If i put headers on my 69 442 with A/C will they sit lower under the car than my 3" flowmaster exhaust with crossover and original manifold? I have a bottoming out problem when coming down my steep driveway. There is approx 1/16 gap from the bottom of exhaust to the driveway. Any recommendations on a well fitting good set of headers?

 

Somebody must know if they sit lower. Its important to me as it will mean if i can get down my driveway or not. Is it such a stupid question that no body can be bothered to answer?

 

Since we have no idea what brand of headers you plan to use, it's pretty difficult to provide useful information. As a general rule, headers hang down below the crossmember. How your non-stock exhaust is routed is also unknown to us, but if you only have 1/16" clearance now, there's something wrong.

 

Please realize that not knowing the actual grade of your driveway that this is only a guess,but if your stock exhaust rubs then my guess is the headers will rub a the collectors for sure.

 

Hey Joe. In my defence, I did ask, "what headers would you guys recommend" which means that I have none yet. Also when stating that I have a 1/16 gap or almost, a bottoming out problem, when coming down my driveway, and having included a picture of my driveway, I would have thought you would come to the conclusion that the problem is only when coming down that driveway, maybe you would have even come to the conclusion that it might be coming over the, bump, rise, apex, or what ever you want to call it at the top portion of the stated driveway. As I’m just a moron who is new to the world of restoring OLDS and not a person who has been working on Oldsmobile’s for 30 years or a rocket scientist or what ever, I would have thought that a stock flow master exhaust (if there is such a one) would be routed the same way every time coming off a stock manifold?? Here are some Pics. Sorry to sound like such a bastard but I always feel that I'm being told off or personally attacked by SOME people when I post a thread. I feel like I'm back with my father being berated for any small mistake I make. Any way I’m probably over reacting so just ignore my dribble.

 

I say I say I say you gots to call m&j performance at 3330 495 4582
not cheapp but then your old dad always said Do it right or dont do it
at all in my best foghorn leghorn voice realy nice looking headers
tucked up slip fit check them out

 

by the way moron can I see some better shots of that rasly red rocket looks like a nice car from the little I could see oops i just clicked on your name and got much better pics and yes that is a nice car. looks like im the moron now

 

I'm not trying to be TOO MUCH of a smart@$$, but still, the mind reading thing really isn't working. As I said before, without details we really can'g provide a meaningful answer.

ANY full-length headers will reduce ground clearance. Since the existing pipes will need to be cut and welded to match up with them, how that work is done will determine the clearance. Since the headers hang down right behind the front wheels, this will be less of a clearance problem over a speed bump than low-hanging pipes in the middle of the car. You can get S-bends that will let you tuck the pipes closer to the floorpan aft of the headers if you want. Of course, running pipes contoured to fit in the tunnel the way the factory did (instead of straight pipes under the floorboards) will also help with clearance.

The absolute best-fitting Olds headers are Kooks. Expect to pay Dick Miller upwards of $700 for a set.

 

Looks like the local muffler shop made up some head pipes, and then welded your pipe to them. There are a couple of ways to bring the system up...buy mandrel bent head pipes from Torque Tech which fit up nice and tight, or have your guy bend up another set.
I used to run the TT setup, and everything fit within an inch of the trans. crossmember, and the head pipe bend was a lot tighter.
Gorgeous car, gotta love a 2dr post Olds, is the antenna original?

 

the kooks of new are not the kooks of old Not as good as they use to be.

 

Thanks for answering my question guys. Sorry again for the rant must have been having a bad morning with a fuzzy head, you know, the ones morons have. I 'm pretty sure that the antenna is original, but other people on this forum may confirm this. I guess like you advise the best bet would be to go to a pipe shop and get a custom set of headers. Expensive but at least we can make sure of clearance.
Cheers and good morning to all those morons out there

 

you will spend 1800 to 2000 grand for costum headers I would look into m&j just take a peek. built buy a small shop who install's them as well as sells them.

 

Just had a look at M & J and it seems that KooK dont make olds headers anymore (Due to Kooks Custom Headers ceasing production of their line of Oldsmobile headers, we will only be able to sell what stock we have left. We will soon have another supplier of headers for 64 thru 72 A body with BBO and SBO, and for G body with BBO engines. We are sorry for this situation and are working to solve it as quickly as possible.) I have emailed them to see if they have any left. Looks like a cool web site with lots of cool parts.
Thanks for the info

 

Just received an email from M&J. $975 for the headers. Does the price sound correct? I guess they are stainless. Add another $600 to $700 for shipping and i may as well get some made up here.

 

Under a grand for SS headers sounds good to me, but uness you're sending a limo to pick them up - I can't imagine that kind of shipping charge!!
Unless you're in Hawaii!!
Right coast to left coast, under 100 lbs, even oversize can't be $200!?!?

 

kooks have not been makeing olds headers for a long time dick miller took over there orders . jan car craft did a 455 the dmr headers were so bad they left them off the build