Here is my feeling on headers, every performance car I have ever owned I have put them on and they always result in really noticable gains. They also result in complicating almost any kind of engine work eg starter replacements, tranny work ect... Not to mention the increased liklihood of exhaust leaks, which in turn means more maintenance. That being said, you need to take that into consideration when deciding, how much is the extra power worth to you? To me its worth it, because the gains are significant enough to warrant the increased headaches. If I had it to do all over again I wouldnt have gone with the BBK's. I mean they have been really good to me as far as headers go (No leaks yet) but you do have to unbolt the passenger side to drop the tranny, which in turn makes a 4-5 hour job into an all day job. If I was to do again I would either go with the edelbrocks like billfisher mentioned as he definately knows his $hit, or get one of the brands that allows for clearance when dropping the tranny. I have never had shorties or mid length so I can give you any educated input only what I have read...