Best header for a tight budget

[68GMCCustom]

besides fitment....I generally look for features making a header better for street vehicle use...like thick flanges and thicker gauge tubing..say 3/8" vs 1/4" flanges and 14ga vs 18ga tubes. Cheaper headers are generally thin.

IMO ceramic coating trumps high temp paint any day. Ceramic coating helps control the heat and keep it in the header. The question is how good is the coating? my Dynatech headers have not peeled or flaked, but have discolored a bit. that's with the header manufacturers own "coating" tho, and most header companies offer there own.

As far as one of the originals.... "jet-hot" is a high quality ceramic coatings option that offers a lifetime guarantee.