[77TA]

Who makes the best header for 2nd gens with the most ground clearance...
I run Hooker SC for round port heads... I would like more ground clearance.
Could the hookers be converted to a slip fit collector but cutting the flange off and some grinding ? This would probably give about 1" more clearance and I hop new motor mounts will bring it up another 1/2 to 1".... I am looking at lowering the car slightly with springs fom pro-touring F-body and start transitioning the car towards more autocross and road course ( maybe ).

If I lower it as is I think I'll be dragging allot on hard corners...sucks

To bad the tri-Y headers flopped... but how much Hp would they have supported anyway ?

I have considered the RA manifolds even ... I feel they will choke the engine some and I really don't want to loose any hp either I like how it runs now.


Thanks

[David Holmberg]

I ran Hooker super comps on my TA, and all 4 lower tubes are almost flat.

I just bought a set of Doug's, and the install was very easy and has much better clearance now. The quality of the headers is much better than the Hooker S/C's and the Headman Hustlers I had in the past. The flanges are nice and thick, great welds and the coating is very nice.

PY sells the Doug's for the same price as Jegs/Summit does. Help support this forum.

[77TA]

Could you measure how far below the frame rails the collectors are on you headers ?
Maybe a picture as well ?

Id appreciate it !!!

Thanks

[David Holmberg]

The car is at the chassis shop adding a couple of bars to the cage right now. I will post pictures when possible, but I suspect there are others here with the same headers that can supply a picture.

[speedshopmike]

i flattened the bottom of a couple sets of those crappy super comps also over the years, too.
hedman's units fit great, with excellent ground clearance.
i have them on my very lowered 81; they've never touched the ground.
they've been on there 20 plus years now, still in great shape.
as dave mentioned, doug's are very nice quality.

[ericwy]

Originally Posted by speedshopmike

i flattened the bottom of a couple sets of those crappy super comps also over the years, too.
hedman's units fit great, with excellent ground clearance.
i have them on my very lowered 81; they've never touched the ground.
they've been on there 20 plus years now, still in great shape.
as dave mentioned, doug's are very nice quality.

I want replace the Hooker headers on my 77 TA.
Whats the clearance from the inside of the subframe rail to the outer side of the collector on the passenger side?

On my TA the passenger side collector is 3-3/8" from the inside of the frame rail.

[Don 79 TA]

the RA manifilds are not that bad, considering the simplicity to them
of course if you are running a hot setup headders would be best bet,
the RA's with good pipes and mufflers are a nice setup, espcially with the 2.5" outlets

the dougs are extremly nice quality
the headmanns are not to bad either (i forgot the part number off hand but if you search you will find it)

[ericwy]

Originally Posted by Don 79 TA

the RA manifilds are not that bad, considering the simplicity to them
of course if you are running a hot setup headders would be best bet,
the RA's with good pipes and mufflers are a nice setup, espcially with the 2.5" outlets

the dougs are extremly nice quality
the headmanns are not to bad either (i forgot the part number off hand but if you search you will find it)

Yeah, I have also been considering RA exhaust as well. I went and got my Dec 03 issue of HPP "Ferreting Out Fumes" article everyone around here talked about. The results were pretty much a you would expect: #1 Long tube Headers, #2 RA, #3 Logs, #4 Shorty Headers.

The Long tube headers averaged 9 to 15 more HP and 10 to 17 more TQ over the RA manifolds and even more over the logs and shorties.

[cnc]

Hedmans r # 28150's I believe people r havin good luck with ....

[Larry Navarro]

28150's are for D-port heads.

[Skip Fix]

What are you guys doing to your Hookers??? I autocrossed mine for years using 23" diameter tires and the car was low! There was even a speed bump in the tech line area!

I'll disagree on Hedman's fit. My experience(I'm sure the pictures are still here in archives) the 1 3/4 the flanges were 1/2-3/4 " off from end to end. Both rear tubes hit the firewall-not the AC box-firewall Collectors pointed at some angle not straight back-Hedmans answer when sent back-You must have moved the engine back, they fit out jig.We cut off 2 tubes and remade them and pointed the collectors in a better direction.

