Okay, I know the old adage that you can have cheap or good but not both when it comes to performance parts, but I'm a severely budget-limitted college student who just wants to unclog the 350 under my hood that's currently sending its exhaust through the straw of a 2 and a quarter inch single stock exhaust. I can deal with a $200 Flowmaster catback and I can deal with a $60 Catco cat, but a $500 SLP header and y-pipe!? That's a lot of money! Isn't there a cheaper 1 3/4" header and y-pipe out there that's also good? I need to pass emissions too, so take that into consideration, but I read that AIR tubes were just for warm-up so is it possible to pass smog with just a cat as long as you drive around the block a few times? Any input is highly appreciated!

 

About the only other choice is used. You might check the classifieds for someone who is willing to part with theirs for some reason, like they're going off-road only and will be using long-tubes.

As far as the A.I.R. tubes, yes, they aren't functional when you start the sniffer if the engine is warmed up (usually a requirement for the testing). But, most places also have a visual inspection requirement, in which case if they know you're supposed to have them, you fail.

For the time being, you may be able to go with L98 manifolds someone has taken off to put on headers. That wuld be better than what you've got now.

------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4, 2300 stall TC. Ported World 305 heads, Crane PowerMax 2050 cam. ZZ3/4 intake, oil pump, pan & baffle. Accel HEI SuperCoil & module. Hooker 2055 headers, 3" Catco cat & 3" catback w/dual-opposite Flowmaster 80. 2.93 limited slip. Spohn SFCs waiting to be installed. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily year-round driver. Best ET, speed TBD...
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7:1 forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Holley 750VS w/4150 conversion, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlocks, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Idles smooth @ 700 RPM in D. Best 15.02/95.06 @ 5800' Bandimere (corrected 13.93/102.4 @ sea level).

 

ya wait for a group purcahse and get them for $375.

------------------
-Tas
'89 Formula WS-6

305, TBI, 700R4, P.A.W. 14x3 open element with K&N, Milodon 160* thermo, functional Formula hood, cross-flow Flowmaster, '99z28 rear pipes and tips, Hooker 1-5/8" 50 state legal headers, Dynomax 3" I pipe (PN 44063 and 43248)
Super GRK_Taz World
F-Body Dual Exaust
EFI & Intake Options

 

You could get Hooker Competition shorty headers for $141.95 from Summit (p/n HOK-2460). problem being I believe, a Y-pipe would have to be fabbed up which would really be cake if you had the means to do it.

------------------[*]my Formula Homepage [*]Collision P/Ns & Diagrams

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach
you to keep your mouth shut."

 

Thanks for the info, fellas. That $370 deal sounds good... are L98 manifolds really good or just better than my LG4 crap on my 350? That was an interesting idea... I just don't know if its worth it. Does $370 include the package deal with SLP's y-pipe? Sweet!

 

Whoops $375, I mean.
Oh, are those Hookers street legal, aka do they have A.I.R. tubes? Also, if I just saw off the tubes on my car and put in headers, leaving all the tubing in place (maybe put some putty where they supposedly join the header tube to look like a weld) could I pass visual inspection with cheaper Hooker headers or would this be a quick way to get a fine? Just wondering; Hookers, 2 Catcos, and a pair of 2.5" Summit turbos or glasspacks would be a pretty cheap exhaust. (Sound rough and scrape the ground, though, right? But theoretically, this would work?)

 

Dude, put on some Headman Hedders-
Advantages: only $99, they fit and there's a $99 y-pipe (very expensive to have one custom-fabricated for you) that they sell that fits, too, and, did I mention they're only $99?
Disadvantages: Awww, they're not coated with pretty ceramic and they'll rust after a few years... but what do you expect for $99?

Seriously, if you don't have the cash for nice headers and you don't mind not having pretty top-of-the-line 5% better than the rest headers, you won't be hurtin putting in the Hedmans. I can't yet speak for their longevity (though I think others here have had theirs for a while longer), but I've been happy so far with mine.

Oh, yeah - like stated above, no AIR, no big deal... only thing to know is that you will have to have a bung welded into the drivers side header so you install your O2 sensor.

