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dan668s
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Performance Headers GTV6

Post by dan668s »

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience with the performance headers from Internation Auto Parts?

http://www.international-auto.com/index ... sid=905043
Image

I've heard that these ain't very good performance-wise, does anyone have any experience with these headers?

They are reasonably prices at $585.
The CSC headers costs about $769, are they worth the extra money?
Alfa Romeo - The thinking man's car!
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2004 Alfa Romeo Sportwagon 1.9 JTD
1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5
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Post by Greg Gordon »

A few people have had problems with fitting issues, but in most cases they are minor, just needed mounting hole enlarged, or something similar. In any case if you plan to have them coated you must test fit them first.

I have not seen any comparison of V6 headers ever. The school of thought seems to be that CSCs are the best. However there are a few types coming out of South Africa that are probably better.

For most applications the IAP headers are probably just fine. I know the Vick Autosports GTV6 race car uses them and it kicks butt.+
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Post by dan668s »

Thanks for the information Greg!

Another advantage with the CSC is increased ground clearance over the original headers.

How is the IAP-headers in this area? I've read that the CSC offers about 2-3mm of extra ground clearance. Does anyone know if the IAP headers give any more ground clearance than the original headers?

I'll lower my car in about 3weeks, so I'll need all the ground clearance I can get to be able to get my car in and out of the garage :wink:
Alfa Romeo - The thinking man's car!
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1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5
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Post by dan668s »

Thanks for the information Greg!

Another advantage with the CSC is increased ground clearance over the original headers.

How is the IAP-headers in this area? I've read that the CSC offers about 2-3mm of extra ground clearance. Does anyone know if the IAP headers give any more ground clearance than the original headers?

I'll lower my car in about 3weeks, so I'll need all the ground clearance I can get to be able to get my car in and out of the garage :wink:
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1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5
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Post by Greg Gordon »

I have no idea about ground clearance. I have never used headers on an Alfa. Perhaps someone else can chime in.
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Post by fortom »

Hi Greg , any idea of the manufacturer in South Africa?
Barry , Kevin can you guys shed any info.I had a wildcat on my 159i before i left SA.
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Post by kevin »

Hi Tom, About ten to fifteen years ago Wildcat exhausts was run by the chairman of the Alfa Club Of SA , so there was a lot of interest in making headers for all the Alfas. Also the GTV 3.0l (group 1 spec) came with a great set made by them. However, today the current owners dont even know what a GTV is BUT if you bring the car in and tell them what you want they will do it for you, thats why I made a template so I dont have to send a car in every time. With the template I show the chap the basic parametres and he welds up a pretty good set .(I supply the laser cut flanges top and bottom). Unfortunately i dont do this anymore as it becomes more expensive to ship them than make them AND now the gov wants an export license.
I think those CSC are the best from what I hear.
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Post by MD »

dan668s

Some basics to consider if you want to make more than a cosmetic difference to your primary exhaust pipes (headers, extractors).
1 They should be of equal length and all pipe of the same diameter.
2 Ideally, the merge collector should have a volume of twice that of one cylinder.
This provides an isolation between the primary pipes and the atmosphere and ensures that the collector does not appear as simply more pipe to the exhaust gas slug.
In the example of the system you indicate at the start of this thread, from what I can see of it, they do not meet this criteria and I would suggest that you could expect little preformance change from your standard cast manifold.(If looks is what you are after then they certainly look cool and there is likely to be a tonal change in the exhaust note that might suggest more power).
Please note formula correction in item 2.
Last edited by MD on Fri May 05, 2006 2:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by dan668s »

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

I've ordered the CSC headers last night as that was the best system I could find for a reasonable amount of money. I got a qoute for a custom made system, but that would cost me 3 times as much as the CSC-system, so I figured it wasn't worth it.

MD, the CSC system are supposed to have primary pipes with equal lengths, so it should be better than the IAP-headers I posted a picture of earlier.

I ordered the CSC kit complete with all gaskets and bolts and the price was only £385,- from EB Spares (www.ebspares.co.uk).
Alfa Romeo - The thinking man's car!
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2004 Alfa Romeo Sportwagon 1.9 JTD
1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5
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Post by kevin »

Barry, post a pic of those headers made by Wildcat (20 years ago) on that red GTV 3.0l 12v rocketship I test drove two weeks ago. This car has great torque at low down an still pulls wildly at 6000rpm. I think that collector box could only hold about 800cc. These headers are of equal length but are not ideal if you still want to keep your waterbottle. They start upwards unlike the other sets available so the collector box is know where near the bottom of the sump like the other sets. Hence ground clearance was never an issue.
I think at the time there was between 7 and 10hp difference between those and a set with unequal lenght headers.
By the way that rocketship 12v has many other mods that make it go like it does. Maybe Barry might share some of those secrets in those heads.
MD, im working on a set of equal length headers for the 24v motor and will try to have the collector to match that volume by merging it into the secondry pipe constantly. Like the old M5 Bm headers.(three month project)
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Post by Zamani »

Most commercially available headers don't have the collector to hold 1500cc. Not only that, nearly all are not the merge type.

Beninca's 24V headers have very long and shallow angle collectors. And they're merge collectors too. Not the simple dump all 3 pipes into a chamber deal.

The SZ manifold I use have very small simple collectors. I doubt if they even hold 400cc.

Maybe a modified CSC headers (just the collector part) would be ideal. A flat 3-1 merge collector should be reasonably easy to build, but you need a good band saw. I think lots of the Porsche 911 series aftermarket headers use 3-1 flat collector headers.
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Post by Greg Gordon »

All this talk of CCs and collectors has me confused. I think I will just run 6 individual pipes right out the top of my hood.
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Post by Mats »

cc and collectors? Never heard of it? Another urban myth or is there some scientific backup?
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Post by Micke »

Didn't U C it on the latest DTM and F1 cars :shock:
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Post by MD »

Hey Greg,

I gotta chalk this one up. You finally cracked me up. :D

I guess you'd have to go with a bit style too and turn them into high eflux velocity trumpets !!

One good horn is not bad but six is just off the Richter scale !! :D :D
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