911 headers

[faapgar]

Hi,what are Georges Headers.I never see anything that looks like it could flow and make power?

[Matt Monson]

George used to own and manufacture European Racing Headers. Really nice pieces that he made for PCA and old IMSA guys for a couple decades. We used to be willing to wait a couple months to get a set made.

He passed on a few years back and the fiberglass and carbon body parts guys at GT Racing in Colorado Springs bought all the jigs and rights to the company from his family.

You say they don't look like they could flow and make power but he was actually one of the few people back then who understood the idea of a tuned exhaust. For many years you would see this rubbish about how backpressure is the enemy and that you need to get rid of it. George understood that the headers were a component in the overall idea than an engine is an air pump. One needs backpressure for low end torque. And "low end" isnt' the same on all engine. Biggest isn't always the best from a performance standpoint.

He used to make specific sizes with maximum limits on engine displacement. No, you wouldn't want to put a set with his 1 5/8" pipes on a 3.6. But put a set of those on a little 2.0 or 2.2l R or 906 spec engine? Yeah. They made some more power. If buying them used today, or selling them, you need to know which ones they are. A set of those 1 5/8" would be perfectly fine for a 3.0SC engine on carbs and a mild cam. But a race engine that revs to 8000 of the same displacement? You might get choked a bit on the top end.

[faapgar]

I have not seen a set of his headers that I know of but I may have seen a set that were his and did not know it was from him.Motors are just air pumps.I have designed and built my own headers since the late 70,s.Every different size engine has a specific length of its tubes and diameter.It is not black art but an exact science.I built a 3.4 with PMO Carbs for Howard Altman from Easton Pa.for club racing in 2000.It made 408 H.P.I used the same dyno as Peter Dawe for 30 years from Hank Clarkson.After two seasons the motor needed to be freshened.He called me but I was retired.He had it redone and they changed the cams,heads and exhaust and then it only made not quite 355 H.P.He sold the car and bought a cup car.Email me for a picture of my last system at carolapgar@hotmail.com Fred

[rgofast]

We run George's 1 1/2" OD headers on our 2.7 short stroke engine. When I asked Woods about this, he said he uses this size all the way up to 3 liter. Unlike our diesel, where we run a 4" open exhaust, you need some back pressure, especially if you are going to use the car on the street. We cannot run the stinger mufflers on the street, as there was not enough back pressure during transition. Ok if you are going flat out. We were able to tune a flat spot out by adding backpressure.

[faapgar]

Hi, good commentary.I liked the response.I hate to think our tuning is down to a SW chip.Good Picture.Where are the good header pics.I love to see an ad for a motor with x power but the exhaust is not included.Keep them coming.I loaned Grady Clay one of my 914-6 exhaust at the runoffs.It was hard to get it back.Actually one of the really good guys.Nice man.Ciao