Headers

[markm]

Who makes good headers for a SBC in a 55-57 pass. car in stock location with stock motor mounts.

[Rick_L]

The old school Hooker is #2458. Hangs real low but otherwise a good header.

I forget the old school Hedman p/n, but it's the same as they sold in the late 60s.

Both work with stock engine mounts, stock clutch linkage works too.

[scorpion1110]

Hedman HCH12. I have been searching for a pair.

9349

Scorp

[Rick_L]

I don't think those HCH12s are made anymore. Not for a long time either.

The Hooker 2458 is 1-5/8" tubes/3" collectors.

Hedman has a header with similar specs to the 2458. They also sell a header with 1-3/4" tubes/3" collectors. Check Summit.

And of course there are the more modern headers like the Earle Williams, Hooker 2112, and Dougs D353 which require side mounts and a crossmember, and removal of the frame mount brackets for the bellhousing mounts.

[markm]

I will see if I can find the Hedman ones. Not for me helping a friend its one of his customers cars. Guy doing the work say car has stock motor mounts and a large cap HEI, I did not think this possible. Are 57s different than 55&56, my memory says no,

[Rick_L]

All 3 years are the same. If a large cap HEI fits his car with stock mounts, it's not impossible but most don't.

To me the big thing on the headers I listed are that all but one of the Hedman ones are 1-5/8" tubes, which are usually too small for a 350 or bigger.

Summit lists all the headers I mentioned.

Years ago I ran the 1-3/4" Hedman mentioned, they were good headers except that the flanges were cut for very small ports (smaller than stock), so I had to grind them bigger and re-weld the tubes to the flanges. That was almost 50 years ago and no telling whether they still make them that way or not. Hopefully not. But it was a quick fix regardless.

[55mike]

To me...it's about ride height. Headers that are designed to hang below the stock rear trans mounts will not work with a lowered car too well. If the plan is to never lower the car, then, "standard" trifive headers will work. I'm partial to Hookers (headers that is!!)..

[markm]

This guys desire is to build a late 60s clone, no dropped spindles.