Hooker Headers

[Dad's72]

Hello all. I am picking up my motor tomorrow and the guy is offering me a good deal on the Hooker Headers that are on it and a full duel exhaust system with Flowmasters. My question to y'all is would I be better off with the Hooker headers or sticking with the stock ram horns that are on my 1972 Super?
It is a stock 350 crate motor with a serial number that makes it out of a 1980-1985 GM motor. The motor has the hooker headers on it already but it was in a 1979 and I am putting it in my 1972. Not sure if they will clear for one. But I hear good things about ram horns. Not sure what size mine are. They are stock from the original 350 that came with the truck.
What do y'all think? I have read a lot of posts and am sill wanting advice. He is offering me the full exhaust and headers for $100. I figure if they don't fit I could clean them up and sell them for at least half my money back. And the exhaust and mufflers would surely be worth the other half right?

[bean]

Do it!

[Dad's72]

I read a lot of posts and have heard may good and bad posts about headers and manifolds. I have a small budget so these are my only two options. I am going to give him the cash for them as my exhaust is not good on the truck and I figure I can make the exhaust work with a few cuts and new hangers to weld in. As far as using the headers I need to research a little more to see if they will fit and also if the flow is better than the stock ram horns I have.
Didn't the ram horns come in two different sizes for our trucks?

[BILT4ME]

I used the Hooker block hugger headers on my 69 K10 after my Rams horn manifolds broke many years ago.

I liked the Ras horn manifolds, and I had actually ported and polished them so they flowed well. At that day an age, the repops were not available yet. I went to the Hooker headers.

The truck got a LOT quieter. The headers had to be replaced every 5 years or less. After a heavy workout with the truck, in the dark of night, I could open the hood and see red hot header tubes.

We are in the process of starting this right now with a new purchase for my son;s 70 GMC K20. Since the exhaust that is on it is "OK", we are purchasing a repop manifold. If the exhaust was completely shot, I would go with a complete exhaust system from LMC for about $500 including headers and dual 2-1/2" tubes with turbo muffs and clamps.

Since you're in a financial pinch, buy the cmolete setup from him, but don;t pay much.

New Block Huggers are about $100 and the dual exhaust from LMC is about $300, then figure another $100 to connect the two locally, you'd have a completely new exhaust for again, about $500.

Good luck!

[Dad's72]

Since I can get the whole set up for $100 wouldn't this be worth it alone for the mufflers and the stainless pipes along with the flanges. I understand they may need to be bent and cut but I can weld so that doesn't scare me much. I would imagine the collectors would fit my ram horns even if the headers don't fit.
Is this good logic?

[midniteblues]

I would get the whole system.
If the headers don't work out for many reasons just install the exhaust and get down pipes made too fit with the manifolds.

All square body trucks had leaf Springs if you have coils you could run into fitment issues going over the axle and center c member.

If your truck is auto you should be able too use the headers.
If it's manual be sure the last Dr side tube goes straight down too clear the z bar and linkage.

Other concerning issues with headers are lwp ps and ac brackets. Spark plug wire fitment. Fitting around the motor mounts since squares had different mounts and some just hang way too low.

[RustyBucket]

Sounds like even if you don't use the headers you can use the pipe and mufflers to fab up a dual exhaust system. Sell the headers for $50 if you don't want 'em. Have headers on the Blazer & ram's horns on the GMC with no problems on either for past 3-4 years. ... ooops! 'bout 6mos. ago the right muffler on the GMC split open lengthwise end to end for no apparent reason. Not rusty, no backfire, just busted open. Cheezy thin muffler I guess. Neighbor GAVE me a pair of nice welded stainless mufflers and I paid $80 to have them welded in.

Dad's '72, looks like I was typing the the same thing at the a same time...

[BILT4ME]

For $100. Do it!