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1968 Exhaust Options

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,178
My engine builder keeps telling me I should run headers on my car to increase power, mileage, blah, blah, blah.

Increasing power and mileage is certainly important to me but I want the car to sound mature and sophisticated rather than loud and hollow (Personality analogy unintended) so I am not looking for absolute power. I also won't be doing any stop-light racing or even taking the engine over 5000rpm.

I see 4 basic options for headers/exhaust manifolds:
Hi-Po exhaust manifolds
Tri-Y headers
Shorty headers
Long tube / Full length headers

My initial idea is to run shorty headers into my existing 2 1/2" system which consists of Magnaflow mufflers and an X-pipe.

Does anyone know the pros and cons for those options?

Thanks
 

CougarCJ

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
2,216
Arlie, I do not know all of the benefits of these choices, I do know someone that is very pleased with his shorty headers. They work very well on his 1968 Cougar with 302 and AOD. He tried several other brands of headers and these worked the best. He had clearance problems with the long tube style.

You may have heard of his car, it is the Dusk 'till Dawn Cougar driven by George Clooney.

A very reasonable priced substitution for the HiPo 289 exhaust manifolds is are the 351W exhaust manifolds used 1969-70 on Fords and Mercurys. Very similar design to each other.
 

case12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
I have JBA shorty headers and they are great. No clearance problems. They do help the sound of the engine, but I found the muffler choice had much more to do with how the engine sounded. I had Flowmasters - they give a lower, mellow, grunty sound. I changed to Magnaflows - they have a higher, splatter type sound (I used the same ones David Athans uses). Since I had both with the same headers I can attest that the muffler made the biggest difference in sound. It sounds like you would be happy with shorty headers and Flowmaster mufflers. Casey
 

p51

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2005
Messages
1,025
Location
NorCal
JBA shorty headers
X-pipe
Magnaflows - the largest that fit. More growl/less loud
Exhaust tips with resonators - again more growl/less loud

Seat-o-pants-dyno indicates a qualitative increase in hp but no firm numbers. Better gas mileage but I changed other things at the same time and cant confirm how much comes from the exhaust system changes.

James
 

franklinair

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
4,744
I hava a stock 302, standard exh manifolds, H pipe, dual Flowmasters. I'm a happy camper.

Neil
 

obwan93001

Well-known member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
213
Location
Ventura County, CA
Hi all! Haven't been on in a while. Work keeps getting in the way! I wanted to reply to this thread as I'm planning on doing the same thing to our '68 GT/CS very soon. I have the stainless steel Magnaflow w/X-pipe system and will be using the stainless steel shorty type headers that were stock on the 86-93 GTs w/5.0L with the stock type GT quad tips. I had read somewhere that those headers were pretty much a direct fit and are much better than the old style hipo headers Ford used. Plus got two used pair for very cheap on eBay. Yea, I bid on two listings hoping to win only one, guess you can figure out what happened. ;-)

Good luck to all!

Oscar
obwan93001
 
OP
OP
Mosesatm

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,178
Hi all! Haven't been on in a while. Work keeps getting in the way! I wanted to reply to this thread as I'm planning on doing the same thing to our '68 GT/CS very soon. I have the stainless steel Magnaflow w/X-pipe system and will be using the stainless steel shorty type headers that were stock on the 86-93 GTs w/5.0L with the stock type GT quad tips. I had read somewhere that those headers were pretty much a direct fit and are much better than the old style hipo headers Ford used. Plus got two used pair for very cheap on eBay. Yea, I bid on two listings hoping to win only one, guess you can figure out what happened. ;-)

Good luck to all!

Oscar
obwan93001

Bolding mine

I hadn't heard of anyone doing this. Thanks for the idea. I'm going to fire up the googler and see what I can find about this swap!
 

robert campbell

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
4,322
Arlie,
I ran the JBA shorties like Casey has. Great fit. No problems with my power steering hoses, and of course no ground clearance problems as with long tubes. Very beefy 3/8 inch thick header flange. the number 8 spark plug needed a "short" socket to remove. May have been just my set.

