They CAN be - but are really worth it...
Mine has a set of rusting but solid Hookers.
I have to admit they are the first that have not needed retightening
once in the 22K miles I've put on the wee little beasty since I got it in July - and these aren't held in with Stage 8 Locking Bolts or header studs, don't use thick copper header or collector gaskets, aren't on aluminum heads and don't have some squirrelly expanding flexible SS pipe arrangement at the back of the secondaries or
anything! They aren't even a block hugger design or have a particularly thick flange, although it's at least 1/4".
I have definitely learned my lesson on generic or worse headers....and these new coated headers from several manufacturers sound like the cat's a#% from every single report I've heard like this one.
Installation can be a bear.
On mine, once I removed the AC bracketry, I don't think I'd have a lot of problem. I think you still have that cool aluminum expansion tank on yours, which
could get in the way.
Of course your exhaust system is just hanging there until you get to the muffler shop to have a new one put on. Addison cops are not
the most understanding, but not the worst either. I had great luck with Triple A Muffler in Mesquite over the years, but there are many good shops in the Metroplex. (Actually I don't think Triple A likes to install headers - many shops don't.)
Don't forget the exhaust after your headers is at least as important. Make sure you get good aluminized or SS 2.25" or larger pipes for a performance small block, 3" for a big block. If you add a crossover you increase your high end "breathing", but lower the peak sound a bit - if you
like that juvenile sort of thing... :L
:t Of course you want to top it off with some sort of low-restriction muffling - from FlowMasters to Borlas to these other chambered setup's several Members had good results with.
Oh, one caution: I would advise AGAINST header wrap in the strongest possible terms. I wrapped the cheapy generic headers I put on a new SBC I put in my '79 K5 Blazer (which is patiently waiting another eleven months for Liberation from Environmental Tyranny.)
Many warn how the wrap can accelerate "heat corrosion" of the headers. What
isn't so well cautioned against is that the wrap is excellent at
absorbing oil.
Garden variety SBC heads have very small lips on the outer edge to catch and retain oil, such as when you have a leaky valve cover gasket (
moi?!?!?) or just when you're setting the lifters. By the time you've set the lifters on both sides, even if you used the bake on sealant on the header wrap, you've poured a couple of cups of nice, combustible oil onto those nice wraps on that metal shortly to see the far side of 1500 degrees.
You may now consider these headers "wicks" or "torches."
A friend of mine
emptied an entire large fire extinguisher after test driving the Blue Baking Machine about all of three blocks.
It was not enough.
I can attest to how tough the MSD big wires are - I didn't damage
one in that pair of infernos - and a good thing I had re-routed all the power cables it was.
Finally, the main heater hose proved a worthy source of cooling ability and, together with several handy two liter bottles of fortunately diet soda cooled the oil soaked, wrapped, headers down enough to stop burning.
That wrap may be a good idea other places, but not anywhere it can glom up such flammable liquids like directly on the headers.
