[ETD66SS]

I am now at the point in my 66 SS396 restoration where I'll be dropping in the motor & trans. I want to get a set of Hooker Competition ceramic coated headers, but I want to make sure they will fit my 66 SS396 with an LS-6 without having to dent them up! Am I dreaming, or will these fit without any problems? The ones I'm looking at are in the Original Parts Group 99 catalog. They are 2" x 30" 3" collector. I don't know about ordering from OPG, but I have not seen these exact headers anywhere else at this price $275.95. Anyone who has ordered these from OPG please advise. I will be using the original 396 frame brackets with PST's urethane engine mounts.
Thanks!

 

[Wally]

Jet-Hot has the best deal on the headers already coated, check them out.

------------------
Wally
Gold #67
67 malibu

[This message has been edited by Wally (edited 08-29-99).]

 

[Gene Chas]

ETD, is that already coated? I bought Hookers direct from JetHot, 2" 30" with 3.5" collectors and they ran me $425. When I proce shopped it was a good deal to go direct to JetHot. Still got em in my garage if you want to trial fit them. I won't be needing them until next year! They are sure pretty.

[This message has been edited by Gene Chas (edited 08-30-99).]

 

[JWA]

ETD,

I would double check the headers from OPG. They are more than likely only coated on the outside while the one directly from Jet-Hot are coated inside and out. My hooker competitions were bought from Summit at 330.00 and were only coated on the outside. When the motor came out at 450 miles(waranty issues ie. loose piston pin/cracked piston) the headers were already rusty on the inside. Coated in and out is the only way to go.....
Also these were installed in a 68 and I had to move the proportioning valve closer to the frame to have clearance.

------------------
Jeff ACES#841 TCG#158
68 SS396(454)
68 L78 Project
87 MC SS

 

[ETD66SS]

Thanks Guys! Sounds like Jet Hot is the way to go. I'll give them a call.

 

[Gene Chas]

Hey ETD, no fair!!!! I wanted to have the trickest 64-67SS in Buffalo

Just kidding. Let me know if I can help.

Gene Chas
Gold Member 62
67 SS L88

 

[BC]

ETD, just my 2 cents, but are you really dead-set on the Hookers? I bought a set last year from Summit that were coated in and out for under $400. The fit was not good at all and I had to move the proportioning valve altogether, dent it around the starter, and really mash it to clear the lower control arm pivot. After that, it turned out that the left side header had a hole where all the tubes come together. I called Summit and they sent me a new set, I only swapped the left one, and the new one fit worse than the first one!!! I have heard form several others on this site that Hedmans and several others fit much better. You can get many different brands straight from Jet-Hot; maybe you should ask them for advise. Let me know if you have any other questions, BTW mine is a '71 SS.

------------------
Bill C.
'71 SS (now with 468BBC)
ACES #2780
Colo Spgs, CO

 

[MikeEC]

My .02. Call Jet Hot. Let them get the Hookers you want and coat them for you. If you buy from others you will get the same part number but the quality of coating might leave something to be desired. Whatever you do, don't buy them from Hooker already coated. There are some posts here talking about this expensive rust. Been there done that. You will also pay more. In Hooker's defense though, I can say that they will make it good and recoat them up to a year after purchase, but that is a PIA. Mike

 

[ETD66SS]

So what's the best fitting headers??? Or do they all have to be massaged in some way? If I get them already coated, I'd hate to dent them up!
Thanks Again!

Gene, Thanks for the offer! That's pretty generous, but I would'nt want anything to happen to those pretty headers of yours!

[This message has been edited by ETD66SS (edited 08-30-99).]

 

[66 bowtie]

I'm not too sure bout a bb but on my sbc 350 the headers rub against the steering linkage, 66 chevelle i had to dent them. but they were headmens. i like em


------------------
Owner of a 66 chevelle malibu.... might be on the road next year. I HOPE!!

 

[Don Boc]

I tried a set of Hooker comp for my big block and they fit terrible as BC stated. I then tried a set from Headman that fit better but I still would have had to pound them. I tried a set from Dynomax (ceramic coated in and out) and they fit perfectly.

 

[flywheel]

EDT I used a set of Dynomax ceramic coat on my 66 sb fit perfect They were jet hot inside and out $199 from Summit Going to use a set on my 72EC BB soon.

------------------

 

[BillB]

I installed the very same hooker's on my 454. I was diappointed in the fit. I had to elongate the mounting holes to fit the heads! That shouldn't happen but it's true. If you give the people like Summit or Hooker the car, year, engine, and tranny information, you should get something that fits correctly when youre spending the kind of money we ALL are spending. I was ticked!

 

[Gene Chas]

Yeah ETD, the reason I made my offer is that I'm curious as to how these Hookers of mine fit. I've crudely measured around #5 pipe, it's the bitch of the bunch, and it's gonna be close.I know lots of guys here swear by the Dynomax, DZAUTO is one of them and I trust his opinion. It seems to me though, that I couldn't get a 2" primary in the Dynomax. That was the big buga-boo the 2". Maybe I screwed up and should've went with the 1 7/8 but the advice was to use 2" on an L88 so I did.

We'll see, I've got some dinky little pipes on it now and I'm very curious as to the difference between them ( 1 3/4" I'd guess) and the 2". I'm tempted to send the Hookers back to Jet Hot.

 

[RyanS]

I put a set of 2" x 30" 3 1/2 collector Hooker comps from Jet Hot on my 67 when I put the 396 in in May and they fit fine (didn't have to dent anywhere ). They do barely touch the frame on the passenger side and also barely touch the steering shaft. It doesn't affect the steering but the steering shaft has a silver ring around it now. I paid $425.00 same as Gene.

Ryan

[This message has been edited by RyanS (edited 09-01-99).]

 

[ETD66SS]

Well guys, Tod at Jet Hot suggested that the best large tube headers for fit in my car would be the Hooker unequal length headers. I'm assuming these are the competition headers. $425 coated inside & out, same as Gene got. I really want the 2" primaries for my LS-6 crate engine. Either the guy at Jet Hot knows these are the best, or they like to sell alot of the Hooker Comp's for BB's. I'll ask him about the Dynomax.

 

[don]

I have SB mounts on a BB motor and My Hooker Comps only hit the steering shaft 1/8 inch. I always wondered if having BB mounts would make any difference. It doesn't sound like it makes any difference in fitting headers. I have a 67 with 427 engine.

Don

 

[Canuck64ss]

Just a note of interest...

I bought ceramic coated headers from Summit because I only wanted to do the headers "once" for a long time. Unfortunately, Since July 1st, they have started to "brown" at the head side!

After further inspection between mine and a friends Jet-Hots, it appears that the "factory" applied coating is much thinner than if it was genuine Jet Hot coating. The Jet Hots are also a smoother finish which probably contributes to it.

Lesson learned: The next header's for my F-Body will be standard headers (Headman) and taken to our local Jet-Hot guy and coated for 225.00 for the pair.

------------------
The proud owner of a Canadian 64-SS with ZZ4 Power!
Chesterville, Ontario, Canada.
Team Chevelle Gold Member #37
Canadian Classic Chevelles & Beaumonts Member #350
WebSite www.magma.ca/~ssoltesz/steves/1964.htm

[This message has been edited by Canuck64ss (edited 09-02-99).]