A Body Shorty Stainless Headers

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perfweld

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Im in the process of making a set of shorty Stainless Steel Headers for my 68' GTS with a SB. The car is a manual steering, manual brake car with an Automatic. The headers will ONLY fit this situation, they wont fit with power steering, or power brakes, or with a 4 speed. Im seeing if anyyone is interested in a set for there A body. The problem is they wont fit any other scenario as far as power steering, 4 speed, power brakes !! so dont ask !! Im making them to be a real nice header, plenty of ground clearance, and they will slip in from the top without moving the engine. You will though have to remove the steering column, intall the left header, then reinstall the steering column as the tubes snake around the steering shaft. Im buidling these for my own car, its a street car. They are about 20" long, 1 5/8" stepped to 1 3/4" with a 2 1/2" outlet. If any of you are interested, I will put them into production, but I have to sell at least 25 pairs to make it worth the production process. I will post pictures soon, just wanted to let you guys know what im doing ahead of time. They will sell for about $700 - $800 in 304 Stainless Steel, but dont quote me on that please. Again, the only will fit manual steering, manual brakes, and an automatic. The reason for this is that thats what my car is, and I dont want to comprimise my headers by making room for the Z bar, or the huge power box. My buisness primarily build race headers, and I though there might be some interested parties in these.

Thanks
Mark Lelchook
Performance Welding
Racing Headers
www.perfweldheaders.com
 
I've been wanting a set of stainless, but you missed me in two areas.
My car was built for performance, so manual steering, and a 4 speed, and power brakes for stopping.
I'd sure jump on a set, when you can get them.
How much modification to the "Z" bar would be required?
 
I think they will fit with power brakes, but definatly not power steering, and no way with a Z bar in the way. The problem is that the Z bar takes up all the room that im using. These were built for my car, as said. They left side came out great, equal lenght shorty,s. The right will be a peice of cake. If I can get enough interest, ill build a set for a 4 speed car with manual steering. But as said, I have to be able to sell at least 25 pairs or its not worth the trouble of tooling up. I sent some pictures to Adam via email to post of the left side. I dont know how to post pictures, so when he gets them im sure hell post them for me. Id like to help you guys out and build you a nice header, but there has to be interest. The left side just drops in, well you have to squirm it in, then put the steering column back in place. Photos will come shortly.

Thanks
Mark Lelchook
perfweldheaders.com
 
I understand were you are coming from, R&D is spendy.
I'm just hoping you get more hits on 4 speeds, so you can build those first.

Giles
 
Any interest in a set of BB headers for our A bodies?

Im finding that there is some headers out there,but I dont want to hack my inner fenderwells,and I NEED GOOD GROUND CLEARANCE!! Proparts require you to hack up the fenderwells,as do Hookers. Maddogs do not pass through the x member exhaust dips and will likely catch everything. TTI is too small at 1 3/4 inches primary tubes (shumachers might be even smaller than this) and will choke anything with breathing ability.Stahl is very spendy. Im hoping you could make up something in mild steel?

Im still looking into the Mazzolini /TTI version of Proparts headers and waiting on a response to an email,but at this point Im dissatified with the options available.
 
Your in a tough situation. Finding a header for a big block in an A body is hard. Its a very tight fit for those cars. Ive done many of them, and its hard work. I always run the rear tube on each side out the fenderwell, I do the same on race SB A body headers. It makes more room for the other 3 tubes, and in the end you get a nicer header. Ground clearance is not a problem, I always tuck the headers up real high. The problem is, we are pricey on our headers. A real nice set of headers takes a few days to build, plus materials, and your well over $1500. We really only build very high end race headers, we normally never do street stuff. We concentrate on using a wide radius bend, equal length, and merge collectors. I sadly cant help you, I can build you a header, and it will fit perfect, tuck up tightly, make tons of power, but the problem is that there pricey. I can build these SB headers for these guys for a good price, but ive got to have at least 25 customers, or I wont tool up for them. I can do the same with the BB headers, but ive got to sell at least 25 of them. When I tool up I can build them fast, and easily as I have tubes pre bent and all I have to do is weld them together. Productoin is just that, production. One off headers take loads of time, and ive got to charge for it. A custom set of headers for an A body in mild steel are $1600 for a SB and $1700 for a BB. This includes merge collectors, CNC flanges, wide radius bend, and a multi step design. I truly wish I could help the A body community more, but with my workload, its just not possible. I love A bodys, thats all ive ever had I have 4 of them right now, and race them as well. If you guys can all group together and decide on a paritcular header you want built in a large quantity, I can build it, for a fair price.

Thanks
Mark Lelchook
Performance Welding
Racing Headers
 
Mark, that is some awesome work. I know how hard it is to work with and create headers and yours look fabulous!
Tom
 
These are a real nice looking piece. My car is a 4 speed with power steering and brakes though so Im S.O.O.L.



