I just had a customer drop off an 81, and I have to pull the manifolds off soon regardless to install headers and make a full system for him.
However I have almost all that I need to make a set of shorty headers for the 16V cars.

The only question I have is how many of you would be interested in this?
More so would it be worth while for me to make a jig after making the first, and pop out a batch of 5-10.

They would fit in the same space as stock manifolds, but be individual runners (non equal, 1.75"ID), with a collector and 2.5" flange so that a regular X/Y pipe would work with it. I am thinking though that I would rather weld on V-band flanges, and provide them with the receptical for mating them to the original pipe, or whatever downpipe you so choose to run.

I am thinking about just making them (initial would be anyways) out of mild steel, and then have them ceramic coated.
The benefit would be that you would get about the same gain as you would with MSDS headers, but you wouldn't have to pull them to redo the clutch, nor would smog police ever be able to really see them......

 

Hmm.. there would probably be some takers here and in the UK. The MSDS headers don't fit RHD.

Is it worth doing when early 32V manifolds can be bolted on? (the early 32V manifolds are hard to get in RHD countries)

 

Im kindof w/Hilton on this one. They are extremely well made, and not too hard to find when you nees a set.

Great idea!

 

The problem with the 32V manifolds is they are still a log manifold without a collector.
The other issue is that the 1-4 bank is too short so you have to cut/weld the pipe and that there is no bolt on x/y pipes available for them. Most muffler shops don't have the ability or desire to do the proper mandrel bending especially in the stock 2.25" pipe.

 

you know im down for a set Colin. so you would make them the same length, with out that little "add on" extension?
i would do 2.5 to a y 3" sounds right?

 

Anticipated price point?

 

Adam, price would depend on material, and qty.
Stainless pipe is way more. Making the first one is all the work. After that it's putting them on the jig and just making the cuts.

 

If you are gaging an interest, well put me down as interested.

 

1.75 ID seems big for a stock 4.5 or 4.7, but maybe dandy for a Euro S. My experience with a stock 5.0L Mustang is that unequal shorties have very little gain to offer over bent and pinched stock Mustang manifolds, and 1 5/8 have a much better low end than 1 3/4.

OTOH fresh metal done in a batch is better and cheaper to ceramic coat than 27 year old 85/86 US manifolds that don't bolt up without an adapter.

Any thoughts on copying the US 85/86, making just one side so it pairs with a stock manifold and fits without an adapter?

I am 100% wanting in and out ceramic coating, SS isn't as good of a choice as mild steel is it for coating etc?

Cost might be the decider for me, but if you make one that works well hard to imagine no market for them.

I'd be more motivated, but I have a pile of 85/86 US manifolds and a harebrained unrelated manifold idea I want to try.

 

Stainless coats just as well as mild steel, and truth be told, I much prefer welding stainless. But cost would be the determining factor for SS vs. mild steel.

 

Here is an example, if you wanted stainless with the best merge collectors then I would be looking at $327 for just 1 merge collector in 304 stainless from burns stainless. So multiply that by two and you're over $650 just for the two collectors. And the prebent mandrel pieces for the tubes would be another $270.....

So going mild steel with a slightly less steller merge collector Where I weld the pipes together I can get them for around $40 each. So $80 for two merge collectors vs the nice ones from burns for over $650......

Of course if someone wanted a really nice set, anything is possible!

 

I think it's a great idea, very interested.

 

Burns makes nice stuff.

 

I think that you should reconsider the diameter. 1 5/8" is more than enough. Especially after reading through some header design articles by Jack Burns. Would be negligently cheaper as well. Are you going to use 4-1 collectors or try to do short tri-y's? And if you're going to try and keep the price down, plenty of other places make excellent collectors, at much less than the Burns price. Just my .02

 

I think you should look at the Devek Stage 2 headers that have a flange to fit all model year 928's. I'm sure there are plenty of 32V owners that would be interested.

The space differential on the passenger side isn't a big deal, so you sell a spacer to 16V owners. Make one design that fits every year.