Kooks vs ARH
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 481
Likes: 99
From: Long Island, NY
Kooks vs ARH
Ok, I'm down to Kooks and ARH 1"3/4 headers with catted x-pipe. I will not name the sellers. The Kooks are $700 more than the ARH, which do I go with. The Kooks with the "perfect fit" or the ARH with slight or no modification fit?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 3,300
Likes: 1,892
From: Ulta Vista, AZ
Not all ARH need modifications.
i did nothing to mine, nor did I have to shield anything on mine.
People with Kooks are always talking about shielding everything.
I have owned both and neither is better than the other. Anyone that tells you otherwise is bandwagoning or just reciting what they hear on forums vs actually touching, installing, owning them.
The reason some people might have had to bend that lip back on their frame with ARH is because the collectors are bigger on the ARH than Kooks
i did nothing to mine, nor did I have to shield anything on mine.
People with Kooks are always talking about shielding everything.
I have owned both and neither is better than the other. Anyone that tells you otherwise is bandwagoning or just reciting what they hear on forums vs actually touching, installing, owning them.
The reason some people might have had to bend that lip back on their frame with ARH is because the collectors are bigger on the ARH than Kooks
Last edited by PMPerformance; Dec 14, 2024 at 07:19 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 481
Likes: 99
From: Long Island, NY
Not all ARH need modifications.
i did nothing to mine, nor did I have to shield anything on mine.
People with Kooks are always talking about shielding everything.
I have owned. It’s bow, and neither is better than the other. Anyone that tells you otherwise is bandwagoning or just reciting what they hear on forums vs actually touching, installing, owning them.
The reason some people might have had to bend that lip back on their frame with ARH is because the collectors are bigger on the ARH than Kooks
i did nothing to mine, nor did I have to shield anything on mine.
People with Kooks are always talking about shielding everything.
I have owned. It’s bow, and neither is better than the other. Anyone that tells you otherwise is bandwagoning or just reciting what they hear on forums vs actually touching, installing, owning them.
The reason some people might have had to bend that lip back on their frame with ARH is because the collectors are bigger on the ARH than Kooks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,169
Likes: 216
Not all ARH need modifications.
i did nothing to mine, nor did I have to shield anything on mine.
People with Kooks are always talking about shielding everything.
I have owned both and neither is better than the other. Anyone that tells you otherwise is bandwagoning or just reciting what they hear on forums vs actually touching, installing, owning them.
The reason some people might have had to bend that lip back on their frame with ARH is because the collectors are bigger on the ARH than Kooks
i did nothing to mine, nor did I have to shield anything on mine.
People with Kooks are always talking about shielding everything.
I have owned both and neither is better than the other. Anyone that tells you otherwise is bandwagoning or just reciting what they hear on forums vs actually touching, installing, owning them.
The reason some people might have had to bend that lip back on their frame with ARH is because the collectors are bigger on the ARH than Kooks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 3,300
Likes: 1,892
From: Ulta Vista, AZ
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Instructor
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 115
Likes: 23
From: West Coast
I have a very early version of the ARH "Z06" headers on my GS and it required some grinding of a weird piece of metal down by the bellhousing on steel frame cars. Frankly not a big deal at all and they tuck up under the car far better than the Hinson longtubes I had before. Like at least 1 full inch more of ground clearance or more.
I also inadvertently dyno'd the car before and after the header swap (for other reasons) and there was no power difference between them. I had them ceramic coated by Finish Line Coatings and it keeps the underhood temps in check.
I also inadvertently dyno'd the car before and after the header swap (for other reasons) and there was no power difference between them. I had them ceramic coated by Finish Line Coatings and it keeps the underhood temps in check.
