I have a 68 RS with Hooker Competition headers that are not ceramic coated and like most others im heating up the starter and have suffered through an embarassing "car wont start at the gas pump until cooled off". I have installed a heat shield wrap and I have ordered a remote solenoid from Summitt Racing, that I have heard will help this problem. My real question is when I talked to Summitt they said that a headmans shorty style header wont work with my car (350, A/C, power steering, manual on the floor), has anyone installed this type of header or would I be better off removing mine and having them ceramic coated?

Thanks
bragg3

 

I like the ceramic coated, but to take yours off and had them coated is probably more expensive then what its worth. As for the shorty style not working with your car, it probablyhas to do with your power steering. I had a somewhat similar problem...Hooker did not make a longtube for a 427 in a 69, so I had to buy it for a Nova.I needed to make some adjustments around the bell housing it is a pretty tight fit. But that shouldn't be the problem with you b/c of the shorty. Are you planning on doingthe installationyourself?

 

I have been back and forth on whether or not to do it myself. I live close to a place that quoted me $285 to ceramic coat the long style header I have now and after looking at what I have the person whom I bought the car from had just installed these headers and it looks like there was some "gentle persuasion" on a couple of the tubes to fit around the power steering. I also stopped by a local exhaust shop, they saidthey wouldwant $200 totake off andinstalland im satisfied additional charge for any modifications.Like your installation these fit in tight, which bothers me because while its not the original motor it is the original A/C equipment and the tubes run close by.

 

That is not a bad price for having your headers coated. I thought it would be more than that...If your happy with the headers that you have I would say just go that route. But I know what your saying, the amount of room that you havemakes fora tight squeeze when installing.
~Let me know how it works out~

 

Get the headers coated and stay away from the shorties... Just wondering why your car doesn't start, may be a cooked starter.

 

What about getting a mini type starter it might give you more room to keep it cool.

 

well i know that you get better exhaust flow with the long tube headers compared to the shorties. I first used a set of old rusted headers on my 68 and it would heat my starter up the same way, i bought a set of ceramics off of a bud in town and havent had a problem sence. In my opinion i would go with the ceramics but thats just my preference its your car you should do whatever you want to do to it.

 

I would still put a heat sheild on the starter. ... I just saw a new cerama coat company on powerblock...wish I woulda wrote the name down.

 

Thanks for all the input, it helped confirm im thinking the right way. I purchased a remote solenoid kit which seems to be doing the trick, I have never had problems with the car starting from a cold start or even letting it run in the drive way and restarting it, only time it acts up is after a drive into town or through the country, but after driving it some last night it seems to have fixed my problem I will drive it some more on a longer ride this weekend and make sure. Im still going to get the headers coated just makes for a nicer look and if it drops the temp I cant go wrong. Im trying to do things to the car that ensure reliability so I can enjoy it but my long term goal is probably putting a fuel injected crate motor (maybe a RamJet 350???) in the car but that is way down the road. I should mention if I have not already its not the origianl motor and my intentions are to drive the car primarily here in NC but also back and forth to where im from in WV.

 

As a follow up I have driven my car through town and around some country roads so it got nice and warm and when I shut the car off and restarted it there was no hesitation it fired up first try. I still plan on having the headers coated though.