I'm planning on buying a whole new exhaust system from the manifolds back pretty soon, mine is junk. I figure why get stock parts or used parts that my fail on me again and just go all out and buy better aftermarket parts. For reference I haave an 82 Trans Am. I e-mailed summit and asked them what options I had for smog legal headers and they told me I could only go with Edelbrock headers. I asked about the Hooker 2055's but they said those were legel only for 86+.

What I want to know is are the Hookers that much better than the Edelbrock? If so could I get away running the hookers and not be hassled if I smog my car?

 

I don't think you'll have any problems with the Hookers. They may have been certified for 1986 and newer, but I'm sure that is because Hooker didn't want to pay over $100,000.00 per year for 1982-1985. When you take it to a smog tech, he is just going to look to make sure you have the egr (if needed) & A.I.R. tubes on those headers. Are the Hookers better than the Edelbrocks? I don't know, but quality on Edelbrock is dismal. Dyno Don has had to install some that needed to be taken apart completely and rewelded. The worst set he told me about were a set where the tubes were welded into the mounting plate so that the holes in the tubes didn't line up with the holes in the mounting plate. The Edelbrocks are suposedly tuned length. At least one book I have on Camaro performance says the tuned length for headers only makes a difference if you have nothing in the exhaust system to introduce back pressure. As soon as you install a muffler, let alone a cat, you lose all advantage of tuned header length. What works best on the street is simply a free flowing exhaust system. When you put a muffler or cat on an exhaust system with tuned length header tubes, they become free flowing only. The hookers are simply free flowing. The Edelbrocks will require under manifold plug wires.

 

I have never been a fan of Edlebrock stuff, however when I purchased my 91Z it came with a set of Edlebrock headers and honestly on a daily driver for general maintainance like O2 Sensor and plugs I think they are great

 

I cant believe it. With the #2 primary on the passenger side going over the top of the other three, it looks like spark plug access on that side is worse than stock.

 

In my opinion, I would definitely go with the Hooker's. Thats what I got, from Jet Hott.

 

Good product & they fit nice.

Part# 2055