Daily Driver....Headers or Not
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 512
Likes: 2
From: Denton TX
Daily Driver....Headers or Not
I have a bone stock 2009 C6 with less than 10K on the clock. The previous owner drove it sparingly but now that it is in TX, it gets driven nearly everyday. Like most of us, I enjoy the sound of a good set of headers with after market mufflers for some pleasant noise. All that said, what is the down side, if any, of equipping your daily driver with headers? It should be noted the car is used when touring with our local Vette club and will heat build up be WORSE or BETTER with a good stainless steel header package versus the stock system. With the cats relocated I am concerned that heat will be a danger particularly when the car has to endure 8-10 hours on the road and heat build up in the engine compartment might be a concern. Please give me your feed back and if you have some personal experience, please relate.
Last edited by sampaschal; Nov 6, 2013 at 10:48 AM. Reason: grammar
Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 780
Likes: 13
From: Salt Lake City Utah
St. Jude Donor '12
I have a bone stock 2009 C6 with less than 10K on the clock. The previous owner drove it sparingly but now that it is in TX, it gets driven nearly everyday. Like most of us, I enjoy the sound of a good set of headers with after market mufflers for some pleasant noise. All that said, what is the down side, if any, of equipping your daily driver with headers? It should be noted the car is used when touring with our local Vette club and will heat build up be WORSE or BETTER with a good stainless steel header package versus the stock system. With the cats relocated I am concerned that heat will be a danger particularly when the car has to endure 8-10 hours on the road and heat build up in the engine compartment might be a concern. Please give me your feed back and if you have some personal experience, please relate.
Kind regards,
Jordan Priestley
888.308.6007
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,863
Likes: 150
From: Woodland CA
If you are going to run headers and an aftermarket exhaust, you might end up with more drone than you like. But headers with the stock exhaust, no problems at all.
On my 2005, I swapped out the stock mufflers with the Magnaflow 14336. Sounds nice a mellow.
Then I did headers, got louder and drone ensued. I was able to deal with it since this was not a DD
Then I did a cam swap, drone went insane. I could no longer take it and I put the stock mufflers back on. Drone was gone.
On my 2005, I swapped out the stock mufflers with the Magnaflow 14336. Sounds nice a mellow.
Then I did headers, got louder and drone ensued. I was able to deal with it since this was not a DD
Then I did a cam swap, drone went insane. I could no longer take it and I put the stock mufflers back on. Drone was gone.
Pro
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 611
Likes: 3
From: Milwaukee WI
St. Jude Donor '13
I didn't notice a significant difference with heat post headers. Choose your aftermarket axleback exhaust wisely if you hate drone because I'm running mbrp bullet exhaust with my long tubes and it drones like a **** on the highway. No way I'm camming my car without going to a dronefree axleback like corsa or the new borlas.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
From: McMinnville TN
I have American Racing long tubes, catted x-pipe, and Borla axle-back. Sounds good at WOT, but the drone is insane at 1600-1900 RPM in 6th gear on the hwy. Otherwise, it sounds great!
Header install is super easy on these cars. You can do them yourself in your own garage in a matter of a few hours. Choose your mufflers carefully.
Header install is super easy on these cars. You can do them yourself in your own garage in a matter of a few hours. Choose your mufflers carefully.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 718
Likes: 1
From: los angelizz california
i put LG longtube street kit on my 05 and tuned it recently. better gas mileage and also added tunnel plate and have not noticed any excess heat generated whatsoever.. vette now feels and sounds like it should 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 823
Likes: 7
From: Rosewood Heights IL
I have longtubes, catless mids and Corsa Sport. Absolutely no drone, no extra heat added.
Took a 4k mile road trip last month with no problems. Did 20 hours straight from Key Largo Florida to home near St. Louis with no problems.
Took a 4k mile road trip last month with no problems. Did 20 hours straight from Key Largo Florida to home near St. Louis with no problems.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 18
From: Dayton Ohio
Over $1200 for less than 10 horsepower.... Not for me baby! The cost of headers is way too much for the performance gained. Probably because the factory exhaust is pretty good. I noticed that nobody on this thread has mentioned dyno numbers or performance gain except for one little mention of gas mileage.
