Pontiac GTO 2004-2006 The Modern Goat

Header and mid pipe recommendations

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Old 05-14-2013, 02:39 PM
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Default Header and mid pipe recommendations

Hello, I'm new to the forum and also a new gto owner as well. I've got a 2004 gto M6 5.7L and I'm looking to get some headers for it. I deal a lot with summit racing and I've checked on there. I was looking at getting some Pacesetters as they're pretty price friendly and not too bad on quality. The problem I'm running into was finding cat less mid pipes that would mount up to them. Called summit to see if they could find some and they couldn't even find headers for the card except street legal performance long tubes with high flow cats for around $1200 which is out of my price range. Basically I'm looking for some long tube headers and cat less mid pipes and any help you guys could give is greatly appreciated. If there is already a there on this sorry for the reposted question, I couldn't find anything.
Old 05-14-2013, 05:20 PM
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if you get pacesetter spend the extra $ and get them coated, you can find catless mids on marylandspeed.com

http://marylandspeed.com/pacesetter-...67-p-1010.html
Old 05-15-2013, 07:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Slickgoat05
if you get pacesetter spend the extra $ and get them coated, you can find catless mids on marylandspeed.com

http://marylandspeed.com/pacesetter-...67-p-1010.html
^^^^ This! Maryland Speed has prices that are tough to beat and they will sell you the right stuff in one package. Pacesetters are OK, but low on the quality scale. If you must get them, pay for the coating. I strongly recommend a better quality header, they last longer and have less issues with leaks. Kooks ain't cheap, but if you plan on keeping your GTO for any length of time and want to avoid those pesky header leak issues, they are easily worth the money.
Old 05-16-2013, 05:02 AM
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I'm biased to Kooks or ARH. For what you pay for the cheap ones with a coating you can pick up a slightly used pair of kooks or arh.
Old 05-19-2013, 11:31 AM
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Pacesetters are alright good price for decent product I have them with catless mids, also idk if you've checked eBay but I had seen some there before

Question for you guys running pacesetter long tubes... Are you guys running aftermarket motor mounts? My mounts are shot and when I gun it the headers rub on the steering shaft... Just wanted to know what polyurethane mounts work well with the pacesetters
Sorry for hijacking a lil but it may help you for better performance aswell
Old 05-19-2013, 11:32 AM
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IMHO coating is a must. It is not an appearance or longevity mod but a performance mod as it keeps engine bay temps down and exhaust gas velocity up. Kooks are great but I'd take a look at Dynatech. They are a quality header and they install the easiest. Kooks sometimes take some finagling to clear everything.
Old 05-20-2013, 10:41 PM
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I did coated PS and mids installed and tuned for $1300. This was my first initial tune as well so was the expensive one. Haven't had one leak or issue in a year. My quote, from a well know DFW area shop, was $2350 for ARH installed and tuned. The $1050 difference paid half of my cam install.

With headers, full exhaust and cam I dyno'd 392/366 with good power under the curve so have to say I'm very happy with the choices I made.
Old 05-25-2013, 11:45 PM
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Sorry I haven't got back to this, busy with work. I ended up calling Pacesetters and found the headers and mid pipes I'd need (both which are sold on summit, apparently the guy I talked to didn't know what the hell he was talking about). Anyway I'm still in consideration for which brand to go for. A friend of mine has a BMW he put pacesetters on and he said he hasn't had any problems with them and likes them. Although that doesn't mean they will work the same for my GTO. I'd love to get a set of Kooks as they seem to really be of just all around good quality..but that price =/. I do plan on keeping my car for quite some time so it's nothing I'm rushing into. I may just go ahead and get a CAI first and then go for the headers and mid pipe down the road. Just recently put on a loudmouth 1 cat back and it sounds much better than the stock. Thanks for all the feedback!
Old 05-26-2013, 01:57 AM
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There is a set of used kooks for sale on ls1gto. If it wasn't so late I'd go out and take a picture of my kooks. We just put the headers back on the car tonight and have the rest of the kooks mids and kooks catback all on in the morning.
Old 05-28-2013, 10:15 PM
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Kooks all the way
Old 05-29-2013, 10:08 PM
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I have new ceramic coated Kooks 1 7/8" long tubes and catless mids ill sell ya! Svede intake as well.
Old 05-30-2013, 10:16 AM
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How do the JBA Long Tube compare? SS but a lesser grade compared to Kooks,etal. Are these an improvement over coated Pacesetters?
Old 05-30-2013, 11:52 AM
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I did coated PS and mids installed and tuned for $1300. This was my first initial tune as well so was the expensive one. Haven't had one leak or issue in a year. My quote, from a well know DFW area shop, was $2350 for ARH installed and tuned. The $1050 difference paid half of my cam install.
That's true if you're buying brand spankin' new, but with stainless headers there's no fear in buying used. I spent $700 on used coated kooks with catted mids. $250 install and $350 tune and I'm right there with what you spent. So deals can be had if you look hard enough, there's no reason to spend two and a half grand on new headers when it's all just pipe.

How do the JBA Long Tube compare? SS but a lesser grade compared to Kooks,etal. Are these an improvement over coated Pacesetters?
Lesser grade stainless steel, but stainless steel no less...so it's most definitely an improvement over coated Pacesetters in terms of longetivity if you drive the car in rain/snow or live in a humid climate near the beach.
Old 05-30-2013, 12:23 PM
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Originally Posted by redtan
Lesser grade stainless steel, but stainless steel no less...so it's most definitely an improvement over coated Pacesetters in terms of longetivity if you drive the car in rain/snow or live in a humid climate near the beach.
I had pacesetters on my Jeep and they rusted after 2 years in South Texas. We don't even have salt either and I never went to the beach or offroaded in it.

Are they thinner wall stainless as well? I wonder if they are significantly lighter. 5lbs here or there adds up.
Old 06-04-2013, 12:17 AM
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Really you can install headers yourself but if you must you shouldn't pay more than $300-$500 to have it done. The kooks offer a better collector and merge spike over the headers in question. Plus I believe the stainless is a tad thicker so there is your added weight.
Old 06-05-2013, 08:20 AM
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Pay now or Pay later.....

KOOKS!!!!!!!
Old 06-05-2013, 09:58 AM
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Go with Kooks and our lifetime warranty, you will not be disappointed. Made in the USA!!
Old 06-06-2013, 10:05 AM
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I like the Kooks due to the bell shaped collector but wonder at the merge spike. Have never seen a benefit to this when Kooks vs other brands on dynos with same engine/platform. You folks have any documentation on this?
Old 06-09-2013, 10:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Felix C
I like the Kooks due to the bell shaped collector but wonder at the merge spike. Have never seen a benefit to this when Kooks vs other brands on dynos with same engine/platform. You folks have any documentation on this?
Merge spikes are proven, you want one.

http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthr...ght=kooks+dyno



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