Hedman 1 3/4-1 7/8 based on their 1 7/8- both collectors pointed at the transmission and would not have fit a vehicle. At least that they did agree and repair them. Flange was flat though

[cnc]

Opps my bad

[HWYSTR455]

Not sure what the deal is with the Hookers, but the pass. side hangs considerably lower than the driver's side. With D-ports, I ran Headmans and didn't suffer the issues Skip Fix did, though with both, Hookers & Headmans, I flatten tubes on a regular basis. Just change them when they get too bad! I now have Doug's, fit better than any others I've had....

[speedshopmike]

skip, you musta got a set of chinese pirated hedmans made by a drunken opium freak on a bad monday (out of lead tainted with melamine)
i've had several sets of the hedmans on several 2nd gen cars over the years with zero fit issues - they fall right on, nothing out of place, collectors nice and parallel, etc.
i've sold literally scores of the same to customers without any complaints, too.
(ie, i think you had a very isolated case that is not typical)

[HWYSTR455]

Well, I used to doctor all headers some before installing them, the more I think about it. I had a 'special socket' that I would lay on the number 1 & 2 tubes and beat them some to help those bolt's install. Also used to cut the flange between 5 & 7 for the old battery cable tube (which I stopped using). I always would check flange mating surfaces too, touch them up with a file if need be.

[Steve C.]

Up untill recently I had the Hedman #35150 2-inch headers on my '70 Trans Am and with the car lowered in front I had only a few inches ground clerance at the collector flange. The flange was ground flat from contact, also the lowest header tube on the passenger side had also made contact. As did the Dr-Gas X-crossover ! To solve my issues I bought another set of the same headers and John re-worked them at shop. By cutting them, and some re-routing everything has been raised up for at least 2 inches additional ground clearance. Now the lowest thing on my car will be the transmission pan.

Before picture, drivers side collector, note how low the collector is in relationship to the transmission pan - http://www.centexhotrods.com/Steve/before2.jpg

After picture, passenger side collector, note how much higher it is -
http://www.centexhotrods.com/Steve/after5.jpg

[HWYSTR455]

Those turned out nice Steve C., could ask for a tighter tuck. Too bad they don't come that way! Maybe you should consider making headers!

[x-bird2]

i'm with skip wondering if you're all out there playing dukes of hazzard or what. i admit i have ground about 3/8 inch off the bottom of the flange because of suspension going to near full extension up then coming back down over some rollers in the road at a pretty good clip, but to crush a tube it'd have to take full air. unless you're running a drag car and pulling the wheels a foot or more i can't see how your clearance could be that bad. you can pretty easily cut the mounting flange off and rotate 180, but more often than not you'll get a rattle on the floor. don't know if they make the sleeve clamps big enough for an SC collector. i have them on the rest of my exhaust though, much nicer than regular clamps--no more grooves locking the pipes together when gorilla hands overtightens them.

[HWYSTR455]

Well, my 'bird's lowered about 1.75", if not a touch more, and I do have poly bump stops on the control arms. Because of the way the pass. side hangs down lower than the driver's side, it's going to bottom if you drive the car on the street (speed bumps, whatever). Airborne? Uh, yeah, it happens quite a bit for me, because of the way the roads are, and the way I drive! And the roads in Va are pretty darn good compared to many states. Not flying through the air several feet off the ground, but certainly a few inches, if not more. Come out to some of the areas I drive, you'll see why I built my car! As for rotating the flange, headmans don't tack the flanges, so you can rotate them. I would do that, and dimple the floor pan, just for that extra inch+ or so. You can weld the collector on too if you choose.

[Skip Fix]

Sent both sets of Hedman's back so that drunk must have checked them the second time too

Really I had moved the engine back 4" to get better weight distribution! But after modifying them you can get to every bolt EASY and even the passenger side slides in easy from underneath.

Steve you need to take a side by side picture of the orgininal set and the modified set for us to see how you did it. Maybe having one of those computer bending guys scan the tubes to copy them in stainless