Hookers or TTIs
I don't recall who it was, but a magazine dyno tested TTI headers and they made more power than some other headers! Don't let the "small" 1 5/8" exit tubes scare you. 1 5/8" tubes are suppose to help exhaust velocity and bottom end but retain the benefits of better higher rpm flow with the 1 3/4" step-up. Many race cars use stepped headers and I've seen some engine combos start as small as 1 1/2", or close to the same size as the actual port opening, then step up!
I can run mid-11's at over 3,530 lbs and have seen other, similar combos run high 10's weighing 2-400 lbs less in ideal weather conditions!
I'm also pretty sure that TTI's are thicker in the flange and tubing so they would be more durable, rust/crack resistant whether you get coatings for either or not. But I feel that the interior coatings are a good investment.