YoungMounty
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- April 4, 2010
- Messages
- 315
- Reaction score
- 4
- City, State
- Alabama
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '97 Mounty 5.0 V8 AWD
Alright, some of you know about the new release TMHs from Al's Headers in Anaheim, California. Some of you don't. This thread, I hope will clear up some confusion for those that, like me, are/were skeptical.
I heard from a member on here to contact Erica at Al's Headers for the TMHs because Bob doesn't deal with them anymore (leads me to believe Bob got them from Al's all along). I was skeptical, nobody had been this route before, but I bit the bullet and ordered. $734 to my door for the up to 1996 1/2 model 5.0s. $834 for years after that. The communication was great and the headers arrived a little later than estimated, about 4 weeks total; this scared me at first, thought I had been swindled but Erica stayed in touch with me the whole time and I had a tracking number so it was all good.
The TMHs arrived and I couldn't stop looking at them, but this "conveniently" fell right on when I started college. So being extremely busy with class and everything I shopped around for installation prices. I went to 8 mechanic shops in my town and they all said no, no price no nothing... just a flat no. I went to a local 4x4 shop and was quoted $360, not quite out of my price range but I had one place left to go to, a place that's been in town for a while. This shop had been around so long the did exhaust work on a Cutlass my dad had back in the 70s...
I rolled up to this shop and the guy fell in love with the headers, you could tell he truly loved everything to do with cars, he didn't want to put them down! He quoted me $160 on the spot. I tried to keep my cool but it was pretty clear I was excited. We made a plan to meet the following Monday and I would hand over my keys. I left it there for 5 days, getting back on Friday (I actually rushed them to get it off the lift Friday so I could have my car for that weekend, the proved to be a mistake).
I started driving and noticed a burning rubber-ish smell and it was sputtering with a flashing CEL and a really, REALLY rough idle. Funny thing is, I had been through this before and knew immediately what it was.... spark plug wire. I bought a new set and went ahead and replaced all of them, putting heat socks on them, and carefully routing them. 2 of the old ones were burnt in half and 2 more were charred and snapped in half when I went to pull them off. I had been running on 4 cylinders pretty much haha
I've been driving with the headers on and the new wires for a little over a week and I can't begin to describe the difference. Acceleration is phenomenal, highway driving is a whole different game, and gas mileage (when I'm not romping on it) has increased by about 2-3 mpg.
For a little background my mods include lift, 31x10.50 tires, CAI custom exhaust work all the way back (minus two cats) brush guard, winch, rack, etc. These headers are like driving a new car. IT CAN BREATH!!
My mpg calculations have been made using my ultra gauge (Ultra-Gauge) which I trust fairly well. When I get on the gas the mpg is about 13 (what it was before) and when I drive normally (aggressively) it is about 15-16.
Worthy upgrade, any questions ask away.
Also, I bought the ARP bolt set suggested by another member and also because I always here good things about ARP bolts.
Ask away!
I heard from a member on here to contact Erica at Al's Headers for the TMHs because Bob doesn't deal with them anymore (leads me to believe Bob got them from Al's all along). I was skeptical, nobody had been this route before, but I bit the bullet and ordered. $734 to my door for the up to 1996 1/2 model 5.0s. $834 for years after that. The communication was great and the headers arrived a little later than estimated, about 4 weeks total; this scared me at first, thought I had been swindled but Erica stayed in touch with me the whole time and I had a tracking number so it was all good.
The TMHs arrived and I couldn't stop looking at them, but this "conveniently" fell right on when I started college. So being extremely busy with class and everything I shopped around for installation prices. I went to 8 mechanic shops in my town and they all said no, no price no nothing... just a flat no. I went to a local 4x4 shop and was quoted $360, not quite out of my price range but I had one place left to go to, a place that's been in town for a while. This shop had been around so long the did exhaust work on a Cutlass my dad had back in the 70s...
I rolled up to this shop and the guy fell in love with the headers, you could tell he truly loved everything to do with cars, he didn't want to put them down! He quoted me $160 on the spot. I tried to keep my cool but it was pretty clear I was excited. We made a plan to meet the following Monday and I would hand over my keys. I left it there for 5 days, getting back on Friday (I actually rushed them to get it off the lift Friday so I could have my car for that weekend, the proved to be a mistake).
I started driving and noticed a burning rubber-ish smell and it was sputtering with a flashing CEL and a really, REALLY rough idle. Funny thing is, I had been through this before and knew immediately what it was.... spark plug wire. I bought a new set and went ahead and replaced all of them, putting heat socks on them, and carefully routing them. 2 of the old ones were burnt in half and 2 more were charred and snapped in half when I went to pull them off. I had been running on 4 cylinders pretty much haha
I've been driving with the headers on and the new wires for a little over a week and I can't begin to describe the difference. Acceleration is phenomenal, highway driving is a whole different game, and gas mileage (when I'm not romping on it) has increased by about 2-3 mpg.
For a little background my mods include lift, 31x10.50 tires, CAI custom exhaust work all the way back (minus two cats) brush guard, winch, rack, etc. These headers are like driving a new car. IT CAN BREATH!!
My mpg calculations have been made using my ultra gauge (Ultra-Gauge) which I trust fairly well. When I get on the gas the mpg is about 13 (what it was before) and when I drive normally (aggressively) it is about 15-16.
Worthy upgrade, any questions ask away.
Also, I bought the ARP bolt set suggested by another member and also because I always here good things about ARP bolts.
Ask away!