Headers Galore

[gsieck]

I'm having a great time playing with my 99 C2 cab. Installed the PSS9s, sway bars, IPD plenum, Fabspeed cold air kit, lightweight flywheel, 19" wheels with some Toyo Proxes, and Fabspeed mufflers. It's gone from great to greater!

Now I'm looking at headers and 200 cell cats. The range of pricing on stainless steel headers is pretty wide. While, at least visually and based on the materials spec, they "look" the same. There must be some difference between the $150 generic headers and what Fabspeed sells.

Does anyone have any advice or experience to share?

Thanks!

[Chuck Jones]

From your list of mods, you've put a lot of money into a 3.4 litre engine that doesn't have much room for improvement in the first place. You'd be lucky if you picked up 30HP with all you've done to it. When you see the ads that say you get another 10 or 15 HP from a particular mod...that does NOT mean it's cumulative. The stock headers really aren't that bad...as a matter of fact, they're a knock off design from some of the NASCAR engines.....you won't pick up diddly squat from a set of headers. You've already done the suspension, plenum, and flywheel....the only thing that will really help you is a supercharger, which means you'll have to tear out some of the stuff you've already bought....and since I see you live in CA....you'll play hell getting it smogged....plus that's about a $10-12K add on.

Reference the question on headers...you essentially get what you pay for....the cheap ones crack at the welds and in some cases actually DETRACT from horsepower. If you're stuck on buying headers, go see Alex at SharkWerks and get the STRAIGHT SCOOP. You're chasing the same mod dragon I did in my 99 C2....then I followed the advice I got from Alex at SharkWerks' and got a TT....that's where the mods actually do some good.

[gsieck]

Thanks Chuck. Good advice. Based on what I've been reading I'll probably save my money and pass on the headers. I may have my cats rebuilt as my last hurrah!

[Yoops Racing]

From your list of mods, you've put a lot of money into a 3.4 litre engine that doesn't have much room for improvement in the first place. You'd be lucky if you picked up 30HP with all you've done to it. When you see the ads that say you get another 10 or 15 HP from a particular mod...that does NOT mean it's cumulative. The stock headers really aren't that bad...as a matter of fact, they're a knock off design from some of the NASCAR engines.....you won't pick up diddly squat from a set of headers. You've already done the suspension, plenum, and flywheel....the only thing that will really help you is a supercharger, which means you'll have to tear out some of the stuff you've already bought....and since I see you live in CA....you'll play hell getting it smogged....plus that's about a $10-12K add on.

Reference the question on headers...you essentially get what you pay for....the cheap ones crack at the welds and in some cases actually DETRACT from horsepower. If you're stuck on buying headers, go see Alex at SharkWerks and get the STRAIGHT SCOOP. You're chasing the same mod dragon I did in my 99 C2....then I followed the advice I got from Alex at SharkWerks' and got a TT....that's where the mods actually do some good.

Chuck, my tuner tells me the same thing.....fo-get-about-it regarding SC''s

get a low mileage TT, and the prices are getting so low it makes since....

Until then,

I am constantly telling myself to stop with the madness of adding more than I have spent for a streetcar I luv....plenum, pss9s, EVOMS, SSK which have made the stock C2 a better car than stock no doubt

Chuck is there any HP benefit to a matching full exhaust system other than better sound - Cats/Header/Muffler on a C2 with my mods? I desire sound and more power....Seems that muffler only provides better sound, or header only is not the way to go if at all

What products would you recommend for a C2 after going through the madness and buying a TT...

And won't you end up modding it?

Edited May 9, 2008 by Yoops Racing