Who makes Hooker super comps and Dougs LT? They "look" identical from pictures. Same goes with Pacesetter and the various MFGs selling what looks to be identical to Pacesetter but stainless, or somethings Pacesetter but sold as something else still labelled as Pacesetter, in regards to Summit.

Are there only a handful of people making this mass produced headers? Ive only bought a few sets in my life, for my Third gens it was Hedman shorties, Hooker super comps on my LT1s. I swear the first set was Made in USA, but recent set was made in Mexico. What gives?

I bought my car for 4000$, I dont want to put literally half of that in exhaust alone. I dont think Im being cheap here. **** just seems unnecessarily expensive. Especialy when a local shop will fab up a dual exhaust, or whatever I want for about 400$. Wont be fancy stainless like Kooks, but will be covered up with **** just the same from semi daily driving.

Was looking at the Dougs Raw steel set, but if they are not made in USA, I dont see any point going for something other than Pacesetter or I think it was SpeedEngineering making the stainless Pacesetter versions. I dont want to bang the **** out of primaries to clear the shaft, one thing I DIDNT have to do with the Hooker super comps either set. But not sure if thats worth an extra 300-400$.

I missed the pooch on the LPP headers it seems like, or were those just more Pacesetter copies in stainless? Cant really remember on them. Same with the Macs. Irritating. Just sucks so many people abandoning the LT1 f-body. **** the LS motor dammit.

This being a kinda daily driver limits me to mostly bolt on parts, I dont have the time to take to fab up something myself. Im confident I could weld good enough, but dont have a TIG. Nor do I have the extra time to get it down in a quick manner to limit down time.

Im simply searching "lt1 headers", is there anything else I could try searching? I might just go with the Doug's to save a few bucks, paint them myself, and be done with it. What about nitriding headers? Is there any benefit to that? assuming I would get same corrosion resistance like it offers on gun parts, but not sure if the exhaust would react in anyway.

Anyways, any guidance, reassurance, or anything thats NOT swapping to LSx....

 

Paint on headers is pretty much a joke. I’d rather wrap a set then paint them and you hand the benefit of lower under hood temps and not burning stuff. I can’t speak for any set of headers in an LT car except for the Kooks on my car and it’s hard for me to ever get away from these. I’d like a stepped header but I’m going to have to find a used set or trust a set of Kooks clones that are probably made in China.

 

LPP headers were 321 stainless clones of Kooks.

 

I have the pacesetter ceramic coated emission connection headers, pacesetter ory, and magna flow catback on my DD. Works great and not too expensive.