do Mustang headers fit?

[86VickyLX]

Pretty much.

[sxcpotatoes]

Question! Are the Impala tailpipes better/cheaper than just having that end of the exhaust custom made?

[johnunit]

probably depends on how you bring the piping the rest of the way to the bumper. If I were you I'd price out what I needed to finish off the impala pipes and then get a quote for having it all bent up custom.

Keep in mind though that the impala piping is nicely mandrel bent and relatively smooth, so if you're going high performance enough for restriction in a 2.5" exhaust to matter (IMO, probably aftermarket heads on a 302 and anything better than bone stock on a 351w) what your local shop comes up with may cost you a little power. Probably not much, but it adds up.

[zoomie]

or you could be a cheap bastard like me and get shorty headers, mustanh offroad pipe, hack the h out of the eqation, get 26 inch glasspacks, a couple pipe extenstions and there ya go, functional exhuast . i dont know about pricing, but i preffer to have mine custom made to be honest.

[88Vic]

The reason I ask about the factory downpipes is because I would like to continue using them longer while I save for custom downpipes.

Right now I figure it's not worth moddifying the stock pipes since the stock cats are restrictive, I might as well leave it all stock until i'm ready to replace everything, but if I can find a set of 90 TC headers, I can bolt those in place and leave the rest stock for now, should improve flow a little bit, every bit helps with a weak lopo.

[85crownHPP]

Converters are not restrictive for a stock motor, and if all you're doing is mild mods, 2" stock tailpipes will be fine.

[88Vic]

I don't plan on any engine mods, I figure it'd be best to save as much as posible for a whole new engine like an Explorer motor. The easiest thing to do would be find 90 TC headers and just bolt them in place, since I could do that myself and I can't cut and reweld Mustang downpipe flanges onto my downpipes myself. I think headers on my current exhaust will be a big help, and I still want to make a CAI and get a K code rear end. Nothing major, just a few things to take some strain off the engine and transmission. I want it to last as long as possible, since right now it gets good mileage and runs like a top.

[86VickyLX]

I want it to last as long as possible, since right now it gets good mileage and runs like a top.

Then leave it alone...

[88Vic]

But I figure those can't hurt anything since they bolt in place as if they're factory, plus it's probably time to replace my O2 sensors anyways, after 85k miles and 24 years I highly doubt they're as acurate as when it rolled off the line in 88.

[Cordovis]

They do physically fit. I've tried using BBK headers mustang on mine. But they do "wobble" a little because they're not really made for our type of vehicles. I know you know what I mean. As temporary solution I guess they could do... well, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

[packman]

I installed the BBK Mustang shorty headers and cat'd H-pipe and an Impala cat back. This system isn't hard to put together, but it hangs low (at least mine does). If I were to do it again, I would get the headers and then have a shop custom bend the down pipes to match the cat back. This may be more expensive, but you won't be trashing your pipes over bumps in the roads and driveway aprons. Also, the Dynomax tails seem to have more bends than the Hearthrob Impala (catback) tails. That's my observation with that.


Packman

[zoomie]

I installed the BBK Mustang shorty headers and cat'd H-pipe and an Impala cat back. This system isn't hard to put together, but it hangs low (at least mine does). If I were to do it again, I would get the headers and then have a shop custom bend the down pipes to match the cat back. This may be more expensive, but you won't be trashing your pipes over bumps in the roads and driveway aprons. Also, the Dynomax tails seem to have more bends than the Hearthrob Impala (catback) tails. That's my observation with that.


Packman

they wont sit as low if you hack the H and have true duals

[packman]

they wont sit as low if you hack the H and have true duals

I was thinking about that too. I might attempt doing the downpipes myself next time around. I really want to build/find a set of long tubes though.



Packman

[johnunit]

The issue is almost completely the downpipes before the cats on the mustang stuff. That's the only part that is screwed up. If you have some welding ability it's an easy fix, but if you can weld then buying 2 cats and a universal piping kit might be cheaper...

[zoomie]

The issue is almost completely the downpipes before the cats on the mustang stuff. That's the only part that is screwed up. If you have some welding ability it's an easy fix, but if you can weld then buying 2 cats and a universal piping kit might be cheaper...

sorry i think i said offroad pipe, no cats, for the ones with cats i still think hacking the H out tof th eqation helps alot, but thats me.