# ARH Vs Kooks headers



## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Opinions? It looks like ARH makes as good a product as Kooks, but for slightly less. I'd really like to pick up a set of headers this year finally, and was leaning towards ARH, since there seems to be a lot of general hype around Kooks stuff, especially the Signature Series header... I dunno.

I know you can get the Kooks coated, and the American Racing Headers come bare. I was thinking about getting a set coated locally. I'm not sure if I should get 1 3/4 or 1 7/8 primaries, I'd like to do at least a H/C/I in the future, and I don't want to be forced to go bigger at some point and re-buy a set of headers.

What do you think?


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

Poncho Dan said:


> I'm not sure if I should get 1 3/4 or 1 7/8 primaries, I'd like to do at least a H/C/I in the future, and I don't want to be forced to go bigger at some point and re-buy a set of headers.


That's why I GOT the Signature Series, lol. I don't call it hype. I call it common sense, especially if you are indecisive about what you're doing down the road. I waited around and got mine on sale from Maryland Speed for $200 off, $1400 shipped with catted connecting pipes, the "offroad-racing only" (illegal) midpipes are like 200 bucks cheaper. They'll feed a H/C/I car all day long and also won't choke down a stroker motor, which is the road I'm taking. 

I called Kooks and asked them if I went to a 402 stroker or LS3 427 stroker would I have to buy the 1 7/8" or even have a 1 7/8" stepped to 2" or a full length 2" like some of the Gen 5 Camaro guys are doing. The Kooks guy said absolutely not, the the Signature Series would handle the power. He said they will make anything they want for you custom for extra money. I saw not too long ago on here a red coated set of 1 7/8" stepped to 2" custom SS's. Not sure if the guy got them sold or not. I'd save up the money and get the stepped headers. My .02.

P.S. Do ARH's have a scavenger spike? I've never done research on them.


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

By the way, thanks for the advice on not trying to put the throttle body, cai, and maf on myself and try to "limp" it to the speed shop. Would've been a big waste of time on my part considering the car wouldn't have made it out of the driveway to the mail box before it died. Then I'd be putting back in all the old stuff out in the driveway in front of God and everybody while the neighbor's were wondering how powerful the crack was that I was smoking...


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## motoristx (Apr 27, 2010)

I got Kooks 1 7/8" long tubes Bare. I'm running a 406 now, so this is the 2nd block they've been on. when i pulled them off, i did a through inspection (the drivers side had rubbed on the bolt sticking out on the subframe) other then a very slight dent, they've held up great for my 30k miles i've put on them. They are a bit dull now since they are not coated


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

dustyminpin said:


> That's why I GOT the Signature Series, lol. I don't call it hype. I call it common sense, especially if you are indecisive about what you're doing down the road. I waited around and got mine on sale from Maryland Speed for $200 off, $1400 shipped with catted connecting pipes, the "offroad-racing only" (illegal) midpipes are like 200 bucks cheaper. They'll feed a H/C/I car all day long and also won't choke down a stroker motor, which is the road I'm taking.
> 
> I called Kooks and asked them if I went to a 402 stroker or LS3 427 stroker would I have to buy the 1 7/8" or even have a 1 7/8" stepped to 2" or a full length 2" like some of the Gen 5 Camaro guys are doing. The Kooks guy said absolutely not, the the Signature Series would handle the power. He said they will make anything they want for you custom for extra money. I saw not too long ago on here a red coated set of 1 7/8" stepped to 2" custom SS's. Not sure if the guy got them sold or not. I'd save up the money and get the stepped headers. My .02.
> 
> P.S. Do ARH's have a scavenger spike? I've never done research on them.





dustyminpin said:


> By the way, thanks for the advice on not trying to put the throttle body, cai, and maf on myself and try to "limp" it to the speed shop. Would've been a big waste of time on my part considering the car wouldn't have made it out of the driveway to the mail box before it died. Then I'd be putting back in all the old stuff out in the driveway in front of God and everybody while the neighbor's were wondering how powerful the crack was that I was smoking...


:cheers

Yeah ARH has a merge spike/cone. I was thinking about maybe going stroked too, depending on what the wallet allows in the future. Sucks because I can't afford to just do it all at once.

I dunno, I guess it just seems hard to say I spent $1400 on a set of headers. I could get my heads worked over for that price...


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

I came up with an idea to keep the coating from getting munged up on install - wrap the primaries and collectors with that cloth wrap people use on their ankles & stuff for sports, then remove it after they're bolted up. I was thinking about getting a titanium/grey coating, but then decided chrome/silver will just look better.


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