Shorties or Longtubes?

[GordyZ96]

Just picked up KN FIPK, Borla Exhaust, Hypertech Thermostat, and now looking at headers. Should I go Shorties or LT? Im assuming LT but just checking to get some second, third, etc. opinions. Also any recommendations on setups that are 50 state legal?

[Kevin V 2002 SS]

Go with the long tubes, the shorties, to me, aren't really worth it.

[PUREPWR]

Yea u should go with jet hot long tubes or arizona speed and marine long tubes. I dont have them but when i get headers that s going to be what i get.

[DeWynter]

Personally Im not a fan of having less ground clearance especially if you plan on or have lowered your car. I have read alot of reviews and tests on headers and the best way to pick a set of headers is by application not what looks cool or what everyone else likes. You gota get them for the engine you have or are gona have soon. In many cases with long tube headers you dont gain much until your in the high RPMs. If you looking for good SOTP difference I would go with a nice set of mid length headers that arent to big primary. 1 3/4 " sounds cool but if you dont got the cubes to push the exaust through them then what are they good for?

[NorthernSS]

I think if I could do it again, I would have done long tubes that have emmisions hookups, high flow cats and catback. But when I did it I wasnt aware of all the choices. I still would need to pass emmisions though. For ground clearence, TPIS long tubes are said to have no issues , even on lowered cars, and still give great gains. But they dont have air pump or egr connections.

[GordyZ96]

i dont plan on doing any lowering, driveways/speedbumps are hell as it is. My aim is to pickup whatever will help most on 1/4 mile times. Ive got a friend with a V-Tec prelude, not my style, but his v-tec kicks in at the high rpms and it really sneaks up on you. Im thinkin that i'll go with the long tubes so far

[Joe 1320]

SLP ceramic coated shorties with a Random Tech high flow dual cat Y pipe is a tough combo to beat when you consider that the headers are a stock type configuration, the Y pipe moves the driver's side cat down next to the passenger side cat and has larger tubing too. All that without any decrease in ground clearance with a HP boost as well. I've done Hooker long tube conversions for a few friends and they were just as happy, but it's the Y pipes that will kill your clearance and sometimes your attitude. Besides that, you now have to run rear 02 sims due to deleting the cats.

My vote is keeping it smog legal and PDF. (pretty darned fast)

With a stock converter, my 97 WS6 LT1 automatic is knocking on door to 12s with just that above combo and a borla rear section. It must be working.

[NorthernSS]

Joe I have heard some say that on 96-97 exhausts, that the y pipe is the area that is the restriction. Is this true? They seem to say the reason that there is not a huge gain from a shorty header install is beacause the y pipe is the restriction. I have been thinking of doing long tubes but if it's a good idea I will just do a bigger y-pipe and high flow cats. I need to stay smog legal too. Thanks bud!!

[AmericanZ28]

SLP ceramic coated shorties with a Random Tech high flow dual cat Y pipe is a tough combo to beat when you consider that the headers are a stock type configuration, the Y pipe moves the driver's side cat down next to the passenger side cat and has larger tubing too. All that without any decrease in ground clearance with a HP boost as well. I've done Hooker long tube conversions for a few friends and they were just as happy, but it's the Y pipes that will kill your clearance and sometimes your attitude. Besides that, you now have to run rear 02 sims due to deleting the cats.

My vote is keeping it smog legal and PDF. (pretty darned fast)

With a stock converter, my 97 WS6 LT1 automatic is knocking on door to 12s with just that above combo and a borla rear section. It must be working.

Hey Joe, do you by any chance have pictures of that? I have the SLP ceramic coated shorties too, but not the Y-Pipe But, since im planning on a build up sometime in the fall, Im thinking I might be better off with longtubes instead of the SLP Shorties. What do you think? Im looking for 450+ HP.

[Joe 1320]

Here is random tech's site picture but it is not the 96-97 dual cat for stock type manifolds or headers. I'll try to dig up a better pic. I can tell you that the factory Y pipe is crap along with the location of the driver's side cat is a define restriction. The high flow Y pipe adds 10 HP with stock manifolds! Much better flowing than factory. I put the headers on first and got a decent increase, the Y pipe installed soon after doubled that.

http://www.randomtechnology.com/exhaust.html

The pipe I have has a better downpipe that relocates the driver's side cat side by side with the passenger side stock location so the two cats are parallel. There is also a rear 02 sensor adapter harness for the extended length needed to now reach the driver's side cat and the rear Y goes to the stock location for use with any stock or aftermarket cat back. The beauty of this system is that it is a stock configuration, high flow and smog legal. To me, that is a big issue. Not that I have emissions testing, but having everything functional and legal will always keep you from having problems if you sell the car, if you need it worked on at an exhaust shop that follows the laws to the letter, it's easier on diagnostics with all systems functioning and in general, you get a certain amount of respect attaining high HP and keeping it smog legal.

As far as which is better, that really depends on your purpose. I've seen 450 HP cars with shorties. That doesn't mean that they won't benefit from long tubes, that just means the owner preferred the siplicity of a stock type configuration rather than having the addition 20 Hp that a modded engine might see with long tubes. Especially on a lowered car! I happen to prefer not even coming close to scraping anything on a speed bump or driveway approach, nor do I want anything banging on the floorpan.

What I've found is that my configuration was running dead equal to a 95 Z28 M6 with Hooker long tubes, custom Y pipe with no cats and a borla cat back with no plate. His car had fewer miles on it and was not a slug. I am just that impressed with this combo. I also want the cats to keep it a little quieter. I've gotten a little too old to have a street car that pounds my ears on a cruise. Thunderous power is fine for the track, I prefer a little more stealth on the street. This system has a low throaty growl at modest throttle and opens up with a nice wail at WOT, it just doesn't hammer my ears in normal driving nor will every cop within 2 miles hear me coming.

[NorthernSS]

Awesome Joe, that was a great response. Thanks