Are shorty headers even worth the effort?

[Jon]

Are shorty headers even worth it? Has anyone experience more than a 10hp increase after installation?

It seems like you need to go to at least mid-lengths to pick up any power.

I'm having a k-member installed and I am on the fence about the decision to include the headers. From what I read, the shorty style are the only smog-legal ones available yet the power gains are marginal.

 

[93cobra03]

While you are doing the K-member your crazy not to do headers I just did mine and it made the difference to put me in the 10's.

 

[Poisonous Mods]

Originally posted by 03COBRA93
While you are doing the K-member your crazy not to do headers I just did mine and it made the difference to put me in the 10's.

True that. Do the job at one time VS paying more at seperate times.

Havent seen any one post the shorties performance at all.

Id personally go with Long Tubs since i had very good exp. with my past car.

 

[OCCOBRA]

Shorties are a waste of money and a lot of labor to install. If you where chipped and running a 2.8 pulley maybe. But you can spend your money in other areas and get more bang for your buck. I did them on my 97 Cobra which had Bassini exhaust, x pipe and magnaflows and i never realy felt a difference. The shorties where in the $300 rang and the labor was around that figure to install. I added them after i had done all the other exhaust work and was dissapointed.

 

[OCCOBRA]

Long tubes would be a better bet.

 

[Silver 03 Cobra]

The only shorty worth the money are JBA 1 5/8 headers. I picked up 16 rwhp and about 11 lb-ft. of torque peak but I had net gains over 40 from 2800 to 4000 rpm. Don't always look at peak numbers. I think the JBA's hold their own. I held my own at FFW this past weekend running against all kinds of LT'ed cars with similar bolt-ons. As far as installation, the shorties are a little easier to install especially if you are working around the KM. But, dropping the KM is the way to go. I've done two installs on 03 Cobras and one 01.

 

[Cobra'03]

Hot Rod just tested JBA shorties on a Mach1 and got 9 HP peak - not worth the effort and expense in my book.

 

[JSHTROD]

Originally posted by Silver03Snake
The only shorty worth the money are JBA 1 5/8 headers. I picked up 16 rwhp and about 11 lb-ft. of torque peak but I had net gains over 40 from 2800 to 4000 rpm.

If you're gonna do shorties, DEFINATELY do JBA's. The FRPP's don't have good (if any) gains.

:thumbsup:

 

[Lethalchem]

Originally posted by Cobra'03
Hot Rod just tested JBA shorties on a Mach1 and got 9 HP peak - not worth the effort and expense in my book.

Hmmm..I agree, but 40 lower in the rpm range would be!

 

[Bingo13]

Originally posted by JSHTROD
If you're gonna do shorties, DEFINATELY do JBA's. The FRPP's don't have good (if any) gains.

:thumbsup:

I did the FRPP's. Picked up 9 rwhp peak but around 27 under the curve. They are smog legal, dealer acceptable, and was worth the effort in my car. :thumbsup:

 

[Cobra'03]

Originally posted by Lethalchem
Hmmm..I agree, but 40 lower in the rpm range would be!

Yes, but they did not see that. I cannot imagine how they could provide that. I think it is a dyno artifact.

 

[RAP66]

I noticed your in the Monterey area, I'm by San Jose. If you put tubes on your 03... how ya gona deal with the smog in Ca?

I'm asking because I an thinking very hard about putin a set of bassani mids on my car, but dont really want to deal with changing it over every other year. At least with shorties or mids they are not as easily seen on the visual inspection.

Thanx

 

[Jon]

According to Ford, all their 4.6 headers are not CARB approved.

I don't think most smog inspectors would even give the shorties a second look. Especially the Ford parts, they're not very flashy.

 

[NMRAcer]

where is the best deal on the JBA's?

 

[JSHTROD]

Originally posted by hard jokur
I noticed your in the Monterey area, I'm by San Jose. If you put tubes on your 03... how ya gona deal with the smog in Ca?

I'm asking because I an thinking very hard about putin a set of bassani mids on my car, but dont really want to deal with changing it over every other year. At least with shorties or mids they are not as easily seen on the visual inspection.

Thanx

I'll have my Bassani Mid-Length's next week! And I'm not very concerned with SMOG. Mainly, for two reasons.

1) I purchased this car new. It will be 5 years before I'll have to smog it.

2) I've smogged 4 cars here in Cali in the past 4 years. Not ONCE did they do a visual inspection of the exhaust system. They only cared if it passed the sniffer, the CE light wasn't on (but operating) and I had all my emissions equiptment under the hood.

No stress.

:coolman:

 

[HotRodHarry]

As for JBA's....Nitrous Pete in his early testing in October and November..had early prototype JBA shorties on his 03 and thats when he ripped a 10.99 at 125 mph when his car was pushing 18 pounds of boost and had the stick and eaton. No nitrous shot on that run at Atco...so the JBA's will do just fine....maybe not as good as mid lengths or longtubes..but you can still get the car in the low 11's or high 10's with the shorties.

Just figured you guys would like to see that.

I do love my Bassani MidLengths!!!

Harry
www.HotRodHarrys.com
2003 Cobra (over 20 lbs of boost and nitrous..yep..an Eaton)

 

[Pyro]

Originally posted by Bingo13
I did the FRPP's. Picked up 9 rwhp peak but around 27 under the curve. They are smog legal, dealer acceptable, and was worth the effort in my car. :thumbsup:

How much were the FRPP's and did it change the sound at all? I think the more mods you have, the bigger the difference will be especially SOTP.