Topic: Which performance exhaust do you recommend?

[aleksanders]

Hi there..

I am going to buy some performance exhaust setup on my 78 TA.
I received the car couple of days ago and have already made big plans on it.
The car itself looks ok but is almost in stock condition.

The most wonderful thing with American classics is the V8 sound and I just love when the sound is a little bit loud also so people really turn their heads when you drive by them in the cities.

Do you have any suggestions on what kind of performance exhaust I should get to acheive this goal?

I was planning on headers of course but am not sure of which brand. Any recommendations?

What about the exhaust system itself?..don't want to loose to much backpressure either because that would only result in loss of HP which is bad.

I am planning to rebuild the engine as soon as my economy stabilizes, and do some performance work on the car but until then, I just want some small upgrades.

Any suggestions appreciated..

[SavingTheBird76]

Headers are a 4 hour job with lots of swearing involved.
I prefer stock manifolds with  local custom pipes and flow master mufflers.
I may spring for a exhaust cutout to run open exhaust when I want to show off.

[Grand73Am]

Presuming you have a Pontiac 400 in your 78, these Ram Air factory header type of exhaust manifolds are a popular way to go. Close to header performance without as much trouble: http://www.ramairrestoration.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=31_2_21&products_id=40

[Rick]

X2 on Steve's suggestion -- I have a set of original RAIII exhaust manifolds on my car and they work very well.  No harder to fit than a stock "log" manifold.

[jw.ankley]

lookup texas ta muffler, if clearance is an issue, or stick with flowmaster or magnaflow. Pick a good x pipe, they have proven results over h pipes

[jw.ankley]

the pain and agravation of a good set of headers is worth it in the long run, unless your looking for a factory look.

[aleksanders]

Presuming you have a Pontiac 400 in your 78, these Ram Air factory header type of exhaust manifolds are a popular way to go. Close to header performance without as much trouble: http://www.ramairrestoration.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=31_2_21&products_id=40

Yes Steve I have the pontiac 400 engine. Sorry I didn't wrote it before. I am completely new to this forum so I am going to setup my information a little more.

Those headers looks like a good choise actually. And to me, I can imagine that they perform well also. I also have found some exhaust system on ramairrestorration.com that looks good. I want of course the BIGGEST "loudness" rating when it comes to the muffler choise.

[Andy78TA]

I have hedman headers with a pypes header back system... minus the fact that I broke bolts and had to take the heads off to complete the header install it was not that bad. I recently replaced the gaskets 3 months after I put the headers on though with remflex gaskets. The issue with headers I found was that they touch transmission lines on an auto and I had to reroute a fuel line.... the pypes system was a cinch to install though.

[4SPEED]

I put headmen headers and the 2.5" pypes cross over system on a year ago.  and still have no leeks.  I did have a muffler shop put the pypes system on.  after I tried to do it myself.  I got it on, no leeks but they did a much better job.  and charged me 75.00 to redo the mess I had done.