Cheap Monaro Headers from Oz?

[Lil'RedGTO]

Header options here in the UK seem to be limited to Wortec or a custom option, but even custom options are not cheap at almost a grand, more for Long Tubes I believe. In the US there seem to be plenty of cheap headers around, but I gather that they won't fit RHD cars. Is sourcing headers (or "extractors") from Australia an option?

For example, Speedmaster headers from Australia? About £160.

http://speedmaster79.com/ep/headers/

http://store.au.speedmaster79.com/p-147-holden-com...

Now I have no idea about shipping and tax, but it can't be that much surely? What's the catch?

[MyM8V8]

Just shows what stuff really costs?

Ask if they can ceramic coat them and how much, then buy them!

[Yanayaya]

The only comment I would make is that looking at the photographs up close the welds look a bit rough. Just an observation however it doesn't meant they aren't good.

[jameshsv]

The competition extractors look good value.

[GaryNoGrip]

They are rather tempting, just the shipping etc and if you have any problems could be arse ache

[Blue383]

I could be interested in a set myself at that price. I know from past experience that getting the Aussies to post to the UK can be a pain. I've never had a problem getting things from the States but Australians seem to have an aversion to putting stamps on things and taking them to the post office. Anyone got any clue as to why this might be?

[VinceM]

The issue here is whether the headers will meet with the cats, or if you'd need new cats (high flow) to go with them. Certainly looking at my car, with long tube headers the existing cats won't fit, and of course your restriction then is the existing OEM cat.

[MyM8V8]

Yanayaya said:

The only comment I would make is that looking at the photographs up close the welds look a bit rough. Just an observation however it doesn't meant they aren't good.

Mate, I had a set of Di Fillipo headers with welds like that. (At six times the price.)

[Tattooboy]

MyM8V8 said:

Yanayaya said:

The only comment I would make is that looking at the photographs up close the welds look a bit rough. Just an observation however it doesn't meant they aren't good.

Mate, I had a set of Di Fillipo headers with welds like that. (At six times the price.)

Wealds like that are meant to last !

[mikeyb1987]

Lil'RedGTO said:

Header options here in the UK seem to be limited to Wortec or a custom option, but even custom options are not cheap at almost a grand, more for Long Tubes I believe. In the US there seem to be plenty of cheap headers around, but I gather that they won't fit RHD cars. Is sourcing headers (or "extractors") from Australia an option?

For example, Speedmaster headers from Australia? About £160.

http://speedmaster79.com/ep/headers/

http://store.au.speedmaster79.com/p-147-holden-com...

Now I have no idea about shipping and tax, but it can't be that much surely? What's the catch?

Hi Stephen,

Who is fitting the headers for you? In addition to the shipping/import costs, it may be worth considering this, along with other potential issues noted.
It may be worthwhile getting in touch with AAS? There will certainly be no issues with their welds (which are of an outstanding quality), and the headers will be custom made to your car, so fitment will be perfect.

Just IMHO of course

[Lil'RedGTO]

Just idle browsing at the moment - hadn't heard of Speedmaster '79 before and was interested in people's thoughts. Based on their other products and catalogue etc they seem like a respectable outfit, but as others have said the proof will be in the fitting and it's a bit late by that stage if there's a problem.

Have emailed a supplier in Oz to ask about different finishes/material, see if they are willing to ship to the UK and if so the estimated cost. I'm assuming that shipping will double the cost, and they don't seem to make cat pipes, so would need to get those made up custom by someone. Total cost might be prohibitive for me at this point in time.

I don't doubt that AAS do good work and at reasonable rates, but I was looking for a slightly cheaper option than labour intensive custom work. I'm not really chasing horsepower or quarter mile times, just sound quality.

[GaryNoGrip]

Is decating these cars bad? Or just an mot failure, my rs6 had no cats and passed its mot so wondering if the it would pass on the ute?
If so even if shipping doubles the price it's got to be worth a punt!

[Lil'RedGTO]

Or I see the headers from the Fast and the Furious 6 flipping car are still for sale. You could try and get them to fit!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chevrolet-Holden-GTS-Mon...

[GaryNoGrip]

Now that is a challenge I may accept! Fkn cool to have that on the motor even if it will be a proper arse to fit!

[ARAF]

GaryNoGrip said:

Now that is a challenge I may accept! Fkn cool to have that on the motor even if it will be a proper arse to fit!

It'll be warm in the cab.

[Lil'RedGTO]

Well, heard back from a crowd called AT Racing World who will ship the Speedmaster competition headers for £157 airmail or £80 seamail. Using an online import duty calculator I reckon you are looking at a total cost of £279 if you put them on the slowboat, which although just under twice the original cost in Australia of £143 is still pretty reasonable. They don't do any other finishes or materials. Just mandrel-bent steel painted with heat proof paint. Not stainless presumably, but then my OEM mild steel manifolds haven't rusted through yet after 10 years and 65000 miles.

Fitting might run you, what, £200, but I don't imagine that these will fit to the standard cat mid pipes, so you might be looking at custom pipes with cats to join up to your existing cat back system. There also remain the concerns about fitment of what are, after all, pretty cheaply priced headers.

I'm not sure I'm in a position to go ahead with this right now, and not even sure if it would give me what I want (just a touch more volume through the standard OEM catback exhaust (with middle silencers removed, but resonator and back boxes still in place). Just posting up for other's info as is an interesting option if you want headers but don't have £1700 for the Wortec option (although admittedly that price includes the high flow cats, which presumably account for a good few hundred quid of the total Wortec price).

[GaryNoGrip]

Bargain I reckon, thanks for the info!

[ARAF]

Lil'RedGTO said:

Not stainless presumably, but then my OEM mild steel manifolds haven't rusted through yet after 10 years and 65000 miles.

If you have mild steel manifolds, then they are not the standard manifolds, as the CV8 came with cast headers. You may want to check what you already have first, as fitting others may be a backwards step.

[Lil'RedGTO]

Pretty sure that I have the original manifolds on my car. I hadn't appreciated that these might be cast iron rather than mild steel, or even understood the difference between those materials, frankly. Should have paid more attention in chemistry class!

[ARAF]

Lil'RedGTO said:

Pretty sure that I have the original manifolds on my car. I hadn't appreciated that these might be cast iron rather than mild steel, or even understood the difference between those materials, frankly. Should have paid more attention in chemistry class!

Fair enough. I was worried that someone might have already changed them.

If you have the cast headers, then they will be far from optimum. When I took ours off the Ute, the ports were 'D' shaped, rather than the round ports on the head. I have been told that this is from an old engine design that had 'd' shaped ports, and even though the heads have since changed, GM haven't bothered to change the port shape of the headers.