1968 Camaro (projekt 1sickT8)

[Rod]

Love this whole thread Rod! You are making quite the name for yourself in autocross circles. I read in one of the mags (car craft?) that said you were running Sanderson headers? True? I thought this might have been an error from the magazine as I did not see anything in regards to them in the thread. If you are running them, which model? and do you recommend them? Thanks, Mark

That was not a misprint, I am running Sanderson Headers, One thing that drag racers and road racers have in common, is a need for power, but that is where it ends. Drag racers want peak HP and but for my PT car I need a larger power band range. Most headers are the common long tube 4-1 design that promotes maximum peak horsepower, with the common primary tube diameter of 1 3/4" for quick exhaust scavenging and a collector size of 3" seems to be the most often offered. Both of these measurements are really bigger than needed for a typical SBC or LS engine (even my 6.0 LS is just 363.9 cu in, hardly bigger than a 350) in most uses. In my case, with a 6.0 LQ4 LS engine and a focus on low-end and mid-range (this is an autocross car after all!) - the vast majority of the headers out there just weren't the right fit for me (there desighed for top end), at least not as I see it, here's why:

When I built the car the first time with big headers & big tubes (3") & big mufflers, the car was noisy but not fast-- pipes hanging down dragging on dips, and making it virtually impossible to drive over train tracks.
When I switched to a smaller exhaust pipe (2.5") the car was peppy around the track; next a switch to the cheapest header I could find with small primary tubes (I used a cheapo summit brand exhaust for $79.00) and car was even faster off the line than I could have hoped for, but still hung down below the frame.



So this is what I need:




•Ground clearance. not hanging below the frame. we have bumps and dips while racing.
•Good low-end and mid-range speed. I should have more acceleration at low engine speeds than the competition
•Low weight. Header weight is up on the nose, and top-heavy

I needed a header that *should* meet these requirements. Being lucky enough to have a header manufacturer a mile from my shop helped the process a lot!

I explained my needs to my friends at Sanderson Headers and after 2 weeks and several fittings, I ended with the header design with a Primary Tube Diameter of 1½", a Collector Diameter of 2½", and weighing in at just 13 LBS complete with bolts and collectors in plain steel (no-coating), dropping another 25+lbs off the nose of my Camaro "Plain Jane".
This design is now available from Sanderson Headers as Model # V8RLS1 in plain steel or ceramic coated and fits perfectly in a First Generation Camaro with an LS engine swap.
I have an AGR power steering box and the stock clutch linkage (Z-bar) and this header configuration clears around both.

They have been on the car since febuary 2012 and I havent had one issue