Help Choose what headers to choose to use for my 383 motor - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Slow-V6 · 01-19-2011, 05:33 PM

Well here is what I have

Mac Mids with Off Road Yipe
Flowtech Longtubes paintedhave to get a Flowtech Y for 140.00

Here are my other choices

Hooker Super Comp 1 7/8 painted headers for 363.00 and 130.00 with TX Spees Y-pipe..

Texas Speed 1 7/8 Headers Ceramic coated with Texas Speed Y for 650.00

Suppose to be 1 of the most powerfull headers on the market

BBK Coated headers with y-pipe 500.00.. The only problem is that the Y-pipe is 2.5 inchs

and Pacesetter Coated with y-pipe for 480.00... Almost all the Pacesetter cars I have rode in or drove the Header or Ypipe hits on the car..

I know people who have made lotsof power with the Macs but with doing a motor swap is a great time to do longtubes.. I can afford the TX speed headers but are they really worth the almost 200.00 more then pacesetter? I also heard that they are basically a bigger version of pacesetters.. The Flowtechs scare me as they have collector gaskets..

Any input would be great... Thanks..

LTb1ow · 01-19-2011, 05:39 PM

Does the LS1 market have stainless headers available for cheapish?

I would never get coated headers ever again.

JL8Jeff · 01-19-2011, 06:10 PM

I prefer stainless but if it's not a daily driver than it probably isn't as important. Is LPP going to make more LT1 headers? I had their headers on my LS1 and the quality was pretty darn good.

JSPERFORMANCE · 01-19-2011, 07:43 PM

Stainless works long tubes with their Y pipe. Hands down the best design available which is why we became a distributor.

Slow-V6 · 01-20-2011, 10:34 PM

I also just found some Hooker Super COMP 1 7/8 headers for 363.00 brand new.. They are painted but thats a steal at that price as they sell for over 500.00 from other stores.. They might be my choice..

LTb1ow · 01-21-2011, 12:53 AM

If you are spending big money on the engine etc, why not get headers that won't look like crap in a year?

DaSkinnyGuy · 01-21-2011, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTs1ow

If you are spending big money on the engine etc, why not get headers that won't look like crap in a year?

It's like a guy who walks into a Ferrari dealership and asks the salesman how much the Ferrari cost, if you have to ask then you don't have the money for it.

Otherwise he would take advise Josh from JSperformance's already and wouldn't still be looking for a so called deal.

Slow-V6 · 01-21-2011, 08:01 AM

Maybe because I am not spending big money on my motor.. If I was spending 3000.00 or more for this motor then I would get the 1500.00 headers but I dont see me getting a set of headers that cost 500.00 less then my built motor costs!! Thats just me...

Is there something wrong with trying to find a good deal out there?? I put maybe 2000 miles on my car a year.. I really dont see the need to drop 1200.00 on a set of headers when I can get headers for alot cheaper that give the same if not better performance. If they rust down the road then they rust!!

I mean my Macs are painted headers and they have some rust on them but they have been on the car for 6 years almost.

JL8Jeff · 01-21-2011, 08:58 AM

Does ASM still make LT1 headers? They were 1-3/4" mids that I think George made 700 rwhp with so they don't rob too much power. The Hookers don't sound like too bad of a deal but you might be just as well off keeping your Macs and spending the money somewhere else.

BonzoHansen · 01-21-2011, 09:19 AM

Go full length or go home.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSPERFORMANCE

Stainless works long tubes with their Y pipe. Hands down the best design available which is why we became a distributor.

Did you now....very popular products amongst the 'in crowd' because of quality. I was looking at their swap headers.

sweetbmxrider · 01-21-2011, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow-V6

Maybe because I am not spending big money on my motor.. If I was spending 3000.00 or more for this motor then I would get the 1500.00 headers but I dont see me getting a set of headers that cost 500.00 less then my built motor costs!! Thats just me...