Matt
Matt
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 823
Likes: 7
From: Rosewood Heights IL
Over $1200 for less than 10 horsepower.... Not for me baby! The cost of headers is way too much for the performance gained. Probably because the factory exhaust is pretty good. I noticed that nobody on this thread has mentioned dyno numbers or performance gain except for one little mention of gas mileage.
Matt
Matt
I personally gained 6 mph untuned in the quarter mile with the addition of headers, cat back and CAI, albeit with better DA. A gain of 3-4mph is a safe guess.
Stock manifolds and mids are not good.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 242
From: Pittsburgh PA
My car bone stock vs 1 7/8" Stainless works longtubes, 3" catless x pipe and C6Z stock mufflers. Everything else is stock.
Mid range torque gain is awesome. Peak HP is something that we are working on... (starving the motor of air in the upper RPM's at the moment. Need to get a new intake) Picked up 3mph in the 1/4 untuned. Going back tomorrow to see if we pick anything up with a tune on it. Car sounds awesome too.
Mid range torque gain is awesome. Peak HP is something that we are working on... (starving the motor of air in the upper RPM's at the moment. Need to get a new intake) Picked up 3mph in the 1/4 untuned. Going back tomorrow to see if we pick anything up with a tune on it. Car sounds awesome too.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 18
From: Dayton Ohio
10hp is wrong. 20-30hp and torque are gained. I paid $769 shipped for my headers new.
I personally gained 6 mph untuned in the quarter mile with the addition of headers, cat back and CAI, albeit with better DA. A gain of 3-4mph is a safe guess.
Stock manifolds and mids are not good.
I personally gained 6 mph untuned in the quarter mile with the addition of headers, cat back and CAI, albeit with better DA. A gain of 3-4mph is a safe guess.
Stock manifolds and mids are not good.
I got my data from a Vette magazine article. They put a nice set of headers on a Grand Sport and got 9hp for their trouble. I thought is was strange that it was though to find the results at the end of the article but if I got that small of a number for what those pipes cost I would put it in small print too.
At 436hp the factory manifolds are not terrible by any stretch. Sure good headers are better but these manifolds are a lot better than the "log" type of junk that was on 350 pickup truck motors back in the day.
Matt
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 18
From: Dayton Ohio
My car bone stock vs 1 7/8" Stainless works longtubes, 3" catless x pipe and C6Z stock mufflers. Everything else is stock.
Mid range torque gain is awesome. Peak HP is something that we are working on... (starving the motor of air in the upper RPM's at the moment. Need to get a new intake) Picked up 3mph in the 1/4 untuned. Going back tomorrow to see if we pick anything up with a tune on it. Car sounds awesome too.
Mid range torque gain is awesome. Peak HP is something that we are working on... (starving the motor of air in the upper RPM's at the moment. Need to get a new intake) Picked up 3mph in the 1/4 untuned. Going back tomorrow to see if we pick anything up with a tune on it. Car sounds awesome too.
As far as sound goes.... A vette should sound good because it is fast not the other way around. Just sayin.
Matt
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 823
Likes: 7
From: Rosewood Heights IL
Now we are talking! That is still more than I would like to pay for a set of headers but is it getting into the realm of reasonable for the performance gain. I am sure a good tune would only put an exclamation point on that.
I got my data from a Vette magazine article. They put a nice set of headers on a Grand Sport and got 9hp for their trouble. I thought is was strange that it was though to find the results at the end of the article but if I got that small of a number for what those pipes cost I would put it in small print too.
At 436hp the factory manifolds are not terrible by any stretch. Sure good headers are better but these manifolds are a lot better than the "log" type of junk that was on 350 pickup truck motors back in the day.
Matt
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Columbia Missouri
As long as you have NPP exhaust, I would say go for it. I got mine done and I love the way it sounds. It amplifies the drone you get when you pull the fuse and go on the highway cruising under load. That being said, when you go WOT, it just screams at you!
FYI, I got the "dreaded" cheap chinese knockoff headers. I paid a fraction of the price as some of you other guys...
FYI, I got the "dreaded" cheap chinese knockoff headers. I paid a fraction of the price as some of you other guys...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 18
From: Dayton Ohio
