Benefits of Upgrading to High Performance Headers

a white car
  • 3-10 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 150-500

High performance headers aren’t just for your style, though they certainly add appeal when you race down your street. These headers also help to make your car a better performing vehicle from the start of the race to the finish line. The benefits of upgrading to high performance headers are hard to ignore, even if you don’t race cars—yet. Here are some things to keep in mind.

High Performance Accessories
Performance headers are taking the place of traditional exhaust systems, adding more pipes and flashy tubes. Those who race can enjoy a boost from behind as the pipes push out exhaust with force. Loud and hard to ignore, high performance headers are available at specialized auto accessory shops as well as through online retailers and auction sites.

Boost Your Speed
The main benefit of high performance headers is the boost in speed you get. As you're driving your car’s thrust is limited to the speed at which your engine pushes you along. But with headers, you can increase your speed since exhaust is being pushed out of your car’s backside. While this doesn’t seem like a lot of force, a car which is designed for racing has a large engine and will notice a better start with the introduction of headers. You will need to remove the regular manifold and notice an immediate difference in speed.

Increase Your Style
The high performance headers are difficult to ignore because they stand out in the design of your car. Added to the front of the car as well as to the sides, they can be shined up to work as part of a theme design. The more piping you add, the more stylized the car will be, which helps in intimidating the competition. In contests of car appearance, high performance headers help to create a unique look for modern and for older model cars. Polishing up the headers before a competition can boost your race confidence too, which can give you the edge over others.

Better Gas Economy
Since your racing car is going to be heavier, you need more torque to push it up the hills or down the road. With high performance headers, you will get that extra push. This improves your gas economy as a result. Instead of using the traditional exhaust system, you will boost your expulsion of emissions, allowing the engine to run better. In cars which use nitrous for a boost, this is especially important. You need to be able to expel that gas as quickly as possible to get the speed you need. However, you need to keep in mind that the larger the header, the more it can interfere with speed, so stick to headers which sit closer to the car body.

High performance headers are going to help you get out of the starting gate more quickly, speed along more efficiently, and burn less fuel as a result. No matter what your style, there’s a header for your next race.