I have a bone stock 71 Comet with a 200 in it. This is my first Comet and first I6 and I'm just getting to know each of them. I have a few basic upgrades planned for the season (headers, carb, ignition) but right now am researching header options. My goal is to have a cruiser, not a rod. I want to maintain mileage, I'd like some decent sound but not annoying on the highway, etc. I have a bunch of questions so I'll number them... 1) It seems like space for a dual exhaust is limited, I saw a mod for replacing the gas tank to make room (I have the gas tank from my 65 Mustang if needed). But it looks like all header options are dual-output, haven't seen many single outs. Should I run true duals, or put in a Y-pipe and go to a single output, or what? 2) It looks like most header diameters for this application are in the 2" - 2 1/4" range, is this good? 3) My three options I was considering are Hookers, Cliffy's and Classic Inlines. I am leaning towards Clifford's because I've heard a bunch of people say that the Hookers hang too low, and read one post saying that the welding on Classic Inlines headers isn't as strong as Cliffy's (some spot welding verusus all solid welds on cliffy's). Any suggestions? 4) Are there any shorty options? I saw something on Classic's page but they're out of stock. 5) I'd like to run ceramic coating to reduce the compartment heat. If I have any clearance issues can I still heat these with a torch to dent them, or will that screw up the coating? Thanks, Jason
Hi Jason, Let me chime in with my experience: I have a '73 Maverick with the 250 and a C-4. I bought a single-out header from Clifford about 5 years ago. At that time, they offered both the single-out and dual-out for the 250. I can't say what the offerings were then or are now for the 200. I got the ceramic coating and I am glad I did. It has held up very well. I don't drive my car every day, but I have used it quite a few times in the last 5 years. The ceramic coating still looks new, though it is a bit rougher to the touch now than when it was new. I am not sure if the ceramic coating helps to keep the heat down in the engine compartment. The coating is so thin, that I can't imagine it helps much, if at all. I don't know what will happen to the coating if you need to "dent" it for clearance. I imagine that the ceramic coating might chip off in the dented area. Maybe someone can speak from personal experience on this. I am running a single 2 1/4" diameter exhaust pipe all the way to the rear of the car. There is plenty of clearance for a single pipe this size. Personally speaking, I wouldn't hassle with dual pipes for a six. I finished the exhaust with a Summit all-welded muffler and a polished stainless steel tip. I am very happy with the sound of this system - it sounds meaty, but it's not loud. Just my 2 cents, BaldEagleMav
