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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Long or Shortie Headers????

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wakes4Fun
  • Start date Start date Feb 6, 2007

Wakes4Fun

New Member
Jan 9, 2007
44
0
0
Boone,NC
Feb 6, 2007
#1
  • Feb 6, 2007
  • #1
Which one's should I get for my mostly stock 94 Mustang GT???? I don't have the money right now but I'm going to be buying some this spring and was wondering what the difference was between the two.

Will
 
9

95five-oh

New Member
Jun 25, 2006
158
0
0
Mount Airy, MD
Feb 6, 2007
#2
  • Feb 6, 2007
  • #2
Longtubes...shorty's don't make much diff. on a stock car.
 

trav_19

New Member
Oct 29, 2006
810
0
0
Jackson, MI
Feb 6, 2007
#3
  • Feb 6, 2007
  • #3
long tubes are a good upgrade be careful if you plan on lowering your car you will have to do sone swering around stuff
 

SQUEEZE&STROKE

New Member
Jun 24, 2005
0
0
0
SOUTHERN CA
Feb 6, 2007
#4
  • Feb 6, 2007
  • #4
With longtubes you have to worry about emissions.

I ran shorty headers on my mid 11 sec car for about a year...changing to longtubes made more torque, but not a ton of power. Wasnt worth it for the pain of longtubes on a stockish car.
 

final5-0

Mustang Master
Apr 6, 2003
6,817
12
79
DFW Texas
Feb 6, 2007
#5
  • Feb 6, 2007
  • #5
LT's give an advantage called scavenging.

In a nutshell ... that is about one exhaust pulse downstream being
able to pull another upstream pulse.

Shorty's are not long enough to take advantage of that kinda thing.

LT's do boost your torque low and mid range
however
They don't give as much of an advantage ... if any ... up top

As others said, LT's can be an issue for lowered Stangs

Look at enough NA dyno results with really nice torque curves
and
I'll bet you the biggest steak in Fort Worth, Texas ......

Over 75% of em will be runnin LT's

Grady
 

gcomfx.com

Founding Member
Oct 22, 2002
3,690
0
56
Republic, MO
Feb 7, 2007
#6
  • Feb 7, 2007
  • #6
In my opinion you don't need headers yet for a stock car. Times in my signature are with the stock manifolds. Other mods will benefit you more. GEARS... pullies, tires, intake, etc.

I went with shorties for one main reason only... LT and AODE's =
 

5spd GT

"the 5.0 owns all"
Founding Member
Aug 7, 2002
9,516
6
99
Arkansas
Feb 7, 2007
#7
  • Feb 7, 2007
  • #7
I switched to longtubes over shorties, ported the Performer lower, and put a new 306 in and gained 1.3 mph at the track.

I do not contribute the majority of those gains to the longtubes.

Since (when you race) you are in the mid-upper rpms, the longtubes will not help you much in my opinion.

The only real positive I got for longtubes is they sound better (more performance sound) over shorties.

1 5/8th inch headers (shorty or not) flow plenty for a stock engine for sure, even h/c/i.

Longtube Pros: Better sound, slightly better torque at the bottom-mid half.

Longtube Cons: Non-emissions, harder to install, less ground clearance, more expensive, have to buy a matching mid-pipe, watch out for clutch cables (burning).

Shorty Pros: Cheaper, easier to install, more emissions compliant, relative same power in the racing rpm.

Shorty Cons: You are no longer in the 'bigger is better' crowd

Either way, in whatever you choose, you will get a nice sound! Longtubes have the better of the two in my opinion.
 

final5-0

Mustang Master
Apr 6, 2003
6,817
12
79
DFW Texas
Feb 7, 2007
#8
  • Feb 7, 2007
  • #8
I really should have told you

IF

You were gonna do more than a couple of bolt ons

LT's would serve you better than shorty's

Then again ... most of us said ... at first

I'll be happy with just a little bit more power

That ole HP Bug bites so hard that ...........

The tiny gain gotten from most bolt ons ...............

Don't keep that itch from the bug at bay for all that long of a time

Good Luck with your Stang

Grady
 

go-stang5.0

New Member
Jan 27, 2003
2,244
0
0
Glenview,Il
Feb 7, 2007
#9
  • Feb 7, 2007
  • #9
I currnetly have MAC equal length shorties...now that I dont have to take emissions I have considered LT's. On my car do you guyyz thing it is worth the hassle. I dont need more torque just hp (street tire daily driver/open track car...no drag racing). My motor setup is in the sig. Currently the car makes like 350 whp...

Or, sorry to hijack you post Wakes4fun.
 

5spd GT

"the 5.0 owns all"
Founding Member
Aug 7, 2002
9,516
6
99
Arkansas
Feb 8, 2007
#10
  • Feb 8, 2007
  • #10
It won't hurt you to get them. You do not "need" them. If you got some spare cash and want a different sound, go for it
 
R

RAD

New Member
Jun 16, 2006
167
0
0
Feb 8, 2007
#11
  • Feb 8, 2007
  • #11
What about mid lengths headers like bassani? They are longer then shortys but won,t scrape the ground. Anybody have/had them?
 

95Vert

New Member
Aug 19, 2004
1,785
0
0
North Mexico (deep south Texas)
Feb 8, 2007
#12
  • Feb 8, 2007
  • #12
^ interesting. I had never heard of them.
 

1TallMF

New Member
Apr 17, 2006
955
1
0
Montreal
Feb 9, 2007
#13
  • Feb 9, 2007
  • #13
I'm pretty sure they only make mid-length headers for the 4.6L. I've never heard of them for a 5.0L. I think it maybe saves them from having to jack up the engine to fit longtubes in there.
 

final5-0

Mustang Master
Apr 6, 2003
6,817
12
79
DFW Texas
Feb 9, 2007
#14
  • Feb 9, 2007
  • #14
RAD said:
What about mid lengths headers like bassani? They are longer then shortys but won,t scrape the ground. Anybody have/had them?
Click to expand...

I can say for most who focus their Stangs around Street applications .....
you see Mac or BBK LT's as the dominant choice

Both of them hug the floor pan pretty tight

Now ... From pics I've seen ... the higher priced Race Style LT's like
Bassani hang pretty low

We all would wish for everything to be possible such as

That Great ...Low Stance Look
Maximum LT performance@entry level price
No interference with speed bumps and such

Like my Ole Granpaw used to say ...........

"I just don't see how you're gonna run all those coons up the same tree"

For me ... I choose the performance advantage of LT's
over
That Lowered Stance Look

Grady
 

Wakes4Fun

New Member
Jan 9, 2007
44
0
0
Boone,NC
Feb 9, 2007
#15
  • Feb 9, 2007
  • #15
I think I'll be goign with the long tubes, but that won't be until I sell my Gixxer 750. That and I want it to warm up so I don't have to freeze to death trying to put them on.
 

95Vert

New Member
Aug 19, 2004
1,785
0
0
North Mexico (deep south Texas)
Feb 11, 2007
#16
  • Feb 11, 2007
  • #16
good choice!
 
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