Clifford headers, opinions please.

Richie wrote:

Mark, the exhaust sound video is from the car you saw at the Redneck Rumble a few years ago with Don Coatney (47Plymouth)

Did you have any serious issues putting the headers in your 49? Did you wrap them? I don't want any surprises once I start the job. Don may be on the market for a Hudson !!! Richie.

Don's car sounds great. Mopar flatheads sound generally good with a true dual exhaust.



However, nothing else on the planet sounds like a Hudson.



I had no issues with the "shorty" header install other than the draft tube problem already mentioned. We simply cut the draft tube off and piped it out of the way of the headers with flexible tubing.



One thing I'd add is to go ahead and buy the soft aluminum or thick annealed copper header outlet flange gaskets - and do not use the fiber ones provided with the headers. They are much easier to install before your pipes get connected/fabricated. Being the el-cheapo I am, I first used the fiber ones, and they lasted about 30 seconds. The problem is that if you over-tighten them, they break. If you under-tighten them, they burn through. The soft metallic ones, you tighten down really tight - they are soft enough to take on the imprint of your flanges and stay put.



On the other hand, the muffler/pipe shop did have a time bending the pipes and fitting them under the spartan-like belly of the Hudson. Getting the pipes to the Header flange bent to miss the crossmember and stay inside the sub-frame rail is by far the toughest job. The header outlets are so close together when viewed from behind, it makes pipe fitting tough and flange gasket replacement tedious - hence use the right flange gaskets the first time.



I haven't seen anyone exposed to the Hudson that didn't get converted, Remember - I started out a mopar man myself! Coatney is just in the process of being converted too.



Mark