TRexGAWD

There's only a 10 lb-ft and 4 HP peak gain in that comparison.. if you want to compare that to the near 30s with long tubes for (triple the gain for double the price) then go ahead. Not to mention the potential with long tubes for future mods. Shorties will never flow as well and will restrict when you really want to open her up.. But if that's all you have to spend and don't want to do the difficult job of LTs then by all means install shorties.. Otherwise, still a waste of money IMO and I don't think they sound nearly as good as LTs.

Pete's GT

I guess my only fear with doing the tune was somehow messing something up and not being able to fix it. I know its really just a plug and play type of thing, still made me a little nervous going in and changing things. Thats why I changed my mind from doing LT's to just throwing in some nice shorties.

breathegood

Focusing only on the peak numbers is a pretty miopic view of performance. To simply write shorties of as a waste for every situation is foolish. It really depends on how the car is driven. At the track or on the dyno, sure long tubes are going give you the best peak numbers every time. When it comes to daily driving and street use, shorties offer greater improvement through the mid-range.....you know that area of the tach where most of us spend most of our time.

Compare the numbers in that article again, only this time pay attention to the difference in torque thoughout the low to mid range. 18ft-lbs at 3000rpm makes passing people on the freeway a lot more exiting than the torque LOSS you would likely experience with long tubes at the same engine speed.

I'm not an advocate of shorties over long tubes by any means, but blanket statements like "shorties are a waste" are not good advice. There are other reasons besides a peak HP number to install shorty headers. Emissions compliance, no need for a tune, and daily driving with limited track use are very good reasons that shorty headers might be a better choice for some.

OP - with no tune, CAI and/or headers aren't going to do much for you. You would get more out of a drop in K&N air filter and a canned tune than a no-tune CAI or headers....for about the same price.

AJSpags

I was in the same boat as you, I never thought about doing a tune because of the possibility of ruining something. Well I got set up with a Diablo tuner and thought what the heck, so many people have them I might as well try. The tuner walks you though everything with simple "yes" or "No" questions that any one would know. All I can say now is that I am a believer in purchasing a tune, it was by far the best upgrade I have done. Do not worry about messing anything up it's easier then any other upgrade and will pay off the most. PURCHASE A TUNER!

jdmcbride

+1000! But I gave up a long time ago trying to state my opinion that shorties are better for daily drivers and long tubes are better for the track. Even after seeing a graph on an episode of Horsepower TV showing the following engine dyno comparisons for shorties, mid-length, and long tube headers...



So I give up... LONG TUBES OR NOTHIN'! LOL

TRexGAWD

Wat? Most long tubes don't experience a torque loss at that RPM, maybe at lower RPMS like under 3k or 2k.. But at mid-range RPM (What most people use for passing) is a gain in torque. And it only climbs to redline. I don't know anyone that passes a car on the freeway and stays under 3K rpms where shorties out-perform LTs. I can speak for myself if I downshift to pass in an N/A car I will climb to at least 4500 rpms which will feel a lot better with LTs compared to shorties. I've had both, the only good thing about shorties is they're easier to install and you don't have to change out your stock mid.

And emmisions? Since when does the header have anything to do with that. As long as you maintain a catted mid you will pass emmisions. Also a tune is recommended for any mod done to these cars, and can be done with a canned tune, no need for dyno. Is it needed for shorties? No.. But a tune is usually the first recommended mod... And again, the potential for LTs is still much higher for any future mods.

Pete's GT

This is my daily driver, and I won't be taking it to the strip or track. So like jdmcbride said, shortys are better for a daily driver. If the tuners are as easy as you all are saying I guess it would make it hard to mess something up. I guess my next step is buying a tuner, then a nice set of shorty headers. Should I go with a CAI or just get a K and N drop in filter?

mayo

Well said my man!
And like I said before, do not forget the added sound benefit
that goes along with the shorty install as well.
If you want to go with a tune contact the guys at brenspeed, great bunch to deal with!

HxCGuitars

FWIW, I went with the Pypes longtubes, which really are more of a midlength design. Best of both worlds, mix between the shorties and true longtubes. If I had a choice to do it over again, would I choose the Pypes? Yes. That said it's completely up to you. You will notice a performance increase regardless of what you choose.

That is if you get a tune, though. A tune is the #1 best thing I've ever done to my car. I had just an intake and tune and drove a stock car and it felt like a slug compared to mine. Now with the headers she runs even more. As others have said, I think I'd skip both if you really don't want to tune. Go with some appearance mods and enjoy your straight pipes. Happy modding!

808muscle

Call brenspeed and order a tune and CAI. Longtube headers are worth it. Look at my signature, I have loads of mods and yes my car is a daily driver. Its also my racecar. I race the sh*t out of it every month. Over 200 passes at the track in the last 3 years. These cars are stout and can handle the pain. Mod it up dude!