Is there something wrong with trying to find a good deal out there?? I put maybe 2000 miles on my car a year.. I really dont see the need to drop 1200.00 on a set of headers when I can get headers for alot cheaper that give the same if not better performance. If they rust down the road then they rust!!

I mean my Macs are painted headers and they have some rust on them but they have been on the car for 6 years almost.

I'd get cheapo ebay stainless. If the painted rust out 2 years down the road, then you will have to replace them. That's spending money twice which doesn't make sense. Since the car won't be driven much, any moisture will just eat away at the headers and everything else. I'd definitely let the car get up to operating temp once a week if you didn't plan on doing something like that anyways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JL8Jeff

Does ASM still make LT1 headers? They were 1-3/4" mids that I think George made 700 rwhp with so they don't rob too much power. The Hookers don't sound like too bad of a deal but you might be just as well off keeping your Macs and spending the money somewhere else.

No opti here, its an ls1.

Slow-V6 · 01-21-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

I'd get cheapo ebay stainless. If the painted rust out 2 years down the road, then you will have to replace them. That's spending money twice which doesn't make sense. Since the car won't be driven much, any moisture will just eat away at the headers and everything else. I'd definitely let the car get up to operating temp once a week if you didn't plan on doing something like that anyways.

No opti here, its an ls1.

Thanks.. I was looking into the Ebay headers as well.. 165.00 OBO for stainless headers is a steal.. My Macs are painted as well as the Mac ypipe and there is some rust on them but not alot if you consider they were put on back in 2005.. I lived in VA beach untill 2008 and have been living up here in NJ since..

My wife wont let me put headers on the Firehawk. Its her car and I had to pull her arm to get the 3200 Stall put in..

JSPERFORMANCE · 01-21-2011, 03:53 PM

A "deal" has more factors than price alone.

Most of the cheaper stainless exhaust parts are made from lower quality stainless steel which (while it may not rot) still rusts and becomes very brittle with heat cycling and can crack prematurely. We have also seen some of these "ebay" long tubes come through with multiple different sized primaries and some that flat out just do not fit.

I guess fighting with poor quality and/or manufacturer errors isnt a big deal to someone who doesnt think thier time spent has value but when we find a product that fits as good as it works and lasts we always try to stay with that product. That is what I call value and as I said before is the biggest reason we decide to become involved with a company.. I only sell what I would put on my own cars, nothing less.

Slow-V6 · 01-21-2011, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSPERFORMANCE

A "deal" has more factors than price alone.

Most of the cheaper stainless exhaust parts are made from lower quality stainless steel which (while it may not rot) still rusts and becomes very brittle with heat cycling and can crack prematurely. We have also seen some of these "ebay" long tubes come through with multiple different sized primaries and some that flat out just do not fit.

I guess fighting with poor quality and/or manufacturer errors isnt a big deal to someone who doesnt think thier time spent has value but when we find a product that fits as good as it works and lasts we always try to stay with that product. That is what I call value and as I said before is the biggest reason we decide to become involved with a company.. I only sell what I would put on my own cars, nothing less.

Very well put and if I had the money I would buy those headers, Instead like the 1000's of others out there I would get a cheaper set of headers that are not quite as good quality as the 1200-1500 sets of headers..

People told me not to buy a ebay stall and I did and saved over 500.00 from getting a yank and I love it..

JL8Jeff · 01-21-2011, 04:50 PM

Doh, I'm not sure why I was thinking LT1. I would go with the LPP stainless headers for the LS1 if you really need longtubes. And do motormounts if you haven't already.

JSPERFORMANCE · 01-21-2011, 05:03 PM

and even on the converter unless you have owned a quality unit (like vigilante) in the same car you have nothing to compare it to. Anything looser will "feel" better then the stock piece the durability and efficency are what counts and what converts the power you are making to the trans. If the converter is only at 80% efficency when at full throttle in escence you are leaving 20% of your power on the table.. Example: you make 400 hp at the crank if the converter is 80% efficent you are only putting 320 through the input shaft. Efficency is in the design and durability is in the quality of the components.. You have to pay for both, no way around it.