Bad side is 600 dollars!! Hypo "casts" are cheaper and very effective. The factory Ford shorty unit is also an upgrade from the stock manifold, but is smaller than the JBA which uses 1 and 5/8 inch tubes. But seat of the pants.....

Casey has a 347 stroker and I bet the JBA's would carry a noticable increase over the stock Ford shorty. But in a mild 302 or 289, not so much.

I just put on a set of FPA long tubes on mine that fit great and really tuck up tight. Did not need to drop the power steering ram like most long tube brands. $700 bucks, but ceramic coated. Tri Y's tuck up very nice also and are alot cheaper.

For what you want, I would stay with a shorty or the hypo cast.

Rob
 
OP
OP
Mosesatm

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,178
Decided to go with the JBA Cat4ward ceramic coated shorties (1650SJS) for $600ish.

I kept looking at the Hedman Elite thermal coated shorties (88408) for half the price but they are "thermal coated" and that phrase makes me nervous. It sounds like they put on 4 coats of paint instead of 2!
 

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robert campbell

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
4,322
Arlie,
You will love them!! What a nice upgrade and addition to your car!! After you hold one in your hand, you will see that you paid for a 1st quality set of shorties!

Rob
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
just my opinion is you won't see a great gain (all that noticable) with headers and aftermarket exhaust on a 289/302/347. I would only do it if you want a louder car.

You probably already know this but if it were my car I would stay stock.
 

robert campbell

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
4,322
I would agree with a "stock" 289 or 302. But it’s all about the package. If you have ported or aluminum heads with larger valves, and especially enhanced exhaust ports, on a 289 or 302 with cam and carb upgrades to match, headers will make a HUGE increase. A 347 motor is normally equipped with the above. Not only will it make a huge difference you are cheating yourself and should have left it totally stock.

All about matching parts! Stock motor of any size, use your cast iron manifolds.

Rob
 

BroadwayBlue

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
2,900
Location
Hudson Valley Area, NY
JBA shorty headers

Exhaust tips with resonators - again more growl/less loud


James

Don't mean to hijack Arlie's thread but I have a question that's more or less on topic.

James mentioned Exhaust tips with resonators.

I have Flowmaster 40's on my car and they're loud.
I've been debating on replacing them but I'm thinking that an Exhaust tip with a resonator might be the way to go.

I need exhaust tips anyway and the price is less than replacing my current mufflers or installing an in-line resonator.

I've been checking out some
http://www.jegs.com/p/Hedman/969187/10002/-1

Has anyone used Exhaust tips with resonators?

What's your experience with them?

Does anyone recommend one brand over another?

I'm OK with losing some performance if that's the case just want to quiet down the muffler a bit.

Thanks!
 
OP
OP
Mosesatm

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,178
just my opinion is you won't see a great gain (all that noticable) with headers and aftermarket exhaust on a 289/302/347. I would only do it if you want a louder car.

You probably already know this but if it were my car I would stay stock.

The blue car stays stock.
 

robert campbell

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
4,322
Rich,
New item I have not seen. Seems it may remove a bit of "bark" from the outside, but my thoughts would be little to interior noise.

But I could be very wrong.

I have 40 series Flowmasters on both my cars. I to, have thought about quieting the GT/CS down.

Old age I guess..........

Rob



Don't mean to hijack Arlie's thread but I have a question that's more or less on topic.

James mentioned Exhaust tips with resonators.

I have Flowmaster 40's on my car and they're loud.
I've been debating on replacing them but I'm thinking that an Exhaust tip with a resonator might be the way to go.

I need exhaust tips anyway and the price is less than replacing my current mufflers or installing an in-line resonator.

I've been checking out some
http://www.jegs.com/p/Hedman/969187/10002/-1

Has anyone used Exhaust tips with resonators?

What's your experience with them?

Does anyone recommend one brand over another?

I'm OK with losing some performance if that's the case just want to quiet down the muffler a bit.

Thanks!
 
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