Drifting
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 1,732
Likes: 666
From: Lakeland, Florida
I have had my 2012 Grand Sport for a little over two years now, it was bone stock when i purchased it. I did lots of careful reading on this forum before i purchased headers - I opted for brand new Kooks 1 3/4 with Hi-Flo cats and X-pipe. Perfect fit and excellent performance. I would get the exact the same Kooks again if I was doing it over.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 481
Likes: 99
From: Long Island, NY
I have had my 2012 Grand Sport for a little over two years now, it was bone stock when i purchased it. I did lots of careful reading on this forum before i purchased headers - I opted for brand new Kooks 1 3/4 with Hi-Flo cats and X-pipe. Perfect fit and excellent performance. I would get the exact the same Kooks again if I was doing it over.
Racer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 355
Likes: 151
From: Clinton, Illinois
PMPerformance,
Even a stock C6 exhaust could use better heat sheilding. Factory provides you next to nothing. There is no need to install sheilding, but if you take long drives the difference is large. Both heat and noise are better. Even if you put sound deadener under the carpet there is an improvement with noise and heat. Maybe the guys who install Kooks and a heat sheild have deeper pockets. Just a guess.
Even a stock C6 exhaust could use better heat sheilding. Factory provides you next to nothing. There is no need to install sheilding, but if you take long drives the difference is large. Both heat and noise are better. Even if you put sound deadener under the carpet there is an improvement with noise and heat. Maybe the guys who install Kooks and a heat sheild have deeper pockets. Just a guess.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 3,300
Likes: 1,892
From: Ulta Vista, AZ
PMPerformance,
Even a stock C6 exhaust could use better heat sheilding. Factory provides you next to nothing. There is no need to install sheilding, but if you take long drives the difference is large. Both heat and noise are better. Even if you put sound deadener under the carpet there is an improvement with noise and heat. Maybe the guys who install Kooks and a heat sheild have deeper pockets. Just a guess.
Even a stock C6 exhaust could use better heat sheilding. Factory provides you next to nothing. There is no need to install sheilding, but if you take long drives the difference is large. Both heat and noise are better. Even if you put sound deadener under the carpet there is an improvement with noise and heat. Maybe the guys who install Kooks and a heat sheild have deeper pockets. Just a guess.
They don’t have deeper pockets. They just might not know better or cut checks for someone else to do it for them so they trust people trying to take their money ? I am willing to garuntee pro Al over 95% of this site base their decisions off what someone else tells them that they don’t know on these pages ca doing their own research and basing decisions off experience and actual mechanical understanding
I have driven my car on May high 90’s days. It’s a non issue.
People overthink and create issues that don’t exist.
If your starter dies from Headers, your headers are too close to your starter.
My headers are not, so I don’t have this issue.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 358
I've had 2" Kooks (2011 ZR1) for about 8000 miles. No coating, no extra shielding, and no issues whatsoever. I've been a big fan of Kooks for a looooooong time. 
I think people overthink the whole heat issue too. It gets pretty damn hot here in Alabama in the summer and heat shielding has never crossed my mind....though I don't recommend keeping candy bars under the center armrest!
I think people overthink the whole heat issue too. It gets pretty damn hot here in Alabama in the summer and heat shielding has never crossed my mind....though I don't recommend keeping candy bars under the center armrest!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,169
Likes: 216
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 481
Likes: 99
From: Long Island, NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 3,300
Likes: 1,892
From: Ulta Vista, AZ
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,169
Likes: 216
I've had 2" Kooks (2011 ZR1) for about 8000 miles. No coating, no extra shielding, and no issues whatsoever. I've been a big fan of Kooks for a looooooong time.
I think people overthink the whole heat issue too. It gets pretty damn hot here in Alabama in the summer and heat shielding has never crossed my mind....though I don't recommend keeping candy bars under the center armrest!
I think people overthink the whole heat issue too. It gets pretty damn hot here in Alabama in the summer and heat shielding has never crossed my mind....though I don't recommend keeping candy bars under the center armrest!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 3,300
Likes: 1,892
From: Ulta Vista, AZ
I don’t think cars with longtubes are any hotter in the car than stock headers.