[1]The aftermarket has taken on the new 2014 C7 Corvette with a passion – just weeks after the first cars made their way to customers’ driveways, we’re seeing a slew of parts for the brand new Stingray here at the SEMA show. One company on the forefront of parts development for the car is American Racing Headers [2], who had not one, but two different header designs on display.
Like many other manufacturers, ARH started off with long-tube headers for the LT1 – available in either 1 7/8- or 2-inch diameter, 30-inch-long primary tubes, the 4-into-1 headers are designed to work with the company’s high flow catalytic converters, which then connect to the rest of the stock exhaust.
Per ARH’s Nick Filippides, with no change to the stock tune, these headers make an additional 20 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque, but he points out that they really require reprogramming the ECU both for maximum power and to prevent check engine lights.
[3]“Since we had the jigs built, we decided to make a mid-length header as well,” Filippides added. They feature 1 3/4-inch primary tubes, and through careful placement of the bungs for the factory O2 sensors for quick light-off, issues with check engine lights are averted. Filippides claims gains of 21 horsepower and 29 pound-feet with the mid-length headers, and says the goal was to make a bolt-in part that didn’t require reflashing the PCM for proper operation.
[4]ARH has also introduced these long-tube headers for classic C3 Corvettes with 1 5/8-, 1 3/4-, and 1 7/8-inch primary tube diameters. They’re designed to work and fit with the factory crossmember for easy installation.
ARH continues to be at the forefront of development for new applications like late model Corvettes, Mopar muscle, LS swaps into Fox Mustangs and classic GM performance cars, and even brawny European V8’s. Here’s a look at some of their swap offerings: