Hey all, i'm new to the board here and am interested in purchasing a set of headers for my 00 z. my question is, should i even waste my time/money with shorty's or go with the long tubes? i have dual flowtech cutouts on it now right after the cats, and a fabricated y pipe for better flow that goes through a 3 inch resinator and then dumps right before the axle. I was wondering how much increas i would have if any, over the stockers, and which ones would be better. i'm kinda on a fixed budget til the car gets paid for, but i love the sound of headers............ any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

if you have to keep emissions legal...you may as well stick with the stock manifolds.

shorties are pretty much worthless. probably 5hp

now if you run shorties and a good Ypipe with no cats...maybe 10hp

but that doesn't compare to the 20hp you get for LTs and an orp

it really depends on your state's emissions requirements, or your ability to "skirt" around the requirements

 

oh...by "emissions legal" i meant sniffer AND visual


if it's just the sniff test...get a good set of LTs and a catted Ypipe.

the cost will be pretty high...but it should be worth it.

the other option is to get emission tested with everything stock...then swap out...and keep all the stock stuff for the next test....if you don't mind the wrench time.

 

I'm in oklahoma now, and we currently don't have any emmissions laws. But that's supposedly going to change within the next couple years. i was told that having a set of shorty's on would help bring out the torque in it, even with the factory cat's still in place. can i still do that if everything is sealed up and not leaking?

 

the stock LS1 manifolds are basically tubular manifolds...which is basically a mass-produced header.

i've heard the 00+ (or was it 01+) were better...but still the shorties don't realy gain you much for the $500

research it...see if they plan to do visual or just sniff test

worse case...move!

honestly...the idea of keeping your stock equipment would work...so in 2 or 4 years you can swap back if need be

 

Unless you're dealin with an older gentleman mechanic from the old-school, as long as you have cats, longtubes should pass a visual also unless you're in cali... Those old guys are stubborn.

 

do the long tubes bolt up to the collector's past the cats? If so, then i'm not sure if i can do that. Or if i do, i'll have to either eliminate one cutout, that i already have on, or relocate it.....i have the collector's past the cats already cutout, i saved them though, so as to put them back on at a later date. so which way should i go? put the collector's back on and go with longtubes and eliminate the cutouts all together? and will the factory cats flow as good as the aftermarket one's? or will i even tell a difference?

 

Long tubes all the way...here in jersey we cant run em....ls1's have many reasonably priced LTs

 

long tubes require completely new Ypipe and relocation of the cats (if used)

page 2 of my website in the sig has pics of my flowtech lts and the ypipe

shorties don't gain you much BECAUSE they keep the stock cats and ypipe...