Any help on where to find, if available, a high performance exhaust system, headers Etc. for a 69 Electra with a 430
how is the 430 header different than the 455? they're almost exactly the same block. different frame / routing before 71?
thanks for the clarification. that is what i meant to be asking with different frame / routing before 71? though. sigh, why couldn't buick have kept things simple, eh?
Save the 430 engine and TH-400 trans, and just swap your 69 electra body for a 69 skylark body. Dropping a thousand pounds off of the platform makes an unreal difference. That 430 has a lot more potential in a lighter car....with stock manifolds!! :Brow: :TU: Just my opinion though.
I have a '69 electra, and headers made for Skylarks don't fit because Electra's are rear steer. meaning the steering box is further back on the frame than a skylark(which is front steer). On the passenger side, Skylark headers fit. Also on the transmission crossmember the exhaust cutouts are closer together on an Electra. Although I've seen headers modified to fit.
Suggestion: If 'lark headers indeed fit on the pass side, then get a banged up/rusted driver's side to cut and experiment with as a mock-up. Is it maybe a matter of getting a just a few primary tubes re-routed? If you find this is so after the mock-up, then order a new set and have the header shop customize your driver-side. Should be cheaper that way. A custom/home-made cross-member should also be relatively inexpensive. Hope this helps a bit.
the corner muffler shop has an artist in there. he makes them as he goes. flat metal and runs the pipes. hes in his 50's and must have done this for years i am sure but try some of those old muffler shops and see what you come up with. maybe you get lucky and find a guy like we have over here.
I've built quite a few headers from scratch. Some of them from the flanges up. As you can see in the avatar of my 462" powered 32 roadster. It can be a lot of work, but you can turn out a pretty nice set first time around if you can weld ok. And if you can't, tacking them and having a welder friend do the finish welding on them works well. Fwiw - I have access to TIG and MIG welders and still