headers on 302 panther

[game over]

which type of headers (short/long) will fits perfectly on my 302 colony park '85? can i use stang fox headers or maybe others? thank you

[87gtVIC]

You can use fox headers. Stick with shorties because long tube do not fit, and stay away from equal lengths because they are a pain. You will have to convert to a mustang h pipe as well.

[game over]

sorry, but can you illustrate equal and unequal lenght headers?
and why equal lengths are a pain?

[87gtVIC]

Dont worry you will know them when you see them. They are a complete and udder mess of tubing. Find some aftermarket shortie mustang headers and you will be good to go. Depending on how the rebuild goes a stock set that has been on a mustang before will be fine.

[game over]

ok. i understand a difference between eq and non eq headers. thank you. my engine rebuild is not stock - i bought a comp cams camshaft and some other parts. and thinking about exhaust. an intake will be stock with ported channels for a first time, because shipping from US to russia is not so cheap.

[packman]

Most people here have Mustang shorties in one form or another and Mustang H-pipes. After that, you (if you can) can use 2.5" '94-'96 Chevy Impala tailpipes. You would have to get or bend something up between the H-pipe and tailpipes. Your Grand Marquis must be a unique sight over there.


Packman

[BerniniCaCO3]

Sweet! I was just wondering about improving on my y-pipe exhaust. So, any of the half dozen craiglist listings of mustang shorties and H-pipe (-cats) for $50-$75 will work? Will my cats fit right in there, saves buying what I already have?

...I've never done exhaust work before. Would stock mustang tailpipes work? Are the mufflers included as part of the H-pipe?

thanks!
-Bernard

[johnunit]

mufflers will have to be bought separately. You want something under about 20 inches(?) total length with offset/offset inlet/outlet, meaning that when viewed from above the inlet and outlet are diagonally opposite to each other.

A mustang tail pipe will not work. Walker and Dynomax make Impala SS tail pipes. Since Panthers are Caprice clones in terms of dimensions and Impalas are tarted up caprices, everything fits pretty much like stock.

The only thing is you will have to add piping between the mufflers and tail pipes or mufflers and h-pipe (whatever works best wtih what you have) to make up the difference in length between the mustang H-pipe and the original Panther one.

You'll need to either buy lengthened O2 sensor wiring harnesses or O2 bung plugs, depending on whether your car has O2 sensors. Most aftermarket H-pipes have the O2 sensor bungs in a considerably different spot on the pipe compared to stock.

[1990LTD]

my mufflers have a 14" case, no fitment issues

[game over]

and what kind of problems with longtube headers?

[sly]

not a set of long tubes are made that fit a panther out of the box. All will need to be modified for clearance of something or completely custom made. Equal length headers have some of the same issues. regular shorty headers (unequal length) are usually the best fit.

[johnunit]

IIRC the most likely interference point was determined to be the HVAC box/firewall.