------------------
Joel Geerling
Red 91 Formula, 305 TBI
Edelbrock 14x3 open element
TBI 1/2" spacer
Hypertech street chip
Crank/Alt Pulleys
180* stat
Hedman hedders, 3" cat, Hooker catback

 

Thinking back over the nightmare of a time that I had putting my Hedman's in, I don't remember if either my father-in-law or I put the O2 sensor back in, or if there was even a hole to put it in. If there is a hole, where would it be? If not, can I drill one, and if so, what size? What happens if I leave the sensor off?

 

I guess not having an O2 sensor would screw up the computer pretty badly, but if you have a noncomp controlled carb and distributor, no big deal. I do, though, so how much is it to weld in a bung, typically? Also, if they're not ceramic coated or whatever, can't I just spray 'em with high-temp 500 degree red engine enamel for longevity? Red header tubes'll look great in my engine bay; besides I'm more concerned with them lasting and working than how they look. They are 1 3/4 x 3" right? Not 1 5/8 that's a bit small for a 350. But man, $200 for headers and a y-pipe? Sweet deal? Think I can trick the emissions guy by not removing existing tubes?

 

For the O2 bung, you take the driver's side header to any exhaust shop and it only takes them like 5 minutes to weld the bung in place (they should have the bungs, or you could just buy one from a performance shop or online for a few bucks). **Make sure first set the header in place and mark where the O2 sensor can stick out w/o hitting anything (e.g. crossmember), so you can tell them exactly where to weld the bung in place! The guy I know only charged me $7 to do it. If you get charged more than $10-20, you're getting ripped.

Check your local emmissions testing standards - they're required to tell you how the test is performed (i.e. do they look under the hood or not, usually not).

I think the $99 hedmans are 1 5/8, but I think your 350's exhaust ports are the same size as mine (?).

[Edit:] Oh, and if you run your EFI car w/o the O2 sensor, it'll stay in "open loop" mode, running the preprogrammed fuel injection (a little rich), so worse gas mileage... funny, tho - my SES light didn't even come on when I had my sensor completely out during my exhaust work...

[This message has been edited by Joel Geerling (edited December 07, 2001).]

 

Performance-wise, for a 350, isn't 1 3/4" better than 1 5/8 as the hedmans are, or should I not worry about this and just slap those babies on. Obviously any headers are better than exhaust manifolds, but aren't 1 5/8s just a tad too small?

 

what bout Edlebrock tes?

I bought edlebrock chrome tes headers
for mine, and it was only 400 dollars
with y pipe, threadedd hole for o2 sensor
and everything.
and they are chrome. might have
will have to get a new set of high temp
spark plug wires, ,with angled plug ends
to fit around the heasders.

I like em, they sound good too with
the flowmasters.

 

$400 is too much, sorry I'm on an extreme budget. I'm even willing to sacrifice getting the 1 3/4 headers I want to only pay $200 for headers and y-pipe that I paint myself. If I were paying $400, I might as well get the SLPs, the best for the money, period. I'm thinking now: Hedman hedders and y-pipe, Catco cat, Flowmaster catback. That comes to just about $500 total! Then I'm ready for SFCs! (I heard its a PITA to do exhaust if you already have SFCs welded into place.)

 

Headman hedders $100
Hedman Y pipe $100
Off Rode Pip (no cat) $50
Hooker cat back $300

 

Cheapest exhaust, keep yoru stock on, take off muffler and burn the insides out. Then put it back on. When the cops pull you over you can go, LOOK I GOT A MUFFLER BOTCH. It will be loud.

------------------
un4givin89


Poor Mans White Face Guages
MikeKey.net - Camaro Enthusiast

 

I definitely want it to sound good and be a bit louder, more agressive, than stock, but most of all, I'm trying to unclog the big 350. I want a 3" system for FLOW, not just sound. By the way, I need to pass emissions so I can't go w/ $50 pipe/no cat, I'm going w/ $60 Catco cat and $230 Flowmaster catback. Saving money, sounding good, and performance 3" system all the way thru! Oh, yeah! BTW why doesn't hooker just make a dang y-pipe for our cars and their headers? I'd buy it just to say I have hooker headers! They're losing customers... Also, if I'm going with headers w/o AIR tubes or O2 bungs, why not get $80 Dynomax/Walkers? Oh, right, I'd have to fab a y-pipe same as the Hookers, eh?

 

I heard Pacesetter was decent quality for really cheap. You can get them through JC Whitney. I would check them out, probably get headers, y-pipe, and cat-back for less than $400.

 

Sounds like a good deal for a 3" exhaust. My JC's on its way in the mail so I'll definitely check that out!