Help me make a choice
 

I have a shop picked out to add headers and dual exhaust with Flowmasters. Now I am wondering If I should buy the parts online and get a shop near my house that I use to do routine work to put them on. I am thinking I might get a better system in the end. Also, I am reading the MAC system may be better than the flowmasters.

Any advice appreciated

Also shorty or long pipe headers? Is ther a real choice here or is it better to just go with the shorty?

I would get them off line and then go to a local shop. You will be much happier. I have MAC offroad h-pipe and 2 chamber flows on my V6. www.killercobra.com has a sound clip of mine. I would stick with the shorties because with LT on a V6 you may make it to free flowing and lose TQ and HP. Some people have had problems with MAC. My buddy and I have not. So what is better is a toss up.

I think I just postponed the exhaust. Looking at the Flowmaster web site the super 40 mufflers are going to be available Dec 1. Why not wait a month and get the latest Flowmaster.

Also I was talking to a older guy at a muffler shop yesterday and he was saying that headers often leak. I also noticed Bassani header ads say they have perfected leak proof gaskets. Whats up with leaking headers. I had not heard this

The lowest price is keep the current exhaust manifold, cut the Y pipe and seal up the passenger side and run a seperate line on the passenger side. Sounds like a cheap way out to me. But it will get a true dual system in place for less than $400 with flow masters and aluminized pipe. Any thoughts on this approach appreciated.

Over time header flanges warp and sometimes will develop chronic leaks from the gasket area. I've had the same headers for four years and two different mustangs and they still seal fine even with cheap gaskets. It all depends on the thickness of the header flanges and how much they warp.
If you want a dual exhaust system what i would do is buy everything that you want most because you'll have to listen to it every time you're in your car, so find the mufflers that sound best to you. You'll also have to probably buy a hanger kit to convert it to GT exhaust or have an exhaust shop install their own hangers.
The stock tubular manifolds (headers) on V6's aren't that bad and seal reliably although if you really feel like it you can buy aftermarket headers.
If i were you i would skip on the headers, buy a quality H-pipe or X-pipe and get the cat-back system you want, that way there's no compramises. It would work fine having an exhaust shop fabricate a custom exhaust using the old exhaust as well, it's all up to what you prefer.

Hey thanks for the words on header leaks. After the answers to this post I am skipping the headers and going with whatever good deal I can get on flowmasters. I like the way they sound. Some folks (GodStang) have posted up wav files of 3.8's with flowmasters, allbeit with off road H pipes, that sound great. I think the folks I'm talking to can make me a custom H pipe out of my old system. I read that H Pipe does not have to be too long and needs to be immediately after the converters for best results. There is also advice on the diameter of the H Pipe relative to the main pipes.

I can use the money saved to get the car lowered (new set of springs) and some stabilizer bars. I will be posting up for some advice on this soon.

My H-pipe is for Sell:D

as far as cutting the pipes and then welding from there out. my buddy did that and it sounded like a Ricer. He had 2 chamber flows with it. Also if you do that you will only have 2.25 inch instead of 2.5 inch. You will gain more hp from the 2.5, but if you go up to 3 inch you lose alot of torque.

I have heard of many headers leaking before. Best bet if you do get them get the Stage * locking header bolts.

Best of luck.

Sounds like the Y pipe has got to go. I have not been under the car to look closely. I wonder if there is a easy connection to remove the Y pipe.

Pics on this site show an interesting custom X pipe on a 2002 3.8. Looks like they were able to just remove the y pipe but you can not see all the work back toward the engine.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/celsyus

xpipe is near the last pictures

Hey I might be interested in the Steeda front strut brace. I was reading about installation of this mod and it seemed complicated cutting holes in the plastic part of the upper fire wall and removing material from the underside of the hood, etc. I am just learning and am not sure I want to do that yet. Do you think it was easy to install? Also, will the part you have on the '96 work for an '03?