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I got a pre-production set of LGM 1 3/4 Pro-tubes from Borla. They have served me well since 2003 ish (?) but I found a hairline crack where the AIR system pipe was originally attached (and then removed and welded shut). I need some new headers and figure I will step up to 1 7/8 but I heard LGM was now made in China (?). Nobody else has the same merge collector which makes a distinct sound and offers up added HP. Think of putting your thumb over a hose to increase flow, I put down great numbers with them and respect the LGM brand.
What is the best header out there nowadays ? I have been off the scene for 10 years or so. I have the stock z06 cat back currently. Will I need a new cat back if I go 1 7/8 ?
no you don’t need a new catback but you should get one. KOOKS are the best headers on the market imo, sound the best. there’s a new company coming out of LA right now making headers that make a ls car sound “exotic” as well.
What company in LA ? Some companies would not even ship LT headers to LA which is what jammed me up last time.
I like the stock z06 cat-back only because as I am trying to keep it looking 100% stock/sleeper. I only upgraded to z06 wheels so that I could fit bigger sticker tires.
I put down great numbers with them and respect the LGM brand.
Why not just repair the headers you have? I've got 1 3/4" LGs also and am real happy with the HP and Torque. You might end up spending a big chunk of cash for little or no gain depending on your other mods and tune.
Welding seems the simplest option and least expensive.
Folks debate headers all the time here. China-made are TPS and Speed Engineering. Speed Engineering has the best bang for the buck and great sales support to back them up.
But be careful because I had an issue with one company which played out something like this. They knowingly sent me the wrong order, lead me on for several months about replacing it, blame me, ignore me for more months, and then force me to use my credit card company to contest the fee over a 90-day period which required me to seek and submit vendor commentary from peer (paid) vendors on this site before trying to set up and entrap me in an effort to forestall the credit card's demands before acquiescing only due to the card threatening not to allow them to do business through their members anymore. That was over a $1,600 set of pipes from China. Buyer beware.
American made are Kooks and ARH. Both of which are top dogs, but both of which are ridiculously high expense for pipes. For the money... weld what you have and go buy a used supercharger kit instead of the ARH or Kooks.
I have a very early set of Borla LGM’s and the AIR fittings broke off early on. I now have a nice hairline crack on the weld which is unbelievably loud for what it is.
Anyway, I have a temporary solution and yeah, it is probably not wise to go 1 7/8 given where I landed torque wise with my build.
Gonna try wrapping it, looks pretty slick no ?! Hahaha
With a built 434" (making 620+ RWHP) & 4.10s
I would go to 2" ARH or Kooks.
Doubt you would feel any Lb' loss below 3000 rpm,
and would it even matter?
LOL
2” will not fit according to what I know. However, good point. Just a matter of time I suppose. I think there is a smaller crack on the other side (weld) too.
Just gotta locate an installer in West LA area and pull the trigger on a set. I forget the brand recommended (retailed) by AHP when they were doing the build and tuning it but tye company could not ship them to CA at the time regardless and I was too busy to sort that nonsense out.
With Kooks I have to buy THIER 3” x-pipe (tell me I am wrong please Kooks) which is more than their actual headers (gee go figure). Theoretically I could retain my 3” X-pipe with LGM IF they sold 1 7/8 headers WITHOUT their 3” X-pipe (which I have). Plus if it is made in China that is a non-starter.
Punt I suppose and stick with my awesome JB weld solution.
I have a very early set of Borla LGM’s and the AIR fittings broke off early on. I now have a nice hairline crack on the weld which is unbelievably loud for what it is.
Anyway, I have a temporary solution and yeah, it is probably not wise to go 1 7/8 given where I landed torque wise with my build.
Gonna try wrapping it, looks pretty slick no ?! Hahaha
Only the best for this build ! Some sort of sloppy as hell liquid fiberglass that the wrap was soaked in. Works so far. Huge difference and no more exhaust CLANK plus it looks sweet with my HARD earned Wabi-Sabi exterior theme when I pop that hood now.
Meanwhile the engine, audio, interior, suspension is all just so perfect. Looks be damned.
From what I was once told by Kurt Urban when he was running W2W in Madison Heights, MI., LG LTs are direct copies of W2Ws World Challenge headers, which were top notch. The merge collectors are proven to increase power. I was also told, and this was kinda funny to me, that early ads for LG LTs actually showed W2W employees installing them on W2W customers cars. W2W had to call LG, and tell them to cease and desist!!! Trivia, FWIW.......
Funny, Kurt at W2W actually tuned my original build at W2W when I first got my headers, Hammer cam and a set of shaved AFR 205’s I got from Tony right after I met him SEMA. Katech & W2W are/were iconic back in Macomb county. I am on the OEM side and grew up there many moons ago.
Jay Leno was having a car tuned there while I was there I was told. Mine literally ARE World Challenge Headers and still had grease pencil marks on them when I got them (before the team even got them).
This is why I am dragging my feet plus my numbers are solid. I cannot FIT a 32 primary with a 2” header and the 1 7/8 LGM’s I am just not sure on or if it is worth the upgrade. AHP wanted me to upgrade too with a non-LGM (I forget) and admittedly did not expect the great results with the 1 3/4 headers after they dyno’d it after the second build (we dropped the original “Sleeved Angel” .720 lift cam that put down 698 over on the Westech engine dyno).
Funny, Kurt at W2W actually tuned my original build at W2W when I first got my headers, Hammer cam and a set of shaved AFR 205’s I got from Tony right after I met him SEMA. Katech & W2W are/were iconic back in Macomb county. I am on the OEM side and grew up there many moons ago.
Jay Leno was having a car tuned there while I was there I was told. Mine literally ARE World Challenge Headers and still had grease pencil marks on them when I got them (before the team even got them).
This is why I am dragging my feet plus my numbers are solid. I cannot FIT a 32 primary with a 2” header and the 1 7/8 LGM’s I am just not sure on or if it is worth the upgrade. AHP wanted me to upgrade too with a non-LGM (I forget) and admittedly did not expect the great results with the 1 3/4 headers after they dyno’d it after the second build (we dropped the original “Sleeved Angel” .720 lift cam that put down 698 over on the Westech engine dyno).
Current build on roller dyno…
Kurt is one of the best V8 pushrod engine builders on the planet. Billy Briggs is also one of the best. BOTH were at W2W at the same time!! They had a Helluva lot of talent under that roof. Tragic what happened to the auto industry here in Michigan in 2008. It has never been the same since. LG headers make damn good power. I know nothing about their ease of install, or lack thereof. I have run Kooks 1-7/8" on my 427 C5 since 2006. Never any cracks or problems. Mine are the early style, with the '97-'00 dipstick boss welded on them. Which means they are a BITCH to R&R......
Headers… don’t kill me.
. W2W had to call LG, and tell them to cease and desist!!!
Trivia, FWIW.......
