Are Doug's headers worth it over my Summit headers?

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USCG CHARGER

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I currently have summit headers that are brand new.. but what a PITA to install and the fit leaves a lot to be desired. I'm building a new 408 with ported heads and ported air gap intake. Is there benefit to be getting these Doug's over what I currently have? I love the looks of the Doug's and to be quite honest looks goes along way with my car so the summit heads although are black I'm nervous they will rust over time. What Doug's headers do I need to squeeze out every last drop in HP over the Summit's headers? I saw some on summit;s site for $800 and saw some for $500 which ones do I need for my 68 Dart with a 727? Any particular place you would recommend buying them from as far as price goes?

Jason
 
d453 is the coated part number.

Search the internet, there are better prices than summit which is about 595 or so.
 
Dougs or tti's are way worth it in my book. As is a coated header. Especially with all the other stuff you have done, painted headers lose paint FAST, and lets face it rusty stuff in a otherwise pristine engine bay look bad... The dougs and tti's dont hang low, or go around the center link, and in turn have a much smaller chance of being scraped, dinged, or crushed. I had several cheap headers on my dart with a LA motor, i eventually spent the cash on nice headers, and wont go back. Bought them again for my 5.7.

On another note, lots of header companies suggest not breaking in a camshaft on coated headers or they may "blue". So if you got cheapies, run them for the break in if its not a roller cam.


Joe
 
IMO Doug's or TTI's are the cats meow to work around plus they look better. I have regular Hookers on my car and hate them. What a royal PITA to work around. The $500 ones (D453R) you saw on Summit are un-coated. The $800 ones (D453) are ceramic coated.
 
the R's are $440

Coated are $595

I've never seeb the 67-76 Dougs coated models for more than 600.

The early A headers are REALLY expensive for coated like 800+.
 
TTI or Dougs - both are REALLY expensive. However, years ago I had a set of Blackjack headers, which were Cyclones, I believe... Those headers hit the oil pan, the power steering box, and the steering coupler (occasionally locking the steering in the middle of a right hand turn). Plus, they got rusty, they leaked, they hung low and they knocked the grease fitting right off my passenger's side inner tie rod.

I have TTI's now and would buy them again in a second. Dougs are just as good.

I get the impression that you're wondering if there is a performance gain. Probably not.
 
Doug's or TTi and never look back! If you keep an eye out for the summit discount code you can get the Doug's for a lot cheaper.
 
I hear ya about the blackjacks. in 74 had them on my Duster Had the car sky high and it would still smash the tubes if you weren't careful. ( who was when you were 18? ).
Looked like a can of worms under the car. $49.95,, 3 days pay back then.
 
I hear ya about the blackjacks. in 74 had them on my Duster Had the car sky high and it would still smash the tubes if you weren't careful. ( who was when you were 18? ).
Looked like a can of worms under the car. $49.95,, 3 days pay back then.

Just got some brand new coated Dougs for $500 shipped
 
....and just for a point of reference, a comment on Hedmans

Someone talked me into the cheaper Hedmans

Your FIRST job is to strip the paint off them (it's low temp!!) and repaint with high temp paint.

THEN you get to dent and bend them to fit. Right side hit the torsion bar and the pan rail

Left side hit the steering column housing by the firewall, the steering box, and I think the pitman arm at steering lock

So now you have no warranty, because it says the warranty is void "if modified."

Only upside, even though I don't like the design, is that the "ball" collector reducers don't leak.
'Course, that's after I "fixed" one, which was dinged up in shipping

That extra 300 bucks is lookin pretty good now.
 
I must be one of the luckiest guys around, I purchased my Black Jack Alumicoat headers in 1983, they fit fine never hit ANYTHING never bottomed out. If i needed to buy NEW headers yes I would go with TTI's or Dougs, but untill then I will keep my blackjacks I paid $179.99for them in 1983,
On another note would you pay the extra for the coating on the INSIDE of the header??
 
Man that's a screamin deal. Where did ya find them for that price?

No doubt. I think that's even a little less than I got mine for. When I got mine, PayPal was having some one day deal where they would discount paypal purchases, and Summit was having a sale. One was 10% and the other was 15%, so I got them 25% off.
 
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