I've done many searches on headers but it's hard to come to any kind of decision based on what I've read since more than half of all the posts are just "rah rah for my headers and all the others suck." And half the threads turn into dirt throwing bouts from which no one trying to choose headers can come to a decision from.
But I figure that anyone who has switched from one kind to the other could provide some input that would really help. So how about it those of you who have switched, which would you recommend?

(I have ported heads and a 220/226 cam.)

 

well, i don't have headers yet but here is what i've seen (hopefully this will help)

frank here (12scndZ) has run a flat 12 i believe with a very mild setup (i believe yours is more radical than his but i can't quite recall) and he is using middies

most scream for longtubes (which i've heard is great) but i think if you have a problem with ground clearance (either lowered or just massive speed bumps or whatever) then go with mids
also, emissions requires that your cat stay in the same place (if you have emissions) so that would rule out longtubes if you want to stay legal (there are some that are emissions legal but...they will all move the cat/cats)

sorry if you knew all that but...i figure it might help

 

When I purchased my Z it had mac headers, a gutted cat and a loudmouth on it. I switched it to Hooker Lt's and an X pipe. I have not gotten to drive it much but it feels more torque down low and sound a lot better. If I had to choose I would go with Lt's unless ground clearance is vary important to you.

 

Hope this helps alittle. I had slp shorties went a best of 13.45 @ 103.00. Then I switched to FLP longtubes and had my computer tuned by pcmforless and went 13.042 @ 104. Both 60' times were 1.7s.

 

I went from AS&M headers and custom cat-back to Hooker Long tubes and a Mufflex 4" exhaust. No hard core data for you from the switch but the car will break loose easier now and at higher speeds

 

how much does this hurt ground clearance? How far down do they hang?

 

Thanks for the replies. I found an ancient post where a guy changed from LT's to RKsports with 1 3/4 primaries and he said he had more torque at all RPM's. But like the replies here, most of the old posts by people who've switched have gone from mids to LT's and say that the LT's are better. I hope some more input comes in on this thread, the LT's vs mids issue is the most frequently argued topic on this forum and there's barely been any hard data in any past thread. I wish a magazine like Super Chevy (who, when I was subscribed to it, hardly once even mentioned any Chevy made after 1980 in any article) would settle the issue once and for all, since none of us have the time or money to settle it alone.

 

I ditched my old MACs for a set of Jet Hots. I can't tell you how they affected my performance simply because I added them the same time I did alot of other modifications at the same time.

 

i'm tempted to switch from my as&m to a lt so i can install a k-member, got to love the extra room and loss of weight

not that the as&m are a bad header

 

Yup...12.05 @ 112 MPH with 1.67 60 ft. time with MAC headers. Full weight, stock suspension car with all the emissions BS still hooked up to the MACs

Frank