What should I be looking for in headers when trying to choose? There are so many brands with different prices, but I have no idea what's better than what. The only real numbers I've seen are for the Paragon.

Fabtech $1,100
Paragon, $2,150
Kooks $1,333
aFE $$1,879
Corsa $1,816
American Racing $2,177

 

2M Fabrications $699.99 is who I went with.

No Corvette tax. There are mixed reviews on all of the headers

 

What's your goal for the car? Just bolt ons for performance and sound.... Consider if you will add a catback as well. I went with the ARHs because most, if not all, of the fastest cars run those from my research. For me, I have not yet realized the full potential of the headers and other bolt ons due to the severe weather change. However, the car seems to pull really hard up top and the sound is amazing with the AWE Touring set up. I would recommend having your headers coated, which I did not do. I can say that the heat generated by the ARHs uncoated is not that bad based on the temps observed while driving. However, I still wished I had gotten them coated. GLW your quest!

 

Who would you have coat them? I've got some stainless steel headers on order and after getting them, I"d like to have them coated. Thanks

 

https://www.jet-hot.com/

They've been setting the standard for 40 years. They've done so many projects for myself and friends that I've lost count. Never had a screwup, never had a delay, zero issues.

 

We can work you a deal on the ARH, Kooks, Corsa, or AFE!

-Josh

 

I went with the Fabtech Ceramic Coated Headers. They look great and stay relatively cool.

https://www.fabtech-performance.com/...thermal-coated

 

aFe was my personal choice for multiple reasons: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...port-cats.html

 

Must be good ones since they are way cheaper. Good materials cost I would check and see if they are made in China. Better headers have .always cost more. In the past less cost was a lessor product.
Doubt they match up at all with Kooks or ARH. Which are the creme of the crop.

 

Yep I have switched Jet hot coated headers to other cars and they still look perfect plus they do help cool under the hood. Great product! Coated headers are better IMO and I have installed many. in my day.

 

Most companies will ship to jet hot and some of the other coatings are very good as well. Call them now they before they ship them to you!

 

Kooks price is about the same but you have order the whole set up. Where Arh includes they are close in price. I prefer the ARH. Kooks and AFE are my second choices. I would get the 2 inch.

 

Ceramic coating is a must IMO, especially in such a heat-sensitive environment. I opted for aFe's factory coated headers which are Cerakote Titanium ceramic external and Cerakote Copper ceramic internal. I then had my Corsa cats done in Cerakote Titanium ceramic to match the headers. My engine bay temps actually run cooler now even in the Texas summer than the car did when bone stock. The exact coating part numbers are in my linked thread above as there are multiple choices (air cured, oven cured, etc.). My coatings are holding up perfect and still look flawless after about a year and a half of rain, carwashes, dealer visits, etc.

Be careful with Kooks headers for the C8. They're only worth buying if you pair them with their Green cats at the same time due to their outlet flange design. The same can also be said for Corsa & Lingenfelter headers which are just relabeled Kooks (Lingenfelter does include the ceramic coating though). Corsa's cats match up perfectly with aFe & ARH headers, while Kooks' Greens do not (only use Kooks Green with headers from Kooks, Corsa, or Lingenfelter).

aFe headers are an easy DIY bolt-on install and designed to work with the HTC as well. These are my choice for street and road-race cars due to the fat mid-range gains due to the Tri-Y design. ARH headers are a little more shoe horned in with an install procedure that's isn't quite as seamless with more wedging & tweaking required. With that said, they're likely the ideal choice for the drag-race guys wanting max top-end. ​​​​

 

Look them up and read about the materials used, before you post.

 

Ceramic coating for sure.
equal length is important.
size matters depending on finished additions. Cracked GM code will also play a role.
larger intake, port and polish should be part of the de ision.
exhaust is also a size decision.
talk with manufactures.

 

I’m still researching which ceramic coating company to use, but Cerakote is cheaper than Jet-Hot. The polished finish that I want is only available from Jet-Hot. If I decide that heat reduction is more important than appearance, then I’ll likely go with Cerakote. Both companies offer a specific coating for heat reduction. Decisions, decisions. Inputs welcome, and thanks to @Kracka for his advice.

 

If the polished silver finish is critical to you, go with Michael @ SPCoating in Arlington, TX. It's looks identical to the Jet-Hot finish at a much more competitive price, and holds up just as well in my personal experience. A lot of guys I know locally here use him as well with great results.