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Old May 5, 2018 | 08:23 AM
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I thinks it's the year for headers on my 05. I already have Corsa exhaust. I looking for recommendations on fit and performance. What's your experience been?
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Old May 5, 2018 | 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Jimmy C-6
I thinks it's the year for headers on my 05. I already have Corsa exhaust. I looking for recommendations on fit and performance. What's your experience been?
I have American Racing Headers on my 05 with crossover pipe and high flo cats. They fit up nice and tight under the car.
Not sure if you are aware but on most any of the headers for these cars you have to use the header manufacturers crossover pipe also. Keeping cats on the car will help with exhaust smell which will be a little more with headers.
I have also seen the Kooks headers installed and they fit well. My tuner warned me against some of the cheap headers as they some times don't fit as well and hang down which will hit speed bumps.
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Old May 5, 2018 | 10:19 AM
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KooKs LT, cattless X on ls3 for your pleasure.


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Old May 5, 2018 | 05:54 PM
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Kooks I had ARH and they leaked all four both sides had to cut the collector to finish their job but worth yet have to remove starter and right knock sensor to get them in or out the Kooks if you loose your handle will fall to the floor no joke. Oh by the way 1 7/8 and 3 inch X
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Old May 5, 2018 | 07:17 PM
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Definitely don’t go cheap. ARH or Kooks will work well.
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Old May 5, 2018 | 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Jimmy C-6
I thinks it's the year for headers on my 05. I already have Corsa exhaust. I looking for recommendations on fit and performance. What's your experience been?
Like Fly N Low, I'm also running AR Headers with their X-pipe, hi-flo cats & Corsa mufflers. Fit was perfect, the setup sounds great & after a tune by ECS here in Jersey, picked up 20-25 hp. The system has been on for about 8 years now with no problems at all.....highly recommended.
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Old May 5, 2018 | 08:35 PM
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I ran LG's with High Flow cats ( u will regret it if u don't run cats , not worth the 5 HP ) on my c6 , fit perfect , no leaks , no scrapping , did not have to remove the starter .....strictly a bolt in easy installation

Dave
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Old May 6, 2018 | 04:34 PM
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Jimmy, lots if header threads for comparisons on the forum. There is even a direct comparison test performed by one of the vendors comparing ARH, Kooks, and Pfadt, not sure if LG was included. It is suggested to use 1-3/4" if naturally aspirated, they will give you more torque in the lower RPM band where we do most of our driving, conversely, 1-7/8 will give a little more HP in the upper RPM's where we don't drive that often.

Either way, high flow cats for street use. I can smell non-catted cars several cars ahead of me on the freeway, IMHO not worth deleting them.
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Old May 6, 2018 | 07:10 PM
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Kooks, no cats. You will not regret it. Unless you have to pass emissions.
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Old May 6, 2018 | 07:15 PM
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Kooks hands down. High flow cats and the x pipe.
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Old May 6, 2018 | 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by 2011_Grand_Sport
Kooks, no cats. You will not regret it. Unless you have to pass emissions.
you really like your no cats ........

bad advice , unless you like smelling like gas ...

I had high flow green cats and my car still has a smell when the cats were cold ....

not worth the 5 hp .....
Dave
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Old May 6, 2018 | 07:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Dcasole
you really like your no cats ........

bad advice , unless you like smelling like gas ...

I had high flow green cats and my car still has a smell when the cats were cold ....

not worth the 5 hp .....
Dave
Myth. Only time I notice a smell is if mine is running backed into the garage and I'm in the garage. Never smells inside the car. I don't understand all of the complaints about smell. Hell my wife don't even complain about it.
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Old May 6, 2018 | 08:23 PM
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I kind of like the smell without cats, but I’m not normal, either. If I was NA, I would go with cats.
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Old May 6, 2018 | 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by 2011_Grand_Sport
Myth. Only time I notice a smell is if mine is running backed into the garage and I'm in the garage. Never smells inside the car. I don't understand all of the complaints about smell. Hell my wife don't even complain about it.
wow this is how internet urban legends are started

because yours does not do it it must not smell ......

and that is why literally 100's of folks say it does ....but they are all wrong ....

Dave
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Old May 6, 2018 | 10:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Dcasole
wow this is how internet urban legends are started

because yours does not do it it must not smell ......

and that is why literally 100's of folks say it does ....but they are all wrong ....

Dave

It is an urban legend that 100% of folks say their cars with no cats have a so terrible smell that it's not worth it. That's a fact.

Last edited by ONEBADZ; May 7, 2018 at 01:39 PM.
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Old May 7, 2018 | 01:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Jimmy C-6
I thinks it's the year for headers on my 05. I already have Corsa exhaust. I looking for recommendations on fit and performance. What's your experience been?
i would recommend that you not use the gaskets and the header bolts that come with these kits. I use stock GM manifold to head gaskets and I use the stock manifold bolts. I clean the Loctite off them with my wire wheel and I use a very small amount of anti seize on them and torque them after each heat cycle for 2 or so heat cycles. You will also need to check the header to x pipe bolts a couple times. I have installed ARH headers a couple times this way with no leaks.
Just my 2 cents
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Old May 8, 2018 | 02:43 PM
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Originally Posted by 2011_Grand_Sport



It is an urban legend that 100% of folks say their cars with no cats have a so terrible smell that it's not worth it. That's a fact.
Think of the cats/no cats argument from a little different perspective - that of the cars behind you while driving in town or down the freeway. I can smell a little Toyota Hi-Lux pickup three cars ahead of me and its a 4 cylinder (as example), or a newer lexus someone has modified the exhaust on. Personally I don't want to breathe someone else's unburned hydrocarbons. The cats do a great job of cleaning up the exhaust with a minimal performance hit.
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Old May 8, 2018 | 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeCsix
Think of the cats/no cats argument from a little different perspective - that of the cars behind you while driving in town or down the freeway. I can smell a little Toyota Hi-Lux pickup three cars ahead of me and its a 4 cylinder (as example), or a newer lexus someone has modified the exhaust on. Personally I don't want to breathe someone else's unburned hydrocarbons. The cats do a great job of cleaning up the exhaust with a minimal performance hit.
Well judging from the way people tailgate me when I’m driving in town or on a crowded highway it must not be too bad.
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Old May 8, 2018 | 05:34 PM
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Old May 8, 2018 | 09:08 PM
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Lots of good options!
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