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So does that price include collectors? Do you have pictures of them installed showing the ground clearance all the way through the headpipe?
 
Yes the headers do have collectors, I just hadnt quite finished them yet. They are tucked up really tight, they end above the tortion bars, the exhaust pipe ends up being at the level of the bottom of the transmission pan and points towards the radius in the crossmember to keep the ground clearance as high as possible. Problem is that there is no interest on here, so they will not get produced. I will build a set here and there if anyone wants, but the cost by doing that is the same as a custom set of headers with merge collectors. Its to bad therese no interest, they are a great set of headers, will make real good power, and have the ground clearance of fastory manifolds. I can only sell them at the price prevoiusly mentioned if I have a big order, otherwise as said, there a custom header.

Mark Lelchook
Performance Welding
Racing Headers
 
I understand the work involved in building headers.

At what point does the price come down? how many orders would it take?
 
It takes 25 orders to get the price down. This way I can have 25 tubes pre bent, well actually 25 x 8 tubes pre bent. Otherwise its not worth the expense. I can design anything, ive been doing this a long time, so if you guys want a shorty header for a 4 speed with power steering , I can do that as well. When you get thing made in large quantity, theres a huge price break. The same goes for me, when I get 200 tubes bent for me, I get a huge discount. In addition it takes building as set of headers from 12 hours to about 3 hours as all I have to do is weld the tubes to the flanges and then weld the collectors on. Its not a cut and fit and weld job, its a wam bam thank you mam.

Mark Lelchook
Performance Welding
Racing Headers
 
I wouldn't give up so easily on this. This one board is not the whole target market and focus group. I'm rarely hear myself, will be more often now that I can get back to working on finishing my GTS. I too like others have a 4 speed, manual steering car and am in search of a better fitting street header. I think, coming from 12 years of consumer product design and R&D, Marketing is the key to a successful product launch of a quality product. At this point it will become an investment on your part. You might have to ship some off to a few Mopar rags, talk to Engine Builders and some dyno numbers. Another option is to build a set and sell the design to TTI, Hooker, Headman, etc. or to a big player in Mopar like Indy heads or Year One will pick them up as a private label. The other break against you is this wonderful funk our economy is in. Toys are last on the list right now for the average Joe car guy.
 
I think a set of shorty headers with unequal length tubes (for ease of install) would be a BIG hit. Think about it. People pay $450 for 37 year old cast iron manifolds because they want an easy install more than they want absolute maximum power.

Ford, BBK and others have sold about a jillion of the things for 5.0 Mustangs, and Mustangs are infinitely easier to install headers on than an A-body.

They'd make significantly more power than manifolds, without all the hassle of longtubes.

Ball and socket collector FTW.

Steve
 
LXguy said:
I think a set of shorty headers with unequal length tubes (for ease of install) would be a BIG hit. Think about it. People pay $450 for 37 year old cast iron manifolds because they want an easy install more than they want absolute maximum power.

Ford, BBK and others have sold about a jillion of the things for 5.0 Mustangs, and Mustangs are infinitely easier to install headers on than an A-body.

They'd make significantly more power than manifolds, without all the hassle of longtubes.

Ball and socket collector FTW.

Steve
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I agree, Un equal length would be fine to most. Even a nice set of try Ys like the spitfires but for the 67-up Cars.

I wouldnt mind swapping to manual steering, I have the box sitting in the garage but its gotta clear the 4 speed.
 
Screw the unequal length, I wont build a header just to be a header, you might as well just run manifolds then. I bet that the headers I just built are as good as a long tube TTI, but they drop in from the top and you dont have to lift the engine or bang a tube here and there to make them fit. I can see that cost is an issue on headers, when I see guys on the forum talking about buying a set of Summit headers for a hundred dollar, I realize people dont want to spend any money. I must admit, im not used to that, my customers dont blink an eye to spend $2500 on a set of stainless steel competition headers. I think if things slow down here I might design a set in mild steel for power steering and a 4 speed. This will drop the price down to about $400 - $500 dollars. But as things are, im very busy with race headers, im lucky the economy hasnt actually hit me ... yet, so it wont happen for a while anyways.

Mark Lelchook
Performance Welding
Racing Headers
 
A set of unequal length headers would be a massive improvement over stock manifolds.

Most of these cars aren't very fast anyways, so people aren't going to spend the extra money just for a small amount of horsepower, especially if the install is a *****. If you can sell them horsepower and a don't-take-the-whole-car-apart installation that works with Power steering and stick shift, you might have a mini gold mine on your hands.

I've gone low 10s in a Mustang with unequal length shorty headers.

