Updated SPITFIRE HEADER INSTALL 63-66 A-body

Should this be made a STICKY?


  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .
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Take it from a victim. He is long on promises and short on performance.
 
did you pay cod or pay upfront?

Sadly, I paid up front. But, that was thru an eBay auction. I didn't know that they were coming from Harold. I assumed that it was someone who chose a different route for their car and was just selling them off.

Luckily, I didn't pay retail.:bootysha:
 
Possibly, but why would you want to? Many better designs readily available for later cars.
 
on this subject,(curing the restrictive exhaust on early A bodys) It seems I read somewhere, sometime back that cast manifolds from certain years of Durangos,and maybe Daks could be used. I believe they said that they cleared everything well and flowed much better than the old 273s.
Anyone have the story on this, or maybe have done it?
Wish I could remember the source. I really would prefer good flowing factory type manifolds for the street. The best headers I ever had on anything, going back nearly 40 years were somewhat of a hassle just to keep tight. Can't be beat for performance tho!
BTW, I will be using a warm 360 so the 273 mans have to go.
 
on this subject,(curing the restrictive exhaust on early A bodys) It seems I read somewhere, sometime back that cast manifolds from certain years of Durangos,and maybe Daks could be used. I believe they said that they cleared everything well and flowed much better than the old 273s.
Anyone have the story on this, or maybe have done it?
Wish I could remember the source. I really would prefer good flowing factory type manifolds for the street. The best headers I ever had on anything, going back nearly 40 years were somewhat of a hassle just to keep tight. Can't be beat for performance tho!
BTW, I will be using a warm 360 so the 273 mans have to go.

That would be great if those manifolds work on early A-body, looks like everyone here has CRS or they would have spoken up by now, LOL
 
We did get some more information on another post here regarding early A-Body manifolds and we were told that 1998-2003 Durango manifolds will fit with minor alterations to the manifolds. Mainly near the steering column, if you are not looking for headers this may be useful to you.
 
We did get some more information on another post here regarding early A-Body manifolds and we were told that 1998-2003 Durango manifolds will fit with minor alterations to the manifolds. Mainly near the steering column, if you are not looking for headers this may be useful to you.
Yes. I've heard the same thing about dakota manifolds as well, but nothing conclusive including any mods needed. I'm waiting on someone to send me some pics now of some installed on a Duster. If they fit well, this may be the direction I go. It seems that if the manifolds for those applications would fit with little trouble that the headers for the same applications would be the same. Anyone tried it yet?
 
Haven't been on this forum in a while...because I parked my Dart 4 years ago, expecting to get a leaking heater core replaced soon. But my busy schedule and life got in the way. The Dart is still where I left it when the leaking core made me park it.

My nephew is now asking if he can help to get it back on the road, so I am thinking about a number of improvements to get around the limitations that the car had, including a terribly restrictive exhaust.

I am fascinated by the fact that the A-Body parts and accessories industry has apparently matured in the last few years since my Dart was parked. A dearth of parts and accessories was one of the real liabilities of early-A ownership, since I started collecting and restoring them back in the mid-80s.

I've owned a number of very cool early A-bodies over the years, including my current Chrysler Compact, a 1966 Dart GT convertible, original 273 "Challenger" (4v) car with a 904 and 7.25 (wimpy) rear. It also has the Kelsey-Hayes 4-piston front disc brakes.

The car has never left Colorado (originally sold to a woman in Pueblo, CO in November, 1965) -- so it is very solid. It is also very much unmolested, having had only 4 owners - none of whom were teenagers, evidently.

I bought and sold many cars (including a couple of Commando 65 cudas), but never considered giving up my little powder blue vert. It has been in the family 21 years now and will likely be part of our estate when my wife and I check out of this life.

That said, the availability of shorty headers fascinates me. A few years back, all that was available were fender-well headers for these cars or the exotic (and VERY pricey) Doug Thorley multiple-piece headers as originally fitted on D-Darts. Now, it sounds as though at least 2 manufacturers are making headers that will fit Early-A engine compartments. The problem is that it is a power steering car.

My question is: Will any of them fit Power Steering cars? My guess is no, but I thought I'd ask. I'd hate to convert the car to manual steering, when it has been a P/S car since the day it rolled out of Hamtranck.
 
Nice setup you have there. Can i ask what oilpan you used on your 66 valiant 360?
i've run into a problem trying to get my 360 with a car pan and it will not work; my car is a 65dart gt ragtop factory 273 car. thanks
 
i an looking for harold johnsons number to order a set of spitfire headers. the old num dosent work any help would be appriecated
 
on these headers, does anyone have a sure fire answer for what position to weld the collectors on?

it's a 65 Dart, soon to be 360, no power steering.
 
Well, whenever we ran the exhaust uncorked (this includes headers but especially with shorties or with the headpipes exposed on manifolds), we always stuffed steel wool or something up there after it was heated up so that if it were cold outside, the valves wouldn't be subjected to quick cool down temps. I am thinking that in your area, the temps may not be so dramatic but old habits die hard.
seriously. quick cool down temps on valves?. please explain this one.
 
Seems like you can get rid of the 'dog leg' dump at the collector and replace it with a flowmaster 2-1 Y and then mate the (now) dual 2 1/2"s on each bank to a 2 1/2 to 3" Y once you are under the car.

it would then be a true 4-2-1 header and I bet it would flow a lot better. you could even flange it to make it easier to install.

Where do I get a set of these and how much do they cost? I see a HP opportunity for Spitfire for the larger cube cars for sure.:supz:

Harold, can we get a group buy going? I'd love to discuss the 4-2-1 mod I think there'd be as good a market for them as the present ones since so many people do Strokers today.
 
Harold, can we get a group buy going? I'd love to discuss the 4-2-1 mod I think there'd be as good a market for them as the present ones since so many people do Strokers today.

Harold of Spitfire rip-off fame is out of business and WAS NOT a member of this forum. Apparently Layson's are now sourcing headers simi9lar to (or with the same design as the old Spitfires. Unless you find someone selling a set (like I did) Layson's is the only source at this this time.
 
Thanks!

( Since I'm new here)can someone point me to Layson do I can get a hold of him?

Thanks in advance!!
 
Laysons is a sponsor of this site. There's a ad in the right margin close to the top. tmm
 
Laysons is a sponsor of this site. There's a ad in the right margin close to the top. tmm

Rick (Rick@Laysons) is a member here. Contact him by PM and if they're in stock, he'll let you know. Order through him - straight shooter!
 
I put Spitfires on my 4-speed 340 '66 Barracuda about 10 years ago. I had them ceramic coated because I knew I'd have the car a long time & I didn't want to mess with headers EVER again if I could avoid it. I broke the bolt on my 90 degree oil filter adapter - $70 from the dealer for a damned bolt!!! Instead I put on a shorty filter that fits & works just fine. In hindsight I wish I had trimmed the transmission mount so the 2 1/2" exhaust would have been more out of sight on the passenger side. I use those silver mesh spark plug booties to avoid melting plug wires. I used a mini starter just because it is really busy down there!
 
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