BBC Headers

[Shovelrick]

I just found out from a member on OCS that my headers aren't 1 7/8" but 2" he pulled up the 2020 post when I installed the 489 & headers showing the header part number on the flange, crossed it on Summit and Patriot 2" headers, H8026-1 = 2" which is I have, H8024-1 = 1 7/8" I'd of Sworn I ordered 1 7/8"

 

[cheveslakr]

Your 496 should be much happier with 2" tubes, you made a great decision, whether it was voluntarily or not.

 

[L78fanatic]

Rick,

Your engine will be waaaaay happier with 2" primaries on those headers! My beloved M/T Super Scavenger Headers (pic below) on my '67 L78 Chevelle back in the day was simply "stunning" and awesome sounding. Mickey Thompson had the right idea with the staggered equal length primaries emptying into those long square collectors! I'm absolutely amazed that nobody has run with that design in today's market! They fit like a glove and I installed them myself with the help of a friend....had to loosen one motor mount a bit to raise the engine to get the one side in there, but no rubbing. The rubbing problem is why most go with smaller diameter primaries (one size fits all mentality these days)!

John

 

[Shovelrick]

Rick,

Your engine will be waaaaay happier with 2" primaries on those headers! My beloved M/T Super Scavenger Headers (pic below) on my '67 L78 Chevelle back in the day was simply "stunning" and awesome sounding. Mickey Thompson had the right idea with the staggered equal length primaries emptying into those long square collectors! I'm absolutely amazed that nobody has run with that design in today's market! They fit like a glove and I installed them myself with the help of a friend....had to loosen one motor mount a bit to raise the engine to get the one side in there, but no rubbing. The rubbing problem is why most go with smaller diameter primaries (one size fits all mentality these days)!

John

Very Nice headers in the late 80's I bought a set of headers through the local speed shop, United Speed World for my 73 Elky with a 70 LS5 467 pushing around 525ish HP and also had to raise the Drv side a few inches, I was using a Jacaranda tree & chain fall by myself with nobody home, pulled the 350 out, dropped the 467 in then found the headers wouldn't go in so raised the engine back up enough to get the Drv side header in place then the tree limb broke dropping the engine right back onto the mount, didn't hurt the headers or ME! Haven't used a tree limb to swap an engine since

 

[L78fanatic]

I had to laugh, but obviously glad the tree limb didn't harm you or the car. There was a huge Slash Pine Tree in the front yard of our first home (renting) after moving to Sarasota after college in 1975 that was basically dead, I decided to take it down. When it started to fall it almost fell onto the house, but thankfully I was close enough to my car to pull the chain tight and back up a bit & the tree fell just missing the house! Yikes! In the words of John Candy, "Wow! That was close, but we're alright now!" LOL!

 

[Shovelrick]

The Shit we did when we were young and not so smart I dropped a 4 spd trans out of a truck by driving through a ditch to use the ditch as a Pit, well I didn’t think to set the E brake and when I pulled the DS it almost rolled on top of me, a buddy threw something under a tire and it stopped rolling

 

[cheveslakr]

Rick,

Your engine will be waaaaay happier with 2" primaries on those headers! My beloved M/T Super Scavenger Headers (pic below) on my '67 L78 Chevelle back in the day was simply "stunning" and awesome sounding. Mickey Thompson had the right idea with the staggered equal length primaries emptying into those long square collectors! I'm absolutely amazed that nobody has run with that design in today's market! They fit like a glove and I installed them myself with the help of a friend....had to loosen one motor mount a bit to raise the engine to get the one side in there, but no rubbing. The rubbing problem is why most go with smaller diameter primaries (one size fits all mentality these days)!

John

That's the best original pic, outside of an ad, that I've seen on the scavenger headers John. There was a guy on the yenko site that's been referenced to making M/T SS headers and IIRC, was asking around $1200 for them. Haven't heard squat in years, but he made a few sets for members over there. Last I looked orange ceramic coat was iffy, and the shade was a bit off, but that's been a few years since I've checked. Very possible that's been improved over time. I'd be willing to make a set for a day 2 cause, but right now pretty tied up. A good set of hedman 2 inch full length, then chop their collector off and fab up a set of M/T impersonators and round flanges x 4 and you're there. I worked mostly in the field as a sheetmetal worker, but always had access to a full shop, and regret not stealing the use of their facilities.
For my '69 post car, I found an NOS set of Appliance 2 inch, with the square flanges, and they satisified my nostalgia bug or else I would have done this several years back.

 

[Shovelrick]

I can’t remember what brand I bought in the late 80’s from ordering at a local speed shop but IIRC they were only a cpl hundred bucks and I def don’t remember square scavagers

 

[L78fanatic]

That's the best original pic, outside of an ad, that I've seen on the scavenger headers John. There was a guy on the yenko site that's been referenced to making M/T SS headers and IIRC, was asking around $1200 for them. Haven't heard squat in years, but he made a few sets for members over there. Last I looked orange ceramic coat was iffy, and the shade was a bit off, but that's been a few years since I've checked. Very possible that's been improved over time. I'd be willing to make a set for a day 2 cause, but right now pretty tied up. A good set of hedman 2 inch full length, then chop their collector off and fab up a set of M/T impersonators and round flanges x 4 and you're there. I worked mostly in the field as a sheetmetal worker, but always had access to a full shop, and regret not stealing the use of their facilities.
For my '69 post car, I found an NOS set of Appliance 2 inch, with the square flanges, and they satisified my nostalgia bug or else I would have done this several years back.