Steve
 
perfweld said:
Screw the unequal length, I wont build a header just to be a header, you might as well just run manifolds then. I bet that the headers I just built are as good as a long tube TTI, but they drop in from the top and you dont have to lift the engine or bang a tube here and there to make them fit. I can see that cost is an issue on headers, when I see guys on the forum talking about buying a set of Summit headers for a hundred dollar, I realize people dont want to spend any money. I must admit, im not used to that, my customers dont blink an eye to spend $2500 on a set of stainless steel competition headers. I think if things slow down here I might design a set in mild steel for power steering and a 4 speed. This will drop the price down to about $400 - $500 dollars. But as things are, im very busy with race headers, im lucky the economy hasnt actually hit me ... yet, so it wont happen for a while anyways.

Mark Lelchook
Performance Welding
Racing Headers
Click to expand...

That post does not make you sound too pleasant. Unequals would do just fine on a STREET based application, that does not need THE BEST of everything. So one cylinder is longer the another, the intakes are not perfect for distribution, rich in the center and lean out on the ends.
IF you decide to "lower" youself into our world.... I probably won't buy.
I am happy for you that you business has remained solid during the tough times.
 
I think they are a gorgeous piece and would love to have a set on my car but money is to tight and I need some thing that will at least clear my z bar.

You guy have to take a look at his web site to understand why he doesnt want to do un equal length. He builds headers for stock/super stock guys were every 100th of a second counts. To them giving up power isnt an option.
 
AdamR said:
I think they are a gorgeous piece and would love to have a set on my car but money is to tight and I need some thing that will at least clear my z bar.

You guy have to take a look at his web site to understand why he doesnt want to do un equal length. He builds headers for stock/super stock guys were every 100th of a second counts. To them giving up power isnt an option.
Click to expand...

I agree, the are gorgeous pieces.

While I understand why some applications need equal length, I am willing to be 99.9% of the POTENTIAL customers on this site do not need the equal length.

His post reads that he will only do it his way, people on the forums don't want to spend money, and that he can't be bothered with them right now....none of which inspires JOY JOY feelings towards me buying his products...

My .02
 
Your right your right, im sorry. I dont sound to pleasant here, and im sorry for that. I thought from reading earlier and other posts that there would be interest in making a shorty header that drops right in, and makes good power. For me to making equal length verses unequal length is no problem. I can design them either way, but there would be very little price difference, so why make them possibly make less power. Again, im sorry, have had a bad week, and shouldnt take it out on the forum.

Mark
 
I seriously considered building my own Tri Y style because I couldn't find ANY header on the market for the late A body with power steering, manual transmission with stock style Z bar, and long fast ratio steering arms. Add to that laundry list, the possible addition of a power booster after four wheel disc brakes are added, and making sure to maximize ground clearance, results in life in the engine compartment getting even more complicated if you want headers, no matter what the style.

With an economy in the democrat dumper, and too many projects backed up and waiting for time, I found myself not wanting to expend the time and money it would take to build my own. My short turn solution was to pick up a 72-74 340 left side manifold and a magnum PU right side manifold off Craigs List. Although I would like to unlock whatever power is currently residing in my motor (stock 73 340 with low miles on rebuilt heads), these stock manifolds dumping into 2 1/4" head pipes flaring into a 2 1/2" exhaust system will have to do for now.
 
personaly i have trouble spending that much on headers for a street car. my friends 440 nitrous street car runs stock manifolds and runs plenty fine and is a lot of fun. that is all i am looking for. i think thats why you havent found as much interest. tti makes high quality headers for our cars already. yes they are a headache to instal but only the once so most ppl that want that quality already have headers. if you had a set of average joe cheap headers that fit easy and worked with the 4 speed and you didnt need us to all jump right now i know you could sell a lot here over time. that is not really how your busisness works and there is nothing wrong with that. i checked out the website and wow those are nice lol. and for those cars they are killer prices. i just cant do it for my street toy. i think most of us are there to.
 
perfweld said:
Your right your right, im sorry. I dont sound to pleasant here, and im sorry for that. I thought from reading earlier and other posts that there would be interest in making a shorty header that drops right in, and makes good power. For me to making equal length verses unequal length is no problem. I can design them either way, but there would be very little price difference, so why make them possibly make less power. Again, im sorry, have had a bad week, and shouldnt take it out on the forum.

Mark
Click to expand...

Impressive. A true gentlemen can admit the mistake, and convert disbelievers into believers (and possible customers).
I do believe there is a strong market for a quality, 3/4 length header in various materials. Mopars with the "drag link through the primaries" suck, plain and simple. A set of 3/4 that are well built, would sell, and IMO, sell well, especially if you were able to get a forum member to provide install details and feedback. Word of mouth, within these forums, offers INCREDIBLY powerfull advertising.

Well Done. :cheers:
 
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