Headers and Exhaust Systems
Pontiac V8 Headers and Exhaust Systems
Let It Breathe — Headers and Exhaust Systems for Pontiac V8s
Headers and Exhaust Systems are where a Pontiac V8 either gets to breathe or does not. Exhaust port shape, primary tube diameter and collector size all have to match the heads and the RPM the engine actually lives at, and every one of them has to clear a frame, a steering box and an oil filter that were laid out in the 1960s.
Butler carries long tube headers from Doug's, Hooker, Hedman, Mad Dog and American Racing Headers, Ram Air exhaust manifolds and stock reproductions, and Pypes crossmember-back exhaust systems for A-body, F-body and X-body cars.
Select a Sub-Category
Popular Brands:
More About Headers and Exhaust Systems
1. D-Port or Round Port: Start at the Cylinder Head
Nothing else on this page matters until you know which exhaust port your heads have. A D-port header will not seal a round-port head and a round-port header will not seal a D-port head, and no gasket fixes the difference.
| D-port | The common Pontiac exhaust port, used across most factory heads. Headers are stocked in 1 3/4 in. and 2 in. primaries depending on brand and application. |
| Round port | The Ram Air IV and Super Duty style port, and also what Edelbrock aluminum heads use in round-port form. Headers are stocked in 1 7/8 in. and 2 in. primaries. |
| Check before you order | If you are running aftermarket aluminum heads, confirm the exhaust port shape on the head you actually bought — the same casting family is offered both ways. |
2. Primary Tube and Collector Size
Bigger is not automatically better. A big primary on a mild street engine trades away low-end velocity for peak power the engine never reaches.
| 1 3/4 in. primaries with a 3 in. collector | The everyday street and street/strip size, offered on D-port headers for A-body, F-body and full size cars. |
| 1 7/8 in. primaries with a 3 1/2 in. collector | The round-port size for a bigger cam, more stroke and more RPM. |
| 2 in. primaries with a 3 1/2 in. collector | Race headers for round-port heads on 400-455 combinations. Doug's flags the 2 in. GTO header as not working with factory air conditioning cars. |
| Stepped primaries | American Racing Headers offers a stepped 1 3/4 in. to 1 7/8 in. primary for D-port heads on 1964-1972 A-body cars, and straight 1 3/4 in. or 1 7/8 in. for round port. |
3. Headers by Chassis
Butler groups headers the way you shop for them — by the car they go in.
| 1964-72 A-body, GTO, LeMans, Tempest | The deepest selection, from Doug's 1 3/4 in. D-port and 1 7/8 in. round port through Hooker Super Competition and 304 stainless American Racing Headers. |
| 1967-69 first generation Firebird | Doug's 1 3/4 in. D-port and 1 7/8 in. round port in painted, ceramic and stainless, plus Hedman race headers. |
| 1970-81 second generation Firebird and Trans Am | Doug's 1 3/4 in. D-port, 1 7/8 in. round port and 2 in. round port, and Hooker Super Competition in painted or ceramic coated. |
| Full size and big car | Doug's Catalina headers for 1965-68, and Mad Dog headers for 1961-64 Bonneville, Catalina 2+2 and Grand Prix. |
| Later LeMans and G-body | Mad Dog covers 1973-77 LeMans and Grand Am and 1978-87 G-body LeMans, Grand Prix and Grand Am in D-port, stepped and round port, all made in the USA. |
4. Finish: Raw, Black, Ceramic or Stainless
The finish decides how long the header looks new and how much heat it dumps into the engine bay. On a Pontiac with poly engine mounts or a starter tucked in tight, that is not a cosmetic decision.
| Raw and black | Doug's standard headers arrive with a raw finish ready for your own paint or coating, or in black. The least expensive way in. |
| Metallic ceramic | Doug's coated headers carry a metallic ceramic thermal barrier coating polished to a high luster, offering corrosion and heat resistance up to 1400 degrees. This is what we recommend if you are running polyurethane engine mounts. |
| Stainless | Doug's all-stainless versions of the A-body, Firebird and Catalina headers, and American Racing Headers handcrafted from 304 stainless. |
| Build quality | Doug's uses 3/8 in. machined flanges that resist warping, CNC mandrel bent tubes and 16 gauge tubing. Hooker Super Competition uses 5/16 in. flanges, 18 gauge tubing and tuned length primaries, hardware included. |
| One legal note | American Racing Headers states its products are manufactured exclusively for racing purposes and that installing them eliminates legal use on public roads. |
5. Ram Air Manifolds and Stock Reproductions
Plenty of Pontiacs are better off with manifolds. They are quieter, they clear everything, they look right in a restoration, and a good Ram Air manifold with a 2.5 in. outlet flows far better than the passenger-car manifold it replaces.
