i live in gay *** california, so i have to get shorty headers in order to stay legal...i have been looking at edelbrock, but i was wondering if jba shorties are any good, got any opinions???

 

BBK makes shorties with 1-3/4" tubes instead of 1-5/8" like Edelbrock and JBA

 

You may get more response if you posted in External Engine.

 

Personally if you plan on sticking n/a I don't think it will matter what shorty headers you use. In fact, n/a I doubt you'll see any real gain with any shorty compared to stock manifolds, so unless every HP is important I'd be tempted to stick without them until you've done every thing else.

The reason being, that most of the power from headers on n/a applications comes from scavenging. Now all tubular manifolds should scavenge but you need it to be in an appropriate rpm range for the engine in question. I've heard reports that shorties optimum scavenging rpm is nearing in on 10,000rpm. Mid length headers work better and with wilder high revving setups, but ultimatley it comes down to the fact of needing LT's to really see the gains.

This is why on most n/a setup 3-5rwhp is all shorties provide, so I'd go with what ever is cheapest. Also remeber if you really want to be legal they need to be CARB approved also.

If I was in CA there's only one way I'd mod a car and that's boost. It'll cost a little more but 480rwhp should be an easy target even. If you go for FI then flow rate of the exhaust manifolds is what counts and a good set of shorties will work as well as LT's. Scavenging doesn't take place in the same manor when intake air is being forced into the combustion chamber above atomspheric pressure.