i got a 1990 camaro rs tbi (305), and i am going to put an exahust system on it, but need some help. i was suggested that i should put Hooker Headers 2055 on it, but when i checked on Jegs.com it said they only fit tpi. could it fit my tbi? if not any other suggestions on headers that will give my camaro a nice loud old school sound to it??

 

I used hedmans with their y pipe. I'm not sure what you mean by "old school sound"? If you mean the sound of a lopey cam then no, you need a lopey cam for that.

The one benefit as to why i put headers on every car I restore is better access to spark plugs and i toss out emissions stuff.

I didn't expect earth shattering results from theTBI with headers but the plugs can now be easily changed.

I couldn't imagine trying to do plugs or O2 sensors on my 4th gen without headers.

 

I just got the headmans from summit there price is like 450ish but you can find them online for around 420 and summit matches price. There a good looking header. I got the ones for smog (damn cali) only thing i dont like is headmans black coating that they say burns off with in accouple of minutes but yet you should paint them before putting them on but todo so you need to remove there coating first which is more work. but overall nice headers and comes with everything you need.

 

dang, you must have bought coated headers?

streetsideauto.com

68470 painted are $157
y pipe is the 17478 for $128

some percys gaskets or mr gasket dead soft aluminum, free shipping, $25 coupon and you're at around $300 soup to nuts

 

I got the 68481's i had to have the air injection for California... so thats where my extra cost was.

 

so does any know anything about the hooker headers 2055 or is the headmans the way to go?

 

the hooker 2055 look just like the hedman 68481 except the hedmans come with new rubber smog tubing and y pipe reducer for if you have a smaller stock cat. Hedmans y-pipe is also a two piece with a slip fitting between the two heads. Hedmans is cheaper.

 

okay so which ones a better fit for a 305 TBI? and do both of the headers sound the same eventhough they look the same?

 

Are you in california? or are you required to keep emissions on your car? eather one will sound about the same. I would say save money and go with the hedman headers. If you dont need emissions I would go with something cheaper with out the air tubes. I went with headmans. they look good on the engine and clearance seems good for the plugs. the motor is still sitting on the engine stand so I havent seen them installed personally only in pictures.

 

this is your first real mod on a car isn't it?

That's OK but you're doing what many newbs do; you're getting all hung up about exhaust and researching it to death.

What sounds good to you may sound like crap to me. The sound doesn't come from the headers. It comes from the muffler. You simply need something that allows the engine to breathe better and the hookers and hedmans will fit the bill for that. You then need a matching y pipe for which ever one you choose.

The bigger thing you should research is which header gasket to use. Felpros, copper ones etc will eventually leak either from the get go or later on. For years now I only use dead soft aluminum. I would always use Percys Seal 4 Good but with the most recent header install (january) I tried the Mr Gasket dead soft aluminum and they appear to be just as good.

Good luck but once you slap in a set, you'll wonder why you were so nervous or hesitant and you too will get a chuckle form people who are nervous about it or overanalyze exhaust.

And, just being able to get to the spark plugs with ease is worth the investment.

 

so true... and both the hedman and hooker kits come with a y pipe. search for pricing on the internet and when you find it call summit and tell them the price, where you found it and they will match it. and then you get it from a good seller and since your in cali you will have it in about two days instead of waiting for another company to ship it in two weeks.

 

yeah i only put on a couple of mods but im not really researching it to death. but thanks for giving me a better understanding of the exhaust set up. now i was planing on putting a magnaflow muffler with a catback chrome exhaust tips with 2.5" pipes for around $400-450 at a shop, is that a good deal though. should i put the headers on before or after my car gets in the shop?

 

sounds a bit high. does he have a mandral bender? i think i spelled that wrong. but do some research. exahusts are not that hard to install just remember start from the front and work back.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MPE-16829/ this took me about 2 mins to find and im sure i could find it cheaper and this is a three inch system. Headers go on first then drive it to the shop if you decide to take it to him. it will be loud and sound good and illegal but ive done it to about 5 or 6 cars now and never been stoped. where are you at in the 209 if your close. i have a welder for the cat to the header y pipe and the rest is all bolt on... day work at most.

 

im in Tracy, and i dont know if he has a mandrel bender. but would my 5.0 be able to push 3" and still be loud? but if i get that magnaflow kit and then the headman headers y-pipe, will that still be cheaper than taking it in the shop than doing it myself. also, i asked the guy what can he do for 2.5, magnaflow muffler, chrome tips, catback, and installation of the headers and he said for 700? idk

 

exhaust sound is in the ear of the beholder.

