BBK 1-7/8-Inch Long Tube Headers; Titanium Ceramic (11-23 Mustang GT)

Video Review & Installation

Hey, guys. Stephanie with AmericanMuscle.com, here with my review of BBK's Long Tube Headers, available for 2011 and up GT Mustangs. These BBK long tube headers are going to be a good option for the guys out there that are looking for a more budget-friendly long tube header for a more heavily-modified car, like one with forced induction or a nitrous car. And for someone that wants a ceramic coated header, the runners on these headers are 1 7/8 inch, which is slightly different than the 1 3/4 inch offering, and the smaller diameter is traditionally going to be a better option for naturally aspirated cars or those with mild bolt-ons. So just keep that in mind when shopping for long tubes.So this is a ceramic coated header, which is going to be different than a chrome header. BBK does offer these same headers in chrome if you're looking for a more polished finish, and chrome headers are going to be a little less expensive. But the ceramic coating's going to reduce underhood temperatures, and it helps to improve the flow of the exhaust gases, because the coating forces the header gas to only expand one way, and that's out the back of the exhaust. And that's also why you see claims that ceramic coating is going to help increase horsepower. The exhaust gets pushed out faster thanks to the coating, which then makes room for fresh air to enter the cylinders faster. The ceramic coating is also going to prevent any corrosion in the headers and keep them looking better for longer as opposed to chrome or polished headers. The ceramic coating can dull over time though, but the coating isn't going to come off or anything. It just changes in color slightly. And you can see here that BBK gives these headers a polished silver coating, so I'm just going to go ahead and say that over time this is probably going to dull. If you're not really into that dull appearance, you do have the option of the chrome headers like I said before. These are made from CNC mandrel bent tubing, which is going to help with smoother air delivery. The header flanges are one piece and laser cut, which is going to help give them strength and going to keep them from leaking. Like I said before, these are off road headers. And since we're on the subject of cats, let's talk about the rest of your exhaust set-up. Whenever you go from a shorty of factory header set up to a long tube, you are going to need to change your mid pipe to a shorty mid pipe, or if you have an S550, you're going to be looking at header adapter mid pipes. Now with both mid pipe types you will have a choice of going catted or non-catted, and they're going to be three-inch down to two and a half inches for a factory or aftermarket cat-back. The long tubes alone are going to change the sound of your exhaust, and when you combine that with changing your mid pipe, you can expect a pretty big difference in sound here. Obviously, if you go uncatted all the way, it's going to be louder than if you stick to high flow cats, but either way you're looking at a brand new sound and tone when you're done. So, if we move onto price, we have to kind of face it at this point and know that long tube headers are going to be a solid investment. They're pricey and difficult to install, but I'd say that they're worth it at the end of the day. The options from BBK are definitely more affordable than others out there, especially if you're shopping for an S550. If you are, you'll notice that BBK is the only company currently producing long tubes for under a thousand bucks, and even if you have an S197, you're still looking at a grand if you want to go with the big players like Kooks, LTH, Borla, Stainless Works. And then also keep in mind that if you don't already have a shorty mid pipe, you're going to need a little cash for that as well. But at the end of the day, you're looking at both power and sound gains here. In fact, you can expect gains of 20-25 wheel horse, depending on your set up and tune, in addition to an awesome change in your exhaust tone. And speaking of a tune, you will need a tune after the install here. Anytime you go with a serious mod like this you can pretty much expect to need a tune along with it. As for the install, there's no way to sugarcoat this one, guys, and I don't say this often, but if you don't have a helping hand or don't have much experience, it might be better to just take the car to the shop for the install. If you do tackle this yourself, it's going to be a full three-out-of-three wrenches on the scale and a day in the garage. You can do it on jack stands, but a lift will make it easier for sure. So, wrapping things up here, the BBK long tubes are 1 7/8 diameter, they come in either chrome or with a ceramic coating, and they're going to offer some performance and sound gains. You will need to grab a shorty mid pipe, and while long tubes are expensive overall, these ones right here are some of the most budget friendly ones that you can find out there on the market. You can check them out more online for yourself right here at AmericanMuscle.com.