[rand68]

I've never run a set of headers but I'm planning on putting them on my next engine. That may well be several years off, but I'm studying up now.

I looked at Doug's Headers and on the pictures it seems to show 2 different styles. Style one has the collector facing to the rear, and style two has the collector pointing down. What gives here?

Since this will be for street use I thought I'd go with the heaviest tubing I can get. Hooker Comps are 16 guage. Is this the heaviest non-custom available out there or does someone make heavier?

Is 16 guage heavy enough to last for several years without replacement?

Is the ceramic coating worth the extra cost for a non-show street car?

What's the story with header wrap? I've seen adds for it but what's its purpose?

What size primaries are good for a street car?

Does ANYONE make a set of tri-y for Pontiacs anymore? (I'd prefer these over 4-1's because they give better low-end performance which is where I'll do 95% of my driving)

The car is just my hobby car, in that it won't get driven in the winter, probably not in the rain. It will be garaged whenever it's not being driven. It probably won't ever see the strip.

Thanks!

[rand68]

I've never run a set of headers but I'm planning on putting them on my next engine. That may well be several years off, but I'm studying up now.

I looked at Doug's Headers and on the pictures it seems to show 2 different styles. Style one has the collector facing to the rear, and style two has the collector pointing down. What gives here?

Since this will be for street use I thought I'd go with the heaviest tubing I can get. Hooker Comps are 16 guage. Is this the heaviest non-custom available out there or does someone make heavier?

Is 16 guage heavy enough to last for several years without replacement?

Is the ceramic coating worth the extra cost for a non-show street car?

What's the story with header wrap? I've seen adds for it but what's its purpose?

What size primaries are good for a street car?

Does ANYONE make a set of tri-y for Pontiacs anymore? (I'd prefer these over 4-1's because they give better low-end performance which is where I'll do 95% of my driving)

The car is just my hobby car, in that it won't get driven in the winter, probably not in the rain. It will be garaged whenever it's not being driven. It probably won't ever see the strip.

Thanks!

[b-man]

Dougs has great fitting headers with more ground clearance than most any 4-tube header going. 1-5/8" to 1-3/4" tubing are good primary sizes for street headers (Dougs sells 1-3/4" for D-port and 1-7/8" for round-port heads). If you don't mind rusty headers then don't coat them, but I would highly recommend it especially for a higher-cost excellent quality header like Dougs. With coating inside and out the headers will last for a very long time, easily 10 or more years depending on the miles you drive. The collector faces rearward on all of Dougs Pontiac headers.

Don't use header wrap, I have seen more than one set of ruined headers from using it. It causes the headers to literally cook themselves to the point of cracking and tube deterioration.

HO Racing used to make very nice Tri-Y headers, I run a round-port set on my '64 GTO and I love the mid-range power and the ground clearance of the 2-tube collector. Not made anymore I'm afraid.

You might even consider a set of reproduction Ram Air/HO exhaust manifolds for a street-only car with a moderate engine build. They will last forever and have even better ground clearance than any set of headers. Good luck!

[ September 04, 2002, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: b-man ]

[wildman131]

I don't know as much as a lot of people about headers - but I know enough to say stay away from Holley's Flowtech line. I tried to use those in my
'74 GTO and they wouldn't fit on the drivers side at all.

[JC455]

I've got Flowtechs on my 68 LeMans. They fit pretty well (after a few "dimple mods" [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] ). They have pretty decent ground clearance as well.
For the 74 X body, you really need to use a 67-69 Firebird type of header. These cars are very different from other Pontiacs.
PY was selling some at an excellent price, do a search in this forum.

John

[LouisianaGuy]

Got a set of Black Jack or cyclone Cheepies on my 77TA..gota lift motor a bit to get em in there..fit aint too tight after they are in thoe..these are the cheepest headers i have ever had ,,,and they have yet to leak on me CAN U BELIEVE that [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] i cant but its true. ground clearance is good as well
Mike