Topic: 66 Coupe 289 Headers?

[teven_69_2]

Hello fellow Mustang owners, I have a question. Now, just to let you all know, I'm new at this so please bear with me!

I just bought my 66 about 2 weeks ago, damn near in Mint condition. No Restoration, all Original. She is an absolute Beauty. I like the feel and the rumble of her 289, and I want some more torque, and power directly to the wheels. I was talking to my enthusiast car friend and he was telling me to look into Headers, H-pipe exhaust type system. I'm starting to understand more and more about my car, but still so much to learn. Can ya'll help a fellow owner out? It would be much appreciated!

Steven!

[Soaring]

Why would you want to screw up a perfectly good classic Mustang?  These 65-66 model Mustangs were not designed for racing or big power output.  They were designed as a poor man's sports car.  That 289 with the stock manifold has plenty of power to pull that light little car down the road fast enough. 
Now, the problems you will face if you go ahead with trying to change out the manifold with a header, is that the header will hit the starter, will heat up the starter and cause starting problems.  However, putting on a dual exhaust system with either an "X" or "H" pipe will increase your air flow, giving you some gain in HP.  I have a dual exhaust system with an H pipe on my mostly stock setup and really like the sound and the feel.  I would start there, then add the headers later if not satisfied. 

[teven_69_2]

Hmmm, good call on not screwing it up. See this is what I needed, another owner's input. I think I will go with the H-pipe, and leave out the Headers. Small then moving up to something big is a good call and thank you for helping me realize that! If I were to get an H-pipe set up, should i get it pre-fabricated or go to a muffler exhaust shop and pay a lot of money to get it done there, when I could easily put on the pre-fab myself? Well please let me know and thank you for your input! It really does mean a lot!

[Thierry]

Welcome to the forum Teven.
 I have nothing against modified classics if it's done with taste or if it's to improve performances but unrestored and original Mustangs in this condition are getting very hard to find and if I was the owner, I would leave it as it is or sell it to buy a Mustang to restore and modify.
 For the H pipes you can buy them at any Mustang parts store. You can search on Google for "h pipes classic mustang" to find them. Any garage will be able to install them for a reasonable price if you can't do it yourself.

[66GTKFB]

A Mufler shop will install 'their' pipes and muflers by welding them to your frame. It will be messy. A reasonable stock replacement exhaust system can be obtained from most Mustang mail order stores for under $300. It can be installed in your garage in a day. There are a couple of problem areas you should be aware of: the flexible brake hose to the rear axle may have an interferrence fit with the left hand pipe; you need to drill four 3/8 inch holes in the body behind the rear seat to install the mufler hanger brackets; the rear exaust pipe hanger holes do not exist on your car and cannot be added but you can use the shipping tie down plate holes as a substitute; a special rear left hand shackle is needed to facillate spring removal.
Jim

[rmodel65]

if its original and you wanna keep the stock look, id jsut order up a set of hipo manifold and the hipo h pipe and have it installed the gain will nto be as great as headers but you will gain a little flow and still look stock to 99% of on lookers

[teven_69_2]

A Mufler shop will install 'their' pipes and muflers by welding them to your frame. It will be messy. A reasonable stock replacement exhaust system can be obtained from most Mustang mail order stores for under $300. It can be installed in your garage in a day. There are a couple of problem areas you should be aware of: the flexible brake hose to the rear axle may have an interferrence fit with the left hand pipe; you need to drill four 3/8 inch holes in the body behind the rear seat to install the mufler hanger brackets; the rear exaust pipe hanger holes do not exist on your car and cannot be added but you can use the shipping tie down plate holes as a substitute; a special rear left hand shackle is needed to facillate spring removal.
Jim

Jim,

I have the muffler hanger brackets from the previous owner. He was going to put a new exhaust on her before I bought her up, so had started getting the parts together, but never finished. The reason I'm now putting an exhaust on her is because he had cut the tail pipes off right before the muffler. It sounds strong and sexy, but I would like better performance along with that sexy rumble. If I drilled those 4 holes in the rear floor panel would they most likely pop through the carpet? Or would I need to be super careful? If the rear exhaust pipe hanger holes do not exist, then how did they stay up before they were cut off???

Well thank you again everyone for you input, its just making me think more, and more about what I want, or what I really don't want!  Opening my eyes to a whole new world. I think that when I first bought the car, my main goal was to keep it stock. Keep it true. I wouldn't have changed anything on my baby, except that its altered before I got her. So here I am trying to keep true..... Thanks for your help gentleman.

Steven

[66GTKFB]

Remove the rear seat. On the 'hump' for the rear axle there are two pads stamped into the metal where the brackets and holes go. The two studs on each bracket exits to the underside. The pads are about 10 or so inches either side of center. Two 8-18X3/8 sheet metal screws keep the bracket in place. Go to  http://www.virginiaclassicmustang.com/ and enter EH661 in the search section for a picture. Be advised that this is a poor reproduction of the correct part.
Jim

[Soaring]

Yeah, Jim and Steve are fart smellers.  errrr....smart fellers.  I simply took mine to a Midas Muffler shop and had them weld mine in.  She sounds great, and I didn't even have to get dirt under my fingernails.     I am not a devotee of clamped on muffler systems.  I hit a deer one time, and that sumbitch ripped out my whole muffler system because it was clamped together.  You also don't get any leaks with the welded method.  Trust me on this.  Take your muffler and exhaust system to a qualified muffler system welder if you can't do it yourself.