Thanks! Sure brings back memories of those good ole days! I loved those headers..they came orange painted, not ceramic. I painted mine heat paint flat white! Of course they weren't pretty for very long...but the sound remained! I did hunt down that guy in the Midwest who builds stainless steel super scavenger style headers. I just don't know if it's worth the money these days, but he sounded like a good guy & willing to work with me on my L78 engine build, making me a set of headers like what I had. I have a set of Hooker Competition Headers painted satin black for my engine build - dyno run "if" I ever get to that point. I've always wanted to learn to weld...something on my never ending do list! Ha!

 

[L78fanatic]

I can’t remember what brand I bought in the late 80’s from ordering at a local speed shop but IIRC they were only a cpl hundred bucks and I def don’t remember square scavagers

I loved the Speed Shops back in the day...nothing cooler for us car guys! The guy in Long Island, NY (?) who sold me a rebuilt 780 cfm Holley told me he used to have a speed shop back in the day...now, he just rebuilds carburetors....he's on ebay. I think I paid close to $2,000 for my Holley...sure is purdy. They sell for around $2,500 or so now.

 

[Shovelrick]

I loved the Speed Shops back in the day...nothing cooler for us car guys! The guy in Long Island, NY (?) who sold me a rebuilt 780 cfm Holley told me he used to have a speed shop back in the day...now, he just rebuilds carburetors....he's on ebay. I think I paid close to $2,000 for my Holley...sure is purdy. They sell for around $2,500 or so now.

I paid about $200 for a rebuilt 3310-1 about 10 yrs ago and $400 for a 1,000HP 3.5 yrs ago that could probably use a kit, you bought a specific L78 carb?

 

[Shovelrick]

Oh and got a Classic 850, R port Eddy AG, alum WP for about $300 in a/c work

 

[Nashville Cat]

I did a lot of reading trying to find a set of 1-7/8 or 2" headers for my 67.
The only affordable headers (2") were Hookers.
I discovered why 64-67 had such little selection compared to 68-72 Chevelles.
It's the steering linkage.
The linkage is in front of the x-member on 68-72 and behind it on 64-67.

 

[L78fanatic]

I paid about $200 for a rebuilt 3310-1 about 10 yrs ago and $400 for a 1,000HP 3.5 yrs ago that could probably use a kit, you bought a specific L78 carb?

My '67 L78 block is one of the 612 produced and in a Chevelle built in late '67 model run. My car was built on June 9th 1967, and this block is out of an L78 Chevelle assembled June 30th '67. Block was assembled at Tonawanda on the same day as my car!...June 9th. Is that cool or what? So, I've been gathering parts for 3 years or so as close to when my engine was assembled in June '67 (parts dated circa April to June). When it came to the 780 carb, I was just beginning to search and was shocked by the prices, and I found one 3310 780cfm Holley dated in April '67, but I waited too long and I missed out. I called the guy in Long Island and the closest date for a 3310 780 Holley was September '67 so I grabbed it. I know it was $$$. I'm afraid to add up all the parts I've gathered, either original NOS, used, or late model. Here's a couple pics of the carb. I just wanted this engine to look as authentic as possible with correct parts (or very close). 11:1 Pistons, etc. I have just about everything for the build, but I got sick back in late 2022 and everything stopped!

 

[cheveslakr]

The linkage is in front on all model years. Positioning of the box, the column and the steering shaft are slightly different, the frame horns as well. All this makes the driver's side a bit tighter on the early a-bodys. On the passenger side, the lower rear a-arm pivot gusset is tight on all years, but positioned slightly different so that may also be a header design change.

 

[L78fanatic]

The linkage is in front on all model years. Positioning of the box, the column and the steering shaft are slightly different, the frame horns as well. All this makes the driver's side a bit tighter on the early a-bodys. On the passenger side, the lower rear a-arm pivot gusset is tight on all years, but positioned slightly different so that may also be a header design change.

I don't remember which side honestly that I had to raise the engine off the mount back when the M/T Super Scavenger Headers went in, but I do remember having all the room in the world once in place! That was no doubt due to the equal length headers staggered into the collectors, making design of the primaries in 2-inch dia. way easier, but specific to my '67 396!

 

[cheveslakr]

I think Eric (vintage musclecarparts) is getting $2k for his restored original 780s now. They were 1500 2 years back, and 1200 a couple more back. Things are getting really crazy. I sold a rochester for a '69 RaIV GTO or Firebird about 10 years back for $2600 because it was the proverbial needle in the haystack, maybe the only XB carb on the market in the past decade, and kind of regret selling it........it would be worth double that now.
L78, or any solid lifter engine is incredibly expensive to assemble, and each time you purchase you need to be intimate with the seller, lots of scammers and restamp bs out there.

 

[L78fanatic]

You can see the long collectors underneath my car in this photo on our driveway in 1970.

 

[cheveslakr]

Perfect wheel/tire and stance!!

 

[Nashville Cat]

The linkage is in front on all model years. Positioning of the box, the column and the steering shaft are slightly different, the frame horns as well. All this makes the driver's side a bit tighter on the early a-bodys. On the passenger side, the lower rear a-arm pivot gusset is tight on all years, but positioned slightly different so that may also be a header design change.

I got it mixed up with the Camaro/Nova that has rear steering.
Could the width of the xmember be different ?
I know the 68-72 width between the frame sides is slightly wider on those than 64-67.
Maybe that's why headers are easier to fit ?