This is for Lightning owners that have Long Tube Headers on their trucks now. We are trying to put together a bunch of facts for our new website and our advertisement that is going in Sport Truck magazine.

First off,

What do you think of the quality of the JDM/Kooks headers and complete exhaust system?

For those using Bassani cat-backs please post how well the headers and mid-pipes connect to the cat-back.

Second,

The sound! Do you prefer the single muffler or dual muffler?

Performance gains! Horsepower and Torque either by dyno of ***-o-meter.


Please only post in this thread if you have long tube headers.

Thanks,

Jim@JDM

 

No crap starting here Jim, just replying to answer your questions.

"What do you think of the quality of the JDM/Kooks headers and complete exhaust system?"

Quality is top notch on the headers. No comment on the complete setup as we've not used it.

"For those using Bassani cat-backs please post how well the headers and mid-pipes connect to the cat-back."

Everything fit fine. Was a bit of a bear to get the cat back on the midpipes because of the already clamped tubes, but that's got nothing to do with the midpipes.

"The sound! Do you prefer the single muffler or dual muffler?"

I prefer a dual muffler, but I wouldn't mind a single casing, if the internal chambers were seperated. (dual mufflers in one case)

"Performance gains! Horsepower and Torque either by dyno of ***-o-meter."

Power varies per truck. We've seen some trucks pick up 15hp, and some pick up 5hp. I can't say that I've ever seen a truck LOSE power with the setup.

Hope this helps.

 

1) Headers were a great mod, I do not have the complete system so I can't give my opinion on it. The fit was great and they are top notch construction. I would not hesitate to buy another set for the Gen 3's The fit to my Bassani was perfect. Like Sal said, my catback was already crimped but 2 seconds on a pipe expander fixed that no problem.

2) The sound is to die for. Again I have Bassani so it is a dual muffler setup. I did not do a before after dyno so exact numbers I am not sure of. But in the beginning of last year at the track I was consistantly .15 faster than an equally modded truck. Only thing he was lacking that I had were the headers.

--Joe

 

I love them, fit great even thou I moved the motor back and down still fit fine.so I can only image how they are to install on a factory located motor.
sound weeeeeeeeeeellllllll,mine is diferent from the rest but I love it sounds like a sport bike on steroids.
Gains, we will see how they are when I show up there in Feb.But how the truck felt before and now there is no comparation.stan

 

I have the Full JDM exhaust system on my truck, Coated Long Tube Headers, High flow Cats and the Twin Oval Mufflers.

First off the fit and finish are top notch, and it has the sweetest sound. When you are cruising they have a nice quiet rumble, but once you hit the throttle it is a whole new beast. On a convoy to the track this spring with a bunch of Cobras and vettes, everyone told me it sounded like a jet plane. They could not belive how good the JDM system sounded when I got on it. When Corvette and Cobra owners are impressed with my exhaust system, that is when youu know it is a great system.

I perfer the dual oval mufflers, as my truck is a daily driver with 42,000 miles on it. You can take 4-5 hour drives and it doesn't drone on the highway like many other systems do.

As far as the performance of the system, I am sure with out the Full JDM exhaust system I would not have been able to run in the 11's this past summer in 95+ degree weather.

Here are a few pictures

 

Very high quality.
I love the noise they make.
I have the dual muffler setup because it is louder than the single muffler.
I did several modifications at once so I don't know 100% for certain if there were any power gains.

 

Very high quality!!!

Easy install and the JDM/KooKs headers are an excellent fit. Simple install on jack stands. Turns heads as I rumble down the street with the silver bullit(two round mufflers).

A$$-O-meter big gain.... along with proven gain of 3 tenths in the quarter mile last year FFW Ennis.

The complete headers back really opens up the exhaust track

 

This is exactly what I'm looking for Sal. I've never seen a truck only pick up 5 horsepower. What did the truck have done to it and was the horsepower increased after the truck was retuned to the headers?

On average people will see 15-25 peek horsepower gain. But most pick up between 30-40 horsepower thorugh the whole midrange with 50 ft/lbs of torque. Have you seen this on any of your customer's trucks? This is the average we see here in our shop on the dyno with our customers depending on the mods.

This could help the whole Lightning community especially for those who have saw minimal horsepower gains and maybe we can help bring them up to the full horsepower potential.

Jim@JDM

 

I have the full system with the "Silver Bullit" exhaust. I have the undisputed loudest truck in the club. Reminds me of the glass paks I had on my 58 chevy when I was a kid, and yes I can remember back that far.

Performance gains in the 1/8 were about .15 but I have a 4 lb pulley and I believe the system works even better with pulleys than on stock because it elimanates the back pressure from the factory precats. Fit was excellent with no problems. After I got the headers and cats installed, it only took 45 minutes to hook up the rest of the exhaust because all the parts fit so well.
People pull up next to me on the street and complement me on the great sound my truck has. Hellava System.

noelvm
THE WINNINGEST LIGHTNING IN THE UNITED STATES


Hey Don, I love that nice neat hole you cut in the heat shield for the 02 sensor relocation. Really classy. Is that a show truck or what. I just cut mine off with a sawzall. No shows trophys for me. LOL

 

well the fit on my Kooks long tube headers I bought from PSP was very good. the cat pipes seem to be pretty good also, but the midpipes just have never seem to fit right with my bassani exhuast. there not to far off from being centerred right. they sound great and the seat of pants feel was incredible on my truck. The "Kooks" headers are good in my book, a little pricey but what other choice do Lightning guys have.

 

Jim,
I have the full system with the full "silver bullet" exhaust. I second what Don's Bolt and noelvm both say. Fit-up great, sound great, power gains noticable but no before and after dyno data to quantify an exact comparison.

 

Jim, You guys installed the complete system on my truck last year @ the FFW in Norwalk, Ohio. The quality of the system is second to none! I have the dual oval mufflers that shaun recommened,and does it ever sound sweet. I always get a lot of compliments and the track on how my truck sounds going down the 1/4 mile. I don't have any dyno info, but my truck seems a lot stronger in the mid to upper range! I am very happy with the system and consider it money well spent! Jim

 

I searched on Bassani's website and couldn't find a complete exhaust system for our trucks but did find their shorty headers at a list price of $900. The JDM/Kooks' list price is $845. So we searched around and the cheapest we could find the Bassani shorties for was $540. With our January special they come close to that. Back in the old days we installed some Bassani shorties and it actually takes longer to install the Bassani shorties than the long tubes. The complete dual muffler system with the JDM/Kooks headers is $1695 for the month of January. I'm not sure how much a complete system from Bassani is. Some people say $2100 and I've heard as low as $1800. I feel the pricing is close to the other systems that are out there for our trucks and yet with our headers you pickup horsepower throughout the whole RPM range.



Joe,

In what way did the pipes not fit right? In what way do you think we can improve upon the fit? This is the first I've heard of somebody having problems with the mid-pipes. Maybe you can take some pictures?

Jim@JDM

 

Jim, if I recall correctly, back when I was selling the systems, I think you went through a transision where you guys revised how you made the mid pipes. I think the early ones were welded up matched to the headers, and HAD to bolt on a certain way. I recall you going to a different method that eliminated that. Joe may have a set of the early ones.

 

I love my longtubes!!! Fit was great!!! I dont have the full exhaust from JDM so I cant comment on it but it fit my bassani perfect. The sound is very loud and I love it... but my neighbors hate it LOL!!!!