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Headers
Pontiac V8 Headers
Pick the Chassis First — Headers for Pontiac V8s
Headers are the biggest single exhaust change you can make to a Pontiac V8, and also the change most likely to run into something on the way down. Everything in this section is a full-length, four-tube header, and every set is sorted by body, because what clears a frame rail under a Catalina has nothing to do with what clears a subframe under a Firebird.
Butler splits headers into 67-69 F-body, 70-81 F-body, 64-72 A-body and full size cars. The brands here are Doug's Headers in black, metallic ceramic and stainless, American Racing Headers in 304 stainless, and Hooker Headers Super Competition. Port shape and primary tube diameter decide the rest.
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More About Headers
1. The body picks the header, not the engine
Pontiac used the same cylinder head bolt pattern across the V8 line, so a header is defined by what it has to snake past, not by displacement. That is why these are broken out by chassis.
| 67-69 F-body, 1st Gen Firebird | the tightest install in the group. Doug's D-port sets for this car call out a 90 degree oil filter housing and note that a locking steering column has to come out or be modified. |
| 70-81 F-body, Firebird and Trans Am | second-gen sets in 1 3/4" D-port, 1 7/8" round port and a 2" round port for 400-455 cars. |
| 64-72 A-body, GTO, LeMans, Tempest | the deepest selection, split between 64-67 and 68-72 castings because the frame and the steering are different. |
| Full Size/Big Car | Catalina, 2+2, Grand Prix and Bonneville, 1 3/4" D-port with a 3" collector. |
2. Port shape and primary diameter
Match the flange to the head you actually have, then size the tube to the engine, not to the biggest number on the shelf.
| D-port | the factory shape on most Pontiac iron. Doug's D-port sets run 1 3/4" primaries into a 3" collector, which suits a stock-to-warm 326-455 street engine. |
| Round port | for Ram Air style iron and for Edelbrock heads. Doug's round port sets use 1 7/8" primaries and a 3 1/2" collector. |
| 2" primaries | offered for 400-455 only, and they are the sets with the tightest clearance rules. On the A-body 2" round port header, Doug's states it will not work with factory air conditioning cars. |
3. Coating is a real decision
| Raw or black painted | Doug's standard headers arrive with a raw finish ready for your own paint or coating, and the black painted versions are paint, not a heat barrier. Cheapest way in, and fine on a car that gets driven dry and stored inside. |
| Metallic ceramic | Doug's ceramic sets are pre-polished and coated to a high luster, rated by Doug's for corrosion and heat resistance up to 1400 degrees. This is the one to buy if under-hood heat or a driven car is the concern. |
| Stainless | Doug's all-stainless sets and American Racing Headers 304 stainless are the buy-once option. Note that American Racing Headers states its products are manufactured for racing purposes only. |
If you are unsure which flange your heads take or whether your car has the accessories that force a clearance problem, call the shop before you order. A header is a lot easier to pick correctly than it is to return.
67-69 F-Body, 1st Gen Firebird 70-81 F-Body, 2nd Gen Firebird/Trans Am 64-72 A-Body, GTO, Lemans, Tempest Full Size/Big Car
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.