I am strongly considering putting Patriot lakester headers on my Hemi. Looking to head off any pitfalls from doing this. I plan on keeping the splash aprons, by doing a little t******* of course. Any one here done this to their car?? I'll be interested in any thing you have to say, pro or con and it can be from any installation on any rod, not just a hemi in a 33/34 Ford. Shooting to do this.
To each his own but I am not a fan of them on most rigs, Rather like belly ****ons and those "gotta be a cool guy" moon tanks on 32 Fords right now. Maybe because I am 74 and want my cars to be reachers that I can run 600 miles or more a day cross country and not be tired or more hard of hearing than I already am I don't want the noise. Let the guy that I go past that hears the pipes that run out the back say that man that car sounds great but be comfortable noise wise inside rolling down the road at or above the limit. I had megaphone headers on my T bucket in 1974/75 when everyone told me that they were old and obsolete. From there it is your call.
I understand the noise part 48, but don't figure on driving any great distance in at 82, just around this area for say a 20/30 mile radius. I'll run them down under into the exhaust I currently have. I haven't made up my mind completely as this moment, still putting some thought into it. With hands full of arthritis, and hurting like hell at times, a back that goes out more than I do, and a wife with problems, there is a lot to consider. I plan on leaving the splash aprons on 'caus I dig them........a lot so, that will require figuring the trim lines needed for clearance, doing it, repaint and install, again with crippled hands.
I built a set for my 36... I put car chemistry baffles in the they are quieter than my 33 with full exhaust
I look at it like this: 1. To much noise, 2. Black exhaust stains on the side of your car, and 3. Good chance of getting burn.
You'll need to figure out how you're going to muffle them. I used the spiral auger type baffles from Speedway in mine, and am really happy with the results, but I had to cut off the welded on turnouts to install them (after grind the baffles to fit), then weld the turnouts back on. If you're getting the chromed, stainless, or powder coated pipes, that makes the job more difficult, because welding the turnouts on will ruin the finish. You can go without turnouts, but then you risk having the paint on the cowl/doors blacked by the exhaust, plus it helps to turn that exhaust note out away from the cab. So, you can purchase headers with those 6 sided flanges that allow you to bolt baffles and turnouts on, but I'm not a fan of that look personally. I like the smooth welded on turnout look, just a personal prefere3nce I suppose. But those are the types of things you have to take into account. Also, on the type of finish, chrome looks nice when new, but turns blue. Stainless also looks nice, but turns a golden/brownish color. Of the 2 I prefer the look of stainless. The powder coated fake chrome finish looks decent, not as shiny as chrome, but pretty nice, and it does not turn colors. And then there's spray painted finish, which also looks nice, depending on individual likes/dislikes, but that fades over time. So another thing you have to consider. I've been running lakes pipes since I got this thing some years ago, and I'm ready to change, but have not been able to find what I really want. So I'm still running them, and will continue to, until I find or make what I want.
Like 48 said to each his own,I have a set on my Hemi 32 roadster,have baffles and ends are capped off, Like you, I may drive 60-75 miles max one way,,It is less noisy than my Big Block Chevy truck with exhaust to the rear axle..To me block huggers are belly ****on,good thing we all don't like the same thing or it would be real expensive.. Yes it is easy to get burned if you are not careful
Am I hearing you guys say that in addition to routing them to under the car and into my existing side outlet pipes, which is what my plan is, that they need to be baffled also??? In the pictures I see them capped at the end and an open pipe exiting under the capped outlet, that is routed down and under the frame rail into the normal pipe. If baffled is the case, that is a game changer for sure. And that's why I asked the question.
Thanks Blues4U, I'm undecided about the finish and there is a lot to consider. I do know of "blue" removal compounds used by bikers.
No, if you're going to plumb them into an under the ch***is system and run the lakes headers capped, you don't need to baffle them, and in that case the fears of Mr48Chev & Coconuts above really don't apply. When/if you uncap the headers, that's when it'll get loud.
If you have the ones with the flange to connect to a (presumably) muffled system under the car then no, no baffles required. One of the pictures you posted early on didn’t have that flange. John
Thanks ALMOSTDONE, that is what I was thinking. Sorry guys for the confusion, my bad. I call this "end of story", but still making up my mind on install. Edit to this after searching current price for an hour. It was slightly more than $500.00 on line last time I looked. Price today $726 plus 9.9% Washington sales tax. That is a deal breaker, thanks to all who gave me input. Sorry to waste your time.
Ah, the dreaded cost factor. I hear you. There are some you-weld kits that are much less less-expensive (like 1/2) if you’re so inclined. John
I built these for my small block Chevy from a Speedway kit and had them chromed - $200 +/- for the kit, $450 to chrome them. The Olds set is made from an old Cyclone flange kit and Speedway cones - about $150 in parts and $650 to chrome them. ( I had each little part polished before welding them together then had them chromed.) Either way it ain't cheap and I like chrome, like in the '60s. Both will be capped with pipes running under the car to Porter's or Smithy's.
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