I have Pypes Violators on my stang and love them. Some people say they drone but it's music to my ears

long tubes and magnaflow on my 4th gen, I like it while others think it's not loud but it howls when you get on it, again, personal taste

hedman shorties and y pipe, cat delete and autozone special muffler on the 3rd gen I'm restoring and it rumbles a little which is OK for me because I'm probably going to sell the car and loud exhaust scares some buyers.

So, as with doing anything the first time one always worries if they are paying too much, will they like it etc etc

yes, there are a gazillion posts here about exhaust and you could read them until you are blue in the face and still insist that none of the posts will apply to you. It's just human nature to be nervous and other than maybe fuzzy dice, exhaust is the simplest mod to do.

With that said, take the $$$ out of the equation and try something that is way better than stock, sounds good and won't break the bank

Right now, Dynomax has a $75 rebate. You can get the model 17493 at streetsideauto.com for $196 and free shipping. Take away the rebate and you have a cat back system for $121. Heck, you've probably lost that much money in the washer and dryer over a year's time.

Don't get caught up by others who will tell you that it's only a 2 1/2 inch system blah blah. That is more than enough for your 305 and more than enough for the 350 TPI's as well.

 

is 700 including headers or you supply the headers and he will install them with exahust for 700... if 700 and u supply the headers its kinda high... remember exahust is an easy thing to upgrade. and i wouldnt mind helping you since it would benifit me to look at another camaro since mine is in pieces and i didnt take it apart. the exahust i showed you was a 3 inch but that was just 2 mins of looking. for the 305 id recommend 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 you could run 3 and be ok you would just loose some low end torque. I had dual 3" on my nova and about 400 hp it was a bit much. Sounded good but i think i would have been better with 2 1/2". the bigger the exahust it will be a bit louder. but the more free flowing = it raiser your torque in the rpm band smaller exahust = lowering your torque in the rpm band unless you go to small. from looking last night online exahust runs anyware from 100 to 800 for a cat back. and most of those somebody has a video of on youtube to hear it. headers are going to run you between 420 and 480 depending on if you go hedman or hooker. Since you have to stick to keeping the air injection I havent seen any long tube headers for it. I just got the hedmans 68481 and there nice and come with everything you need. they just require alittle welding for the stock cat flange to the y pipe. so you figure you can get a whole exahust system for 650 bucks and reuse your stock cat. and if you want to bring it to my place i have all the tool and welder should only be half day or so of work.

 

when you say half day of work are you saying that the headers and the exhaust kit w/catback can be done in half a day? and if i eventually swap my 305 for a 350 would the headers still fit? but yeah he was going to charge 700 w/supply of the headers. and i was planning on having him install the magnaflow mufler wit catback and tips for 400 and i would put in the headers, but if your saying i can save some time and money with a half day of work then i might reconsider.

 

if you have a lift, 2 people who know what they are doing and all of the parts/tools then it can be done.

 

so 1100 for a complete exahust system? seems high... I wouldnt pay that if anything id install the headers myself then have him do the cat back for 400. If i was going to have him do anything. and ya 305 and 350 are the same layout so you could keep the same exahust. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PSM-86-2816/ heres a pace setter system 2 1/2 inch just do some internet searches and compare prices. and ya its about a half day of work but you figure between breaks and beers about 3/4's day total. and exahust shop should be able to do this in about 4 hours. when I had my RX 7 with a 350 done it took the guy about 4 hours and that was a hard install and only charged me 350 and that was dual 2 1/2 with magnaflows

 

I have a used setup forsale... smog legal hooker headers, y-pipe, and 3 inch cat back with muffler and tips... still installed in my iroc so you can hear what it sound like.... I'm in stockton
let me know if your interested

 

so yeah basically i would be paying 1100 for the set up, but if i do everything myself i would be paying 900 just in parts, so i would save just about 200. when u had the dual magnaflow done for 350, was that just the labor? how much did you spend on the dual set up total? and if the place uses a mandrel bender, then that means it is good quality exhaust system right?

 

the complete system was 350 for labor and parts. I think the guy just wanted to work on it because you dont see a sbc in a rx-7 everyday. Having a mandrel bender just means your capable of doing a nice exahust. not that you need one for it it just bends the pipe with out crushing it in the bends. Exahust to me is a form art work and its usually the first think I look at when looking at a nice car.

 

i just put hedmans on, removed the cat (just to see)....no seat of he pants different feel....waiting for some track time, but think i should have left it alone, maybe some track #'s will tell a different story

 

Cats dont rob horsepower. Maybe an old clogged one. but from what ive seen building cars and working on them. Ive never had a sinificant loss due to a cat the warranted removing them.