Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

well that sounds pretty good. i was starting to cringe at the idea of changing the whole exhaust just for headers.

thesoundandthefury

iTrader: (3)

Borla: pretty respected name in the exhaust market right? Well back when the LT1 was still in its heyday, they actually made headers for it. And guess what type've header they chose to produce? 304....stainless....MIDLENGTHS .

(Excuse the header on the right, I'm still in the process of polishing them.):


Since they were the only stainless headers available for LT1's at the time, they were pretty expensive. Borla stopped making them after demand went down when other companies like Edelbrock and BBK started making cheap painted/ceramic midlengths.

They very easily could have made longtubes, but the fact that they chose this particular design instead, says something.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

The #5 and #6 spark plugs on those Borla headers look like a SOB to get to.

thesoundandthefury

iTrader: (3)

Pick a side will ya?

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

mmmm, pretty

look easy to install too

98TADRIVER

iTrader: (36)

yes, but when youre launching the car at 3000-4000 rpm, i dont think you need to worry about any bottom end torque being lost! and besides that, its not a dramatic loss in power. ive got 300+ftlbs of torque starting at 1500rpm so Longtubes for the win!

thesoundandthefury

iTrader: (3)

Can't argue with that one bit. Engines are a system. Whatever part you change in the equation is always going to have an effect on something else. I posted the Vizard quote to demonstrate that.

You launch at 3,000 rpm's, but not everyone else does. In your particular situation, longtubes happen to work better: however, this doesn't in any way disprove the benefits of midlengths. Simply applying the "bigger is better" philosophy to all situations is a mistake, because the fact of the matter is that the owner's needs/goals are ultimately what determine what parts are going to be necessary, and the performance characteristics of longtubes are not always going to match up with them all.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Yea, depends on your setup. I will be launching at ~3600 RPM's, and the Heads I have flow pretty damn good..

Mrwilson

what makes shorts suck so much?

Why did you replace the Y back if you had the mids bolting right up? Was it an increase in power elsewhere or did you feel that the factory system was too restrictive either way?

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Shorties can work quite well, it is the knowledge level of the average poster here that sucks.
I am not claiming shories will be completely equal to mids or longtubes but they are a HUGE step up from manifolds. Lot of b-bodies out there running very well with SLP shorties.

Rowdy94

iTrader: (13)

Anything is a large step up from stock manifolds. For an F-car, I don't see a real reason to look at shorty headers when there are great mids out there. That may be different for a B-body, but less than 1% of guys on here drive those.

But back on topic, I'm installing my coated Pacesetters and TDs on my DD very soon. I wouldn't spend money on headers and not get a long tube. But that's just me.

383LT1S10

I agree completely. Way too many Lt dick riders.

Stroker396@APF

iTrader: (18)

I can't complain about the Mid Length headers. I have them and the car sounds great, better than my buddys LT (but his motor is stock). Is fast as hell. Launching at over 2500 or so will light up the tires.

It is my DD and driveways/speedbumps were a concern.

on a 97 Mids will force you to relocate the Cats (if you still have them) and get extentions for the rear O2's (or sims/lt1 edit delete if no cats) Also you will not have to lift the engine to get mids installed (LT you will, I hear) I did remove a valve cover for the 1/2" I needed to get it in. No steering linkage removed to install them.

Do the plugs at the time of install they are a bear to get at some of them afterwards.

SuperDave383

but why would you wanna get lt's and keep the rest of the stock exhaust? kinda defeats the purpose. if your gonna get headers, just go ahead and get a full system.

BizZzatch350

iTrader: (33)

They could have BUT, back then you gotta remember not many people were doing long tubes on these cars. Back mid 90s, most people modding these cars were using shorty and mid style headers. I remember the edelbrocks and macs being really popular, the faster guys were using the AS&Ms. Didnt really see to many using LTs.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

I am doing LT's, Y-pipe, and then right into a 3" Bullet, no Cats with my new setup here. I had the same for the LT1 and it was really open, I am hoping that it will throw a little bit of back pressure with how much more exhaust I will be putting out.

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

Cost and I want to keep a stockish sound.

Rowdy94

iTrader: (13)

You might've said it earlier in the post, but I sure hope you're planning a cutout or something then. If you have the stock catback as your only means of flow, don't even spend your money on headers.

Sgt. Spuds

iTrader: (1)

I have BBK shorties, which honestly are just as long as most the mid length headers on the market that I've seen, and I love em. I get a power increase over stock manifolds, I get the ease of plug change ( if you can call it an ease lol ) and I don't deal with low slung LT's that drag ( roads are horrible around here ) but The headers were on the car when i got it, and if I had the choice to make, I would have sacrificed the drive-ability risks for LT's, but thats just me... ( one might say Im a bit hard core? lol ~!~PeAcE~!~ )

If money was no concern;
Kook Lt headers
True duals over the axle, all custom and perfect, with some pretty quiet mufflers

( when I say quiet remember that I drive my car 24/7 365 days with the cut out open lol, just would want something a bit easier to talk over )
and of course Dual Electric cut outs off the headers for the pimp factor lol

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

just get longtubes and do it right the first time

so many people have gone with short/mids and then regretted it later.