best headers for 68 stang under $300??

joshwood · Sep 6, 2009

ok, heres my next project for my car. I am going to replace the stock exhaust manifolds and re do all the pipe with a 3" pipe and some purple hornies. And i need to know what Headers will fit in my Mustang without a ton of extra work.. and not cost me an arm and a leg.
My car is a '68 coupe with a 289, C4 trans and power steering.. and i don't want to spend more than 300 bucks on the headers.. i dont have much money, and i want something that will give me the best sound and power increase...
thanks in advance for any help
-Josh

oh9mustang · Sep 7, 2009

Don't put 3" pipes on a stock 289, It will not run better, more likely worse.
I think JC Whitney still sells Try-Y headers for that car, if so get those, and then a 2" H pipe and exhaust pipes back to some purple hornies, then some
2 1/4 tail pipes with 3 inch chrome tips from Wal-Mart.
Mufflers are a personal thing, some like loud, some like mellow, I like the Bullit 68 mustang sound, That would be some Stage 3 Flowmaster.

2+2GT · Sep 7, 2009

oh9mustang said:
Don't put 3" pipes on a stock 289, It will not run better, more likely worse.
I think JC Whitney still sells Try-Y headers for that car, if so get those, and then a 2" H pipe and exhaust pipes back to some purple hornies, then some
2 1/4 tail pipes with 3 inch chrome tips from Wal-Mart.
Mufflers are a personal thing, some like loud, some like mellow, I like the Bullit 68 mustang sound, That would be some Stage 3 Flowmaster.

Too effing right! 3" exhaust is a total waste of money on anything less than a 500 hp 460 V8. Try this- find a culvert pipe under a road. Get an 8-year-old kid to go to one end and yell vroom! vroom! while you listen at the other end. That's what a 289 sounds like with 3" exhaust.

You will definately have less power, too. It has to do with columnar flow, and gas velocity. Over-done exhaust seems to be in season in recent years. Before that (and you still see it) was zillion-volt coils, and before that was thousand-cfm double-pumper carbs.

Over-doing anything will cost you money and make your car slower. Even 3" tail pipe tips will make it sound lame- leave that junk to the ricers.

JonK · Sep 7, 2009

I bought some used MAC headers, you can get them new for ~$200 plain, $250 painted, $350 ceramic coated. If I feel the need I'll step up to ceramic coated later.
Mac Performance - performance accessories for cars, trucks, and motorcycles
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=TF6466+01

I chose them as they claim to fit w/o a drop bracket for PS (too many posts of PS ram tearing out of frame, bending mount, etc. to even try a drop mount set of headers) and they're long tube and are also supposed to tuck nicely and not hang down.
I haven't installed yet (engines out) but plan to do a test fit with engine and AOD on my trailer to see clearance with AOD before install.
Agree with above, I don't think 3" exh. will give you any perf. or sound that you're looking for, I'm going 2.5" with a stroked 289>333, AFR 165's that should be ~350hp.
Jon

joshwood · Sep 7, 2009

i want my car too be loud. And yes that makes sense, 3" pipes are too big for that little 289. So what headers are best then? tri y's? or those mac headers?

2+2GT · Sep 7, 2009

joshwood said:
i want my car too be loud. And yes that makes sense, 3" pipes are too big for that little 289. So what headers are best then? tri y's? or those mac headers?

Headers will help with loud (I was young once, too ) but mainly a function of the mufflers. Flowmasters will do that, you don't need big tubes, either, 2.5 or even 2 inch would be fine. Call Glazier Nolan, they carry Motives' Flowmaster kit, and the mounts to hang it. You'll need to have a bit of welding done, to attach the headers you choose to the H pipe. Do use an H pipe, it's free horsepower.

joshwood · Sep 7, 2009

an H pipe would be awesome. But whats stopping me from just making one? do i have to buy it or is there more too it than it looks?

oh9mustang · Sep 7, 2009

Josh
You can make your own H pipe if you like. As long as you have a connection between each side of the exhaust before the mufflers. The reason for an H pipe on V8s is that 2 cylinders on the same side fire right after each other and there isn't enough room in one pipe for 2 exhaust pulses in a row, so you either get excessive back pressure or you relive that pressure with an H Pipe. V6 don't need a H pipe because they don't have 2 cylinders firing next to each other on the same side of the engine.
There isn't going to be any difference in Horse power in different headers on a stock 289. Look down between your engine and the steering, the difference in headers becomes clear here. Two pipes going down there or 4 pipes going down between the engine and the steering, You pick.

68Blue302Coupe · Sep 7, 2009

I bought a set of Tri-Ys a while back for around $160, was either from Mustangs Unlimitted or VA Classic. I was surprised, but they fit the engine pretty well and just barely cleared my bell house (4spd toploader, 302). I struggled with fitting the exhaust system though. I am not sure if this is the norm, but the H-pipe that came with my kit was basically a cut to fit and need to be modified. I called around, and everyone said that with headers you'll probably have to do some modification.

2+2GT · Sep 7, 2009

68Blue302Coupe said:
I struggled with fitting the exhaust system though. I am not sure if this is the norm, but the H-pipe that came with my kit was basically a cut to fit and need to be modified. I called around, and everyone said that with headers you'll probably have to do some modification.

It is the norn, if you buy the H pipe that is widely sold for use with headers. I usually just take a stock H pipe, cut it, and weld connector tubes between it and the headers. At least then I don't have to worry about the back half of the H pipe.

zachfeen · Sep 9, 2009

I recommend the patriot long tube ceramic headers. The 4 tubes not the tri y's. I have them on my 67 and the quality is great as long as the fit. They fit well with power steering but will not work with a cable clutch If you ever plan to go that way.

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