I am putting together a 68 with a 350/ 290 HP crate motor. Obviously not looking for performance just a show / driver. I need to order headers and have looked on Jegs at Hooker Comps ( low end) 2451 long and 2466 short.
Which ones do I want and what's the difference. Not looking for performance just want something other than manifolds. Trying to keep the cost down.

Thanks

I think you should check EBAY. There are ceramic coated and chrome headers at well under $200 but these may not be be name brand. I asked about these a while ago and there were no horror stories posted. Stainless exhaust systems also are available at a good price. I have even seen some with freight in.
It sounds like factory air, power steering and some manual transmission linkage might cause some grief, I am sure there are some members who can expand on this.
Keep us posted on what you decide and how you make out. New headers and exhaust are on the list for my 68.

just going on my experience, it depends on which mounts you have.
if you have 302/350 mounts, then get Hedmans.
if you have 307/327 mounts, then get Dynomax.
i know either of these tuck up reasonably close to the floor and clear the clutch linkage and shifter linkage if you still have a column shift or have the interlock hooked up.
i'm sure the Hookers were engineered around the 302/350 mounts, but i don't know how they are for ground clearance or shift linkage clearance since i've never used them.
if you are unsure which mounts you have, a quick way to tell is by how much room you have around the distributor- 302/350 mounts set the motor back closer to the firewall and an HEI distributor might not clear without some banging on the firewall and a points distributor will be about an inch away, and 307/327 mounts leave plenty of room for an HEI distributor.

Also, search the "performance" and "engine" forums. There's a lot of information that's been shared concerning headers in 1st generation camaros. Good Luck!

Most people find the Hooker 2451 will hang down too low on the left side, mine did.

Most people find the Hooker 2451 will hang down too low on the left side, mine did.

My firstt pair did, bought em 8 or so years ago. Second pair, bought last year, is very different and fits nice. Collectors are the same ht and tuck up pretty tight.

I know you asked budget, but.... I bought these new from jethot with thier sterling coating, stuff is fantastic.

I went with the Summit Brand headers..They are ceramic coated, fit good around the steering box, an d are very reasonable in price... under $200As others have said, they do hang a little low on the drivers side, but I think that is common with other headers as well.Overall, i am happy with mine after a year of use.

My Doug's with the 302 mounts are VERY nicely tucked, but if you want to go with those, you need to NOT have a budget. They are very expensive headers. I have 'nearly' always been satisfied with Summit brand parts. I always stay away from e-bay, when I can buy from a reputable distributor. Summit is GREAT to deal with. We have one here in town, but even when shipping and returns are required, Summit is TOP SHELF!

Thanks for all the info. One more question, what is the difference between the short type headers and the long? Which ones do I want?

My firstt pair did, bought em 8 or so years ago. Second pair, bought last year, is very different and fits nice. Collectors are the same ht and tuck up pretty tight.

I know you asked budget, but.... I bought these new from jethot with thier sterling coating, stuff is fantastic.

And I have a brand new pair of Jet-Hot sterling coated 2451's that I need to get rid of. If anyone is interested, send me a PM. (I erroneously ordered the 2451's when I really wanted the 2131's.) Not sure which motor mounts I have under my 327, but the 2451's were actually too tight against the floor pan. The 2131's are just right.

For what it's worth, the Hooker tech rep told me recently that their headers are being manufactured in the USA again instead of in Mexico due to quality issues.

Thanks for all the info. One more question, what is the difference between the short type headers and the long? Which ones do I want?

Look in the Jegs or Summit online catalogs. The difference is obvious (like a foot or so of more piping, especially the collector pipe). The short headers are usually used for all-out racing applications where mufflers, cross-over pipes and tailpipes are not part of the equation.

Thanks for all the help. I guess I will go with the 2451's and see how they fit.

I can't remember which hooker comp headers we got but...

Had to take a hammer and a trailer hitch ball and make a dimple in a pipe to clear the steering box, then had to dimple in a few of the pipes by flange. Could not get percy header bolts in straight, but once dimpled the bolts would go in correctly.

Then the driver side header hangs down with about 2-3 inches between the floor pan and collector. The passenger sidefits like crap. You could not squeeze 3 quarters between collector and floor pan.

Be sure your body mount rubbers are in good shape too, if not header collector will be hitting the under floor.

Yikes, would I be happier with Hedman?

from one '68 sbc owner to another......
you would be the happiest (and a little lighter in the pockets) with the thorley 376y1.

How about a 67 Camaro with a 327, power steering, power brakes, no AC, and a Powerglide w/console that has been (or actually soon will have been) swapped to an M20? Will the Thorley 376Y1 headers work? Any other recommendations?

i put the Summit Branded coated headers on my 67 with the 350/330 HO crate motor. Fit fine, no dimpling necessary. The fit was close at the passenger side collector, but the flanges are loose so I just rotated them around to get the clearance to the floor pan.

I have manual steering and new body mount bushings, so those may have helped.

You can kinda see the flange being loose in this pic.
http://www.camaros.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=595

If you have AC be warned they may not fit next to the AC box on the passenger side