| Ram Air Restorations manifolds | D-port sets for 1968-1972 GTO and 1970-81 Firebird, D-port sets for 1964-67 GTO and 1971-and-later B-body, and oversized 2.5 in. outlet round port manifolds. Each set requires its matching flange and hardware kit, ordered separately. |
| Max Manifolds | Ram Air D-port sets for 1964-67 and for 1968-77 A-body, 1970-81 Firebird and Trans Am and 1971-77 full size, coated in name-brand high temperature engine paint and port matched to a fiber and metal composite gasket. Flanges sold separately. |
| Ames stock reproductions | D-port and round port Ram Air and HO manifolds with oversized 2.5 in. collectors, plus bolt and installation kits. The installation kits use Fel-Pro high performance sandwich gaskets, because the original steel gaskets were prone to exhaust leaks — Ames notes those gaskets should not be used on a concours restoration. |
| Factory long branch headers | Ram Air Restorations reproduces the D-port long branch for 1967-69 Firebird, 1973-77 Ventura, 1960-70 Catalina and Bonneville and 1969-72 Grand Prix. |
6. Crossmember-Back Exhaust Systems
Pypes builds the systems for these cars in 16 gauge mandrel-bent stainless, in 409 stainless or polished 304, in 2.5 in. or 3.0 in., and they install at home without special tools. Some cutting may be required.
| Crossover style | X-pipe for the sharper, higher-pitched note, or the H-bomb H-pipe for the traditional muscle car rumble. The X-Change system is the same as the standard X-pipe system but adds a kit for running open exhaust after the crossover. |
| Muffler choice | Street Pro, Race Pro or Violator, or no mufflers at all if you are plumbing your own. Most systems come with clamps, hangers and polished stainless tips. |
| Applications | 1964-72 A-body, 1967-69 F-body with quarter panel exit, 1967-74 F-body and X-body including crossflow, 1970-74 F-body and X-body, and 1975-81 F-body. The 1970-71 GTO takes its own valance exit system rather than the standard A-body part. |
| Cutouts | Doug's stainless electric cutouts in 2.5 in. and 3 in. use a gear reduction 12 volt motor and a rotating gate rather than a butterfly, and ship with a pre-wired harness and illuminated rocker switch. Patriot electronic cutouts use a butterfly with a wireless remote and a no-weld Y-pipe. Pypes offers CNC machined billet aluminum cutouts and complete kits. |
7. The Clearance Problems Nobody Warns You About
| The oil filter | Factory long branch headers and some stainless Firebird headers require a 90 degree oil filter housing, and the long branch applications need an oil filter adapter to re-clock the filter clear of the header. Butler stocks a universal adapter for Firebird, Grand Prix and X-body Ventura, and a full size car version that keeps the original look. |
| The brake proportioning valve | On many A-body headers you may have to reposition the proportioning valve on the driver side frame rail. |
| Manual transmission cars | Doug's round port A-body headers call for the 1964-65 Z-bar rather than the later piece. |
| Frame interference on early A-body | Oversized round port Ram Air manifolds will not fit a 1964-67 frame without modification. Ram Air Restorations notes that 1966-67 may need the frame dented or ground about 1/2 in. to clear the flange bolt boss, and 1964-65 must have the engine moved back 1/2 in. or the frame ground or dented. |
| Aftermarket blocks | Ram Air manifolds and long branch headers may require clearancing or modification for use with aftermarket blocks. |
| 1972 D-port heads | Those castings were made without bosses for the end manifold bolts, which changes how a reproduction manifold bolts up. |
Tell us the year and body, the exhaust port shape on your heads, and whether the car has air conditioning or a manual transmission. That usually keeps you from buying headers twice.
Not sure what your Pontiac needs?
Email our tech team at tech@butlerperformance.com. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.