Shorties are a waste unless you need them/want them for whatever reason (ie: where you want to make the power/future setup)...but I dont think that's an issue since you are contemplating LTs. Get mids at the very least, but they cost more than shorties and you'll have wasted more $$$ to later realize it could have been put toward LTs. If you have the money, go with LTs....if you don't, save up...and if you are thinking about shorties/mids still over LTs....think it over real well - don't make any mistakes. If you were given $1,000 you could spend on only headers, what would you buy?

 

What I need to know....What is the best LT for Clearance...this is basically what this post needs....i need everybodys brand of LT Header and how much clearance you have...also i have a question..with LT's can i do the old 60's car trick and shorten the Stock Y pipe up to fit? and then move the CAT to the back?

 

i have heard slp LTs have the worst clearance. I have hookers on mine with an x-pipe and bullets, the car is lowered 2inches. I dont have a problem with "careful" daily driving but definately wont be going over any speed bumps

 

I've got Exotic Muscle long tubes on my 'Vette and the lowest point is the bottom of the oil pan.

EM headers are very nice pieces. Not sure if they do them for Camaros but it's worth a look.

 

I used to have SLP shorties which IMO are very bit as good as AS&M headers and I still made the power in my sig with them so I doubt they were holding anything back. Now I have Hooker LTs and to tell you the truth the sound 10x better but Im kicking myself because I have some nice springs laying in the garage that Ill never be able to use since the damn y-pipe hangs so low. I think if you get the y-pipe built correctly(read: $$$) then you could probably get away with lowering springs.

 

get long tubes, i think pace setters for u would b a good idea cuz of price. also pace setters r slip fit which is a pita installing but if you weld them then you can have more clearance then headers that bolt to the Y.

and to your cat back you will need a 3" to 2 1/2"? reducer and you have to cut your stock cat back like half way down the I pipe

oh and i thought slp didnt make long tubes for the lt1?

 

slp doesn't make lt's for our cars.

Fred runs midlength's right guys and he's making gobs of power.

I'm running tpis's here's a link to the clearance. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2035868/1
-b

 

the general concensus i seem to be getting here is that LT's are generally preferred with a 383 setup. the pacesetter headers and Y is looking pretty good from a price standpoint but i agree that i want to do it right the first time and not make a mistake i will regret later. has anyone had a bad experience with pacesetter headers or see any reason why my getting these might be a mistake? here's links to the headers and Y from Texas Speed. i would be able to get ceramic coated LT's and Y for around $500:

http://www.texas-speed.com/item_deta...ProductID=1412
http://www.texas-speed.com/item_deta...ProductID=1267

 

So i Could get Pace setter Slip Fits...i could keep factory y pipe couldnt i? just shorten it up alot..and weld the headers on?

 

Pacesetters have a 3" collector. The stock Y won't work in any long tube setup. Its much easier and smarter to just go ahead and spend the extra $ and get the Y that goes with the Tubes. My $.o2

 

Wouldn't it be better and cheaper to have a custom one made.
-b

 

if you get the pace setters then get a custom y made, theirs fits like sh**. if i could do it again id spend the extra money for a custom one over theirs, and while its at the exhaust shop have them weld it all up

 

just when i think i've sort of decided on some headers, i see some post about it that makes me re-think it i need to order something soon so they will be here by the time my 383 rebuild is complete, but im still torn as to what to order. as i mentioned, i have all stock exhaust except for a straight test pipe in place of the factory cat. my main concern about LT's so far is clearance and possibly having to cut some of my existing stuff to make it work b/c im not sure if my mechanic is able to do that stuff.

i just talked to one of the jet-hot sales guys and he quoted me $799 shipped on some LT's (Jet-Hot DIr LT1 94-96 emission) and the Y-pipe. can anybody comment on whether this is a good price? i'm not sure if they will negotiate or whether it's the same for everybody. he claims that i will not have any clearance issues at all and that it will fit right in and bolt up to my stock cat back (test pipe) without needing any kind of reducer, etc. is this guy being straight up with me or does anyone disagree? he said that some of the people that talk about clearance issue have bad motor mounts.

 

My Y-pipe needed to be adjusted because it did not line up right. If I remember right, it was about an inch too wide where it meets the collectors. Could have been something else though, not sure. I would say have a custom Y-pipe made and save some money. If you are wanting to get the Y-pipe just for the coating, I can tell you that it has been about 11 months since I've had Jet Hot LT's and the coating on the Y-pipe is pretty much gone, and the coating on the collectors is almost gone, but the headers look good still. My motor mounts are not bad and I scrape occasionally on bad speed bumps... I would switch to polyurethane motor mounts if you still have the stock ones.

Also, are you planning to use long tubes with the stock exhaust? I wouldn't suggest it since you won't see the full gain of the headers. I still have the stock piping after the Y and have a flowmaster muffler, but I will be buying a QTEC electric cutout.

PS: I payed $505.00 for the headers and $238.50 for the Y-pipe. Have a custom Y-pipe made and get a cutout with that money you save