[JC455]

Originally Posted by Larry Navarro

I appreciate the endorsement Lee and Steve.
Guys, I will gladly entertain other models....IF and only IF I can efficiently and effectively make a buck for my efforts with the 2nd gen crowd. This is my target and largest market for the product as most everyone has modified suspensions where ground clearance is at a premium when considering exhaust systems. I can not speculate on a retail price, hopefully I can have a cost figure based on utilizing premium materials and offering top quality craftsmanship.

Larry,
Did you ever get your original H~O headers back?
If not, I have an original set of Tri-Y-bal Tubes when they were first being made by Doug's.
These are the heavy duty (16 ga?) tubes and flanges, not Ron's later version that he made changes to the tube routing and pipe gauge.
Let me know,
John

[Larry Navarro]

John, yes I did. Believe it or not, someone in the "Pontiac family" contacted me a couple of years ago who stumbled across them in a shop somewhere(maybe DOUG's), saw my name on them, contacted me and now they are back in my hands.
On another note, I spoke with a hot-rod in my area who is willing to fabricate the tri-y headers for me. Come to find out we both have a mutual friend(my neighbor) and he lives right around the corner from me. My neighbor never mentioned the guy nor his company. It's one of those "small world" type of introductions.
Anyway, we plan to discuss materials, costs, building a jig with the headers I'll supply to him for both "D" and "O".
I'll bring my T/A to him and make sure they fit properly, then make a decision on whether or not we move forward.
As of now, his forecast to get started will be early next year. From what I have seen on my neighbors cars with his headers, his quality is top-notch.
Stay tuned.

[JC455]

Good deal!!

[724mula]

Larry, send me a pm if that becomes reality

[tom s]

Larry,having been involved with Tyree for WAY too many years he explained the problem with production headers.I watched him make maybe 20-30 jigs over the years.The problem was the car the custom set was made on to make the jig.A brand new off the showroom car lead to many problems.The suspension was all tight and when headers were made and put on a worn out suspension car there were many problems especially with stick shift cars and even more when you got into big tubes like 2in.Good luck with the project and hope it works out for you and the hobby.Tom

[Larry Navarro]

Originally Posted by tom s

The problem was the car the custom set was made on to make the jig.A brand new off the showroom car lead to many problems.The suspension was all tight and when headers were made and put on a worn out suspension car there were many problems especially with stick shift cars and even more when you got into big tubes like 2in.Good luck with the project and hope it works out for you and the hobby.Tom

Exactly Tom. I gave this some thought before taking on this project. I went through this with my WFO shaker assemblies. While I had developed the WFO using my car which has stock rubber body bushings, some folks were experiencing shaker fitment problems. It was determined that had to do with using solid bushings, which due to less thickness, slightly lower the whole body relative to the engines stock orientation in the subframe.
So this overall lowered body to frame, places the engine and installed shaker closer beneath the hood, where clash interference problems arose.
Yes, something to consider when developing the headers.

[Lee]

No problem Larry.

Chris, moderators, whomever - please feel free to lock and edit this thread as you deem necessary.

My intention was to show performance changes (whether good or bad) from going from a set of stock log manifolds with stock headpipes, to a set of headers, with no other changes than needed adjustment to the AFR.

If I had not been worried about ground clearance issues with my current suspension and the headers I bought from Steve Coombes, THOSE would have been the headers used for the test.

[Matt Meaney]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

and Larry, any chance for a d-port set for '69-'72 GP?

I use 2nd gen firebird headers for my Gp's. have had some fitment issues on the pass. side with A body headers. the foremost tube hitting the frame. I currently have some 4 tube hookers on my '70 and they fit very well, although they hang a little lower than I'd like.

if Larry is able to produce his headers for the 2nd gen firebird, I'm sure they will fit well on the '69-'72 Gp.

[SD421]

Originally Posted by Larry Navarro

John, yes I did. Believe it or not, someone in the "Pontiac family" contacted me a couple of years ago who stumbled across them in a shop somewhere(maybe DOUG's), saw my name on them, contacted me and now they are back in my hands. .

Well Larry,
Im not sure if you are talking about me but I do remember contacting you about your Tri-Y’s being at Ron Watt’s shop (Tribal Tubes) and getting them sent back to you. I apologize if Im mistaken.
Don

[Larry Navarro]

Yes thank you Don. I knew they had to be in a shop somewhere but couldn't remember where or who it was that contacted me. Hell, these days I have a bad case of CRS so thanks for the refresher.

[SD421]

Originally Posted by Larry Navarro

Yes thank you Don. I knew they had to be in a shop somewhere but couldn't remember where or who it was that contacted me. Hell, these days I have a bad case of CRS so thanks for the refresher.

No worries Larry. My memory aint that great anymore either!
Don

[Lee]

I believe I earlier stated that the car had 2.25" tailpipes. Well, they are actually 2", and compression bent, so even smaller in several points!

Car is now in the muffler shop. It will be all 3" soon :-D

[Skip Fix]

Wow! Small pipes.

[Larry Navarro]

Today I plan to meet with a local fabricator who produces specialty headers for LS type conversions. Looking forward to what he can do, what it's gonna cost to get started and a time frame to do it.

[724mula]

Alright! Can't wait to hear the results, Hope it goes good for ya.

[aceaceca]

Tube headers on my 62 Cat 389 made no difference in ET over the long branch cast iron manifolds. We are talking about open headers here. The long branches with a foot or so of exhaust pipe on the end.

[Larry Navarro]

Today I plan to meet with a local fabricator who produces specialty headers for LS type conversions. Looking forward to what he can do, what it's gonna cost to get started and a time frame to do it.





Had my meeting and............................................... ....no go.

Main issue, PRICE. Meaning RETAIL price.

Pontiac guys won't spend the kind of money it will cost for the quality of headers he will produce.

Chevy LS guys WILL spend the $$$$........... but not "our" guys.

I could stop going any further but I will continue to pursue other options.

As I recall, the "tribal tubes" sold for around $500 -600 ???? Impossible for me to even get close to that. I'd have much more $$$$ just in manufacturing and that is a very conservative figure.

Materials, 304SS, tig weld, etc., labor is not cheap.

[Skip Fix]

That price was for mild steel, I would think SS would definitely be well over 1K.

[Larry Navarro]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

That price was for mild steel, I would think SS would definitely be well over 1K.

Yes Skip, mild steel.
SS is WELL over 1K.

From the discussion I had with fabricator, the cost to have the mild steel headers built, then add in aluminum coating, it would NOT be much more for building SS headers.

[724mula]

The latest $ from T/T was 500 uncoated 800 coated shipped