Generation III External Engine LS1 | LS6 | Bolt-Ons | Intakes | Exhaust | Ignition | Accessories
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Pacesetter quality...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:25 AM
  #1  
4L60Guru's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Armpit of America: Owasso, OK
Default Pacesetter quality...

I bought a pacesetter header for my old car, (1995 Honda Prelude SI) and the paint flaked off within an hour of driving it. I read the mod guide, and the headers for my T/A looked great, but I was wondering if they would flake and have that crappy ruined metal look. Site claimed the 'Lude's header was ceramic coated, but with the flaking, I doubt it. Since Long tubes are long tubes, the deciding factor is whether or not the pacesetters would make my car look like a masterpiece of backwoods engineering after a mere hour to two. I was lookin at SLP, but at grab-your-ankles pricing, (for me, anyway) I was hoping for some opinions. I was never dissatisfied with the actual durability of pacesetter, and since I was just replacing a cracked stock manifold that was messing with my O2 sensor readings and causing a rough-idle condition, I didn't care about perf. gains. (somewhere around 4hp I think... Gawd it's nice to have two banks of four cylinders on my '98) Thanks in advance.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:32 AM
  #2  
SouthFL.02.SS's Avatar
!LS1 11 Second Club
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 7,133
Likes: 2
From: Miami
Default

Why look at SLP LT's? They're dyno proven to be inferior to all the others, are a bitch to install, hang low and scrape, and (are a bitch to take off again when you're fed up with them ).
In LT's, Stainless Steel is the only way maintain durability over the long haul.
Most of the S.S. options are in the 1 G range in terms of pricing.
You get what you pay for in this case.

Coated Pacesetters and Jet Hots are the most decent bargain LT's.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:36 AM
  #3  
FatZ28's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 2
From: Cleburne,Tx
Default

I heard pacesetters' for the imports were not near the quality that the fbod pacesetters' are.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:39 AM
  #4  
4L60Guru's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Armpit of America: Owasso, OK
Default

I figgered as much. Even paying for two of the imp's headers I'd be lookin at $280, I guess that extra $120 does go somewhere. I know S/S is the better material, but I'm going old school here. Just a guy on a tight budget gonna do what I can with what I gotm which banishes Ligenfelter or anything in that range from my vocaulary... until I open my hot rod shop and take over the world. You know how it goes.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:43 AM
  #5  
SouthFL.02.SS's Avatar
!LS1 11 Second Club
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 7,133
Likes: 2
From: Miami
Default

@ $385, coated, you can't beat the price of Pacesetters.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:44 AM
  #6  
4L60Guru's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Armpit of America: Owasso, OK
Default

Brain dyno tells me I'll be look somewhere in the 30hp gain range with LT's, right?
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:48 AM
  #7  
SouthFL.02.SS's Avatar
!LS1 11 Second Club
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 7,133
Likes: 2
From: Miami
Default

Originally Posted by LoveHisBird
Brain dyno tells me I'll be look somewhere in the 30hp gain range with LT's, right?
Depends. Most full bolt-on cars (Lid, Ported TB, UD pulley, LT's, Y-pipe, free flowing exhaust) will dyno in the 325-350rwhp range. LT's being the crucial component in that list. LT's are the foundation to further mods.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:48 AM
  #8  
Wicked_Hugger99's Avatar
TECH Addict
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,227
Likes: 1
From: enterprise, AL
Default

The coated pace LTs on my TA are looking good so far.
On a bolt-on car ud prolly see 15rwhp+ w/ LTs and a tune.
more so on a cammed car or more heavily modded car.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old May 18, 2005 | 12:49 AM
  #9  
4L60Guru's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Armpit of America: Owasso, OK
Default

Amen to that. If you dun uncork it from the exhaust ports, you're wasting your time until you do.
Reply
Old May 18, 2005 | 11:58 AM
  #10  
kenkaru's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
From: Mannheim, Germany
Default

I got the painted ones (which Pacesetter clearly states are NOT high temp painted). I tried to strip them and paint with POR15 hi temp but I don't think I stripped them well enough since it's flaking.
HOWEVER, the rest of my exhaust, which I also painted, still looks great after 10 months of daily driving and outside parking so I think if you properly stripped the paint off of an uncoated set of pacesetters and POR15'ed them, you'd be set.

I'm very happy with the quality of the headers in general but I was skeptical of the coating so that's why I didn't get the ceramic.
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:54 AM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE