Looking for recommendations for a set of headers for my 76 Cutlass Supreme. The car will be keeping the factory AC in it. I would like suggestions on headers that fit pretty good with minor modifications, if any at all. I hear the American Racing Headers are nice, but for that much money, will they fit without modifications? Or will they be the same as everything else and need to be beat on them to make them fit?

 

Put a 455 in a 77 Cutlass S and BB hooker headers fit well.... these would be headers for a 67 442 as that is what they came off of.

 

Pretty sure the super affordable Chinese stainless, thick flange, full length headers on eBay will bolt right in. They are very well made for the $100 price.

 

I just checked them out on eBay. They showed a pic of the inside and they don’t look that great compared to ARH

 

Anything cheap enough is considered great nowadays by most.

 

I have ARH headers and they are very nicely made.

I have also had Hooker competition headers that were worse made than those Chinese stainless headers.

the main thing is to make sure the exhaust flange is flat, whether flat completely or flat where they built up weld on the flange, and run good graphite/steel or metal core header gaskets and don’t let the bolts get loose

 

I think I’m going to order a set of American Racing and cross my fingers that they fit well.

 

Nick, the owner of ARH is a great guy and a real Oldsmobile racer as well. He really helped us out huge with our custom Batten-flanged headers for our 1967 Cutlass.

I bet you will be happy with your purchase and they will fit.

 

UMI suspension put a set of headers from ARH on their '65 330 Cutlass project. Ramey from UMI told me they were extremely easy to install and fit like a glove. Pricey, but you get what you pay for.

 

A $1500 set of headers better look perfect and fit like a glove. If you are okay with the price, go ARH.

 

Headers for a 455 on a 73 - 76 Cutlass. 1-7/8 tube #3 tube (2nd tube from the front on the right side) is the issue. It will most likely hit the mount for the lower right rear control arm. I don't think ARH headers take that mount into account and you will have issues with their headers. Look at pictures of 455 headers for the cutlass. Compare the 1-7/8" vs 1-3/4" tube for the right side #3 tube. Ask me how I know. I have a 455 in a 73 cutlass with 1-7/8 tube Hooker headers. The left side (driver's side) was easy.

 

Well that sucks. I just ordered a set of ARH. I guess I’ll know for sure soon.

 

Hope I'm wrong.

 

I have hooker headers,ARH, and yes a cheap eBay pair of headers . Gee I like all of them. Saving the $100 ebays for a project the others i am using. $100 for stainless headers better than stock manifolds my $.02

 

You were right lol. But it was even worse on mine. It didn’t hit the mount too bad. I trimmed the corner off and it cleared. My problem was it hit the bell housing on the trans. I ended up denting the tube and grinding about 1/4” off the housing. It was the ear that stuck out for the dust cover on that side. I even had issues with the drivers side. I have a column shift and the header hit the linkage pretty bad. I spent half the day today trying to rebend the linkage to make it work. Eventually I got it to work. I’m a little disappointed in how they fit. That was one of the main reason I ordered from them. They assured me they would fit no problem. The quality wasn’t terrible, but I thought they would look a little nicer.

 

Sorry to hear about this. A $1500 set of headers should look like a Marcella intake, those do not. Those aren't any better at 10 times the cost of the Chinese headers. A bodies are so much easier than Olds powered G bodies, about 3 or 4 choices for them, none cheap except the Hedman's. Are you putting out enough power to justify 1 7/8" headers? It seems the bell housing "ears" are a problem on 1 7/8" and up on any Olds A or G body. I can get the Chinese A body headers for $180 Canadian shipped, a no brainer that pic in the thread is the worst I have seen from any pics shown.

 

I probably don’t need 1 7/8” at the moment, but I will in the future. It is currently right around the 500hp 550 torque mark. It dyno’d at 450hp with a smaller cam, so we put in a much bigger cam, but didnt dyno it again yet. But it will be running 150-200 shot of nitrous on this setup. So potentially 650ish horsepower. I’m still kicking myself for not going even bigger on the cam to get some more power, it’s going to be a car I drive a lot, so I went with a smaller cam to keep power brakes, AC, cruise control all working for now. I didn’t want to deal with setting up a vacuum pump or canister this time around.

 

ARH headers are very good, but they’re not 100% in every case. I saw an 8hp gain with those vs Hooker Super Comps on a 600hp build. Is that worth it? Only you can decide that.
And with a 150-200 shot I hope the bottom end has been beefed up!!😉

 

😂 🤞🏽