headers will cost you. Look again at both used and new costs, including installation if you can't do it yourself. Consider the cost of modifying your remaining exhaust if that's necessary with what system you chose. Include the cost of a tune to achieve optimum results for your efforts and expense.
And with any performance increases, have you adversely effected the reliability and driveability of your car after the changes.
People love to spend your money...
Last edited by hotwheels57; Oct 20, 2009 at 11:44 AM.
