Headers: shorty, equal length shorty or long

[GRGT1994]

I'm looking for opinions on headers. What do you think about the different styles? What are the benefits and headaches of each?

 

[95WhiteVenom]

Long Tubes more HP and TQ but cost is higher plus you got to fab your exitsing mid-pipe or get a new one.
Only Wish Bassani made LT's and short X pipe for our cars they sure would have me hook line and sinker for several hundred dollars.

 

[wytstang]

As mentioned above long tubes do make more through out the RPM range. If you have the money go for long tubes. My 2 cents

 

[GRGT1994]

By more power, are we talking a horse or two more? My a$$ dyno just can't detect that. So are we talking noticable difference on the road (I don't hit the drags)?

 

[DFG 5OH]

is there a big difference in equal and unequal length headers?

 

[ProCharge94]

Depending on your car's ride height, you may also have clearance issues with the long tubes. Plenty of people run them, but I know from driving a '95 GT with long tubes that I had to take extreme angles entering and leaving certain curbways.

 

[wytstang]

By more power, are we talking a horse or two more? My a$$ dyno just can't detect that. So are we talking noticable difference on the road (I don't hit the drags)?

It's more than just a horse or two. By how much I can't recall but I do have a friend that switched from shorty to long tubes and he said the difference was night and day. With shortys you may loose some torque down low but make it back up at mid to top end. Long tubes make power all around low to mid to top end. I have shorys now and am considering switching to long tubes.

 

[wytstang]

is there a big difference in equal and unequal length headers?

The horse power difference is margina. Equals do make more power than unequal un the less.

 

[squall9393]

I have equilengths and swear by them but I will be going for long tubes here shortly.

 

[GRGT1994]

I'm planning on upgrading the H pipe with a high flow one when I do the headers anyway (with cats, I like to keep her legal ). So would you definitely recommend the long headers then?

I'm looking at MACs, and the difference in price looks like about $160 at 50Resto. That's comparing an unequal shorty and H with long and H.

Would I be stupid to go with the shorties if the price difference is that small?

Also, what about installation? I've heard that long tube headers are a bear to install.

Any opinions on the sound/tone of long headers compared to shorty?

By the way, my ride is a basically stock 94 GT convertible. The only bolt on I have yet is a Flowmaster Am. Thunder cat back. I'm also thinking bout 3.73 gears (maybe 4.10s ), pullies, and a CAI while the car sits in the garage this winter.

 

[squall9393]

Longtubes aren't as hard to install as E/L shortie headers. Shouldn't be that difficult cuz the long tubes generally drop right in. 3.73s are an all around good gear but if you got an automatic I would definitely get 4.10s. As for the CAI I would make your own with PVC pipe. Few bucks and some fabricating will save you about 75 to 100 bucks.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Longtubes! Install is teh suck tho

 

[mystang94gt]

I'm planning on upgrading the H pipe with a high flow one when I do the headers anyway (with cats, I like to keep her legal ). So would you definitely recommend the long headers then?

I'm looking at MACs, and the difference in price looks like about $160 at 50Resto. That's comparing an unequal shorty and H with long and H.

Would I be stupid to go with the shorties if the price difference is that small?

Also, what about installation? I've heard that long tube headers are a bear to install.

Any opinions on the sound/tone of long headers compared to shorty?

By the way, my ride is a basically stock 94 GT convertible. The only bolt on I have yet is a Flowmaster Am. Thunder cat back. I'm also thinking bout 3.73 gears (maybe 4.10s ), pullies, and a CAI while the car sits in the garage this winter.

What state are you in? Cause in CA Long tubes are illegal even if you have cats. Not sure if you could still pass smog or not but I know your not supposed to run them.

 

[GRGT1994]

I live in Michigan, where we love our cars so much we say screw-it to mass transit of all kinds. And generally we could care less about smog. So I don't think there would be a problem.

But maybe someone else knows?

BTW, I won't be driving it during the winter so I'm not too concerned bout rust.

 

[GRGT1994]

I have another question. How hard is it to install LT headers? Is this something that I can do in my garage without tons of tools, cherry picker, etc.?