Urgent: Need Advice On 454 BBC Headers For 71 Nova

[71Nova454]

Hey Folks,

New guy to the forum here. I'm posting this for my dad. He just bought a 71 Nova with a 1970 454 Big Block

Chevy motor in it. The car needs new headers and he's not sure what size tube to go with as well as

brand/model.

He's not sure what headers are on it and isn't sure what the previous owner installed.

The 454 has been bored over something like 50thou and is a streetable motor running at 9.5:1 compression. It

has a 750 Holly with a mild cam. The car is running true dual exhaust through Flowmaster Mufflers. A local

mechanic that does a lot of work on high performance engines told him the car was probably putting out an

estimated 450-470HP.

The car has a 4 speed transmission with a 3.73 rear-end.

The car also has power steering.

There's not much room to work with. He said the headers that are on there now only clear the power steering

box by about 1/4".

He's wanting to get some reasonably priced headers that won't affect the power he's getting from the motor and

the overall performance of the car.

So knowing all of that he asked me to find out...

1. What size header tubes would you recommend?

2. What's the best choice for Max. HP considering the clearance issue.

3. What brand/model would you recommend?

I guess the mechanic my dad took the car to said he's had some problems installing Hooker Headers in some of

his rigs. Reading some of the posts in this forum, I see that a lot of people seem to have problems getting the right

fit.

My dad's wanting an easy install and doesn't want to sacrifice any power. That's not too much to ask right?

He's been reading that perhaps sticking with the smaller 1 3/4" tube size might be better than the 2"+ sizes....Any

feedback on that also?

Hope to get some responses from ya'll...The sooner the better...The car has an exhaust leak now that you can

smell pretty bad while driving the car so he's looking to get the new headers installed ASAP.

Thanks for you time,

Michael

For My Dad, Terry

[396L35]

Welcome Mike... As for the header problem have you tried to call Summit or Jegs and talked to a tech??? I have never installed headers on a nova so I cant tell you what to look for but the only clearance problem I see would be the steering box collumn.. Sorry maybe someone else can chime in soon as they wake up... Mark

[mnyenko]

To get a good header fit. You need to replace the small block frame and motor mounts with big block. That will give you clearance on the steering box. Hooker super comps are a good choice. Earl

[markjohnson]

mnyenko is correct in that you need to replace the frame mounts with the proper big block frame mounts. These are relatively cheap and any of the Nova restoration companies will carry them. They will move the motor away from the steering box giving you the clearance you need. As far as headers go, buy the Hooker Comps #2457 for $159 from Jegs. They have 2.00 primaries, great spark plug and starter access and are very easy to install. Trust me on this. Great header for the money and it sure beats paying over $400 for Hooker Super Comps.

[92646]

I went though this with my 1969 Camaro with the 454 and 540. I ran Dougs short 1.75 headers first and I was very impressed with quality but the tube interfered with the power steering box so I had to dimple it. I went to Hooker 2.0 super comps the next time and the fit was better. I installed the headers in the car with the motor in place and it was more work than expected. I would recommend pulling the motor out of the car and placing the motor back in after you put the headers in position. Then you can replace the motor mounts and stands at the same time. I went to urethane mounts and gained a little more clearance in place of the original style mounts. I also ended up replacing the exhaust system with a 3 inch system to work with the bigger headers because I was not happy with the transition from the 3.5 collector to the 2.5 exhaust pipes.
Mark Sheppard

[AutoInsane]

What are the coatings on the Hooker headers? Are they prone to rust after a while? I Jet Hot coated the exhaust manifolds on my CJ-5 10 years ago and not a spot of rust to this day. Might be a good time to get them coated when you buy them. I highly recommend it.

http://www.jet-hot.com/

They sell coated Hooker and other brands of headers for your Nova too:

http://www.jet-hot.com/pages/Precoats/Nova.htm

[92646]

I bought my headers coated from Hooker and the coating was not as good as I have seen on other headers. Be careful with the instalation because the coating can scratch very easily. I left the wrapping on the headers during the instalation and that helped. You might want to buy the header bolts with the clips that keep the bolts from backing out. I think they are called spec 8 or a name close to that. You might also check with Jet hot because they sell new coated headers at a good price.
Mark Sheppard

[Salvatore]

hey Michael, I agree with Orange County Mark. The coatings on the Hooker SC's don't last as long. I would buy the cheaper set of Hookers and get them coated yourself. Different header tubing size helps determine the fit also. You don't need Pro Stock sized tubes for the street. I love you west coast guys and especially your good used sheetmetal!!! Sam

[MosportGreen66]

I have Jet Hot coating on the headers on my '70 Camaro and it’s not everything I've expect. Make sure there is no moisture in the garage where the car is and also take really careful care of the headers. I think Jet Hot advises you use some sort of polish for the headers. Make sure you follow their directions meticulously otherwise they will rust (Slowly).

I would just powder coat them flat white.

[markjohnson]

Gotta agree with the fact that Hooker's coating is terrible and doubles the price of the headers. I bought my set new coated from Hooker and within a year they were just peppered with surface rust. I'd avoid the Super Comps and just get the #2457 regular Hooker Comp headers and a couple cans of VHT Hi-Temp paint. Pick your own color but I like traditional white!