Need Help With Headers

[sirecks]

Good day all,

I know that I am not an active member around here, but I do read through the forum here a lot. You guys have always given me the best advice whenever I've I come here to ask something. So, I have returned with a new problem.

I recently came into some money and found a guy who will put long-tube headers on my car for pretty cheap. Around $500 for the labor. This will include recutting the custom mid-pipe for my car to fit the new headers. Don't worry, this is the same guy who installed my custom exhaust work in the first place.

I found a deal on some BBK headers, but I am ignorant about the differences in them. There are chrome, stainless, and ceramic versions offerred. Now, the ceramic I understand would be the best for obvious reasons. However, the difference in price between stainless and chrome is enough to have caught my eye, but I don't know what the advantage would be to stainless over chrome. I don't have enough to get the ceramics, but I can get the other two.

The ceramics run just over $500, the stainless for about $430, and the chrome about $310.

Can anyone suggest what they would do here?? I need all you 'Stang-savy folks to help a brother out here. Thanks in advance.

 

[missouri_guy197]

Stainless won't rust but the chrome might after being on the car for a while...

Personally, I'd buck up and get the ceramic coated ones...it's only $70 more and that coating will keep the temps down in the foot well as well as under the hood...

 

[TXSnakeCharmer]

Take a look at this picture. The first set of headers I installed on my Cobra were the top set, JBA Chrome shorty's. Do they look like chrome in that picture? Nope; turned color almost immediately. The second set I installed are the bottom pictured, Hooker ceramic coated inside and out. I learned a valuable lesson. Chrome produces extreme heat that radiates to everything around. The ceramic keeps the heat contained within the pipes and much cooler outside the pipes. The ceramic coated headers have not turned color at all in over a year. I would suggest you spend the extra $$ and get ceramic. They will performed better, last longer and keep things cooler.

 

[sirecks]

Okay, this sounds just like what I was thinking. Thanks for the responses. I do appreciate it very much.

My next question is this then. Would you use stainless?? I am trying to stay within a certain budget here, and going ceramic, although the best choice, will be outside the budget, where the stainless will be just about do-able. Would I loose anything by saving the extra bucks and going stainless??

 

[sirecks]

Can anyone offer some insight into the stainless type?? I'm just curious about y'alls opinion on them.