I now have my new victim in the garage. A 1989 z51/ 6spd coupe. The engine is out and, in fact, is awaiting assembly. It's a 383 shortblock w/comp XFI 218/224 hr cam. I have AFR angle plug heads for it. I've been informed that Hooker headers will not fit these heads, according to the Hooker catalog. So is this just Hooker being over-cautious or a real problem? I REALLY don't want to pay for the high-end stuff. I am hoping to use a 1 3/4" header, but if I can't, well that's life.
Any of you able to offer suggestions? How about reasonably priced alternatives?

Guys seem to be running them, I have no personal experience:

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c ... s-and-hooker-headers.html

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c ... rs-fro-afr-195-heads.html

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c ... -work-with-afr-heads.html

Try contacting AFR?

I have AFR heads on mine, but they're the LT1/4 heads.

I'd give them a call as suggested.

They will fit fine.

I have a set of Hooker Super Comps on a customers 91 with AFR 195s.

Only thing that was a PITA was routing the plug wires around the AIR tubes for the Smog stuff... buts that only because he wanted the wires run over the rocker covers where you can see them - instead of my standard practice of behind the heads and up to the plugs from the bottom.
Will

After reading some of the posts associated with the references offered above, I have a feeling I'll be ok with the Hookers. I also saw the OBX website. Anyone have L98 experience with OBX?

I have heard the OBX is basically a copy of the stainless works. Guys seem to like them for the price, but have said they weren't necessarily a trouble free bolt on. For the price it might be worth it, even with needing assistance from an exhaust shop.

On my 85, the 2151 were Ok except for the #4 & #6 plugs, so I cut the header tubes off the flange and welded in new tubes that I bought from Summit, I used Hooker tube sections that they sell and routed the tube out farther away from the spark plug and blended the tubes back into the area that I had cut out and heli-arced them and had them recoated

Also, if you have a stick, the clutch salve will be very close to the collector

I've always been tempted to do a custom set of headers.

Quote:

Straight Plug Heads?

Just found this pic of the Hooker Super Comps I ran on the 84 back in the day and how well the plugs and wires cleared everything (when the wires are routed from under).... these were Dart Pro 1 230 angle plug heads.

[URL=http://s50.photobucket.com/user/rklessdriver/media/1984%20Corvette/Cherokee018.jpg.html][/URL]

Very clean and no chance for the wires to get hurt and no access problems (of course removing the Heater box helped immensely with plug access on 6 and 8).
Will

I am running AFR heads with a MiniRam and TPIS headers, and their cam on my 89. Everything bolted right up. Some people have had problems with TPIS, but I bought everything through them and they were very helpful to me.

Good luck

I ended up with exotic muscle headers. I should've continued looking. At that time I recalled EM to have had a good track record with headers. I should've done more searching on them as EM easily lived down to their past reputation.
At this time I'll not go into further description of my experience with them.
I consider EM to be out of business.
I didn't use hookers as the exhaust ports were far larger in my heads than the flanges of the headers. After contacting OBX I believed they were no better option.
I'd also read that TPIS customers had issues with them as well, but I don't recall what those were.
EM or Stainless Works were pretty much my remaining options, and I didn't want to pay more for the headers than I did for the car as a roller. EM was a financial decision, but since I now consider them to be out of business, SW will be the future choice.

That's disappointing, Bob. I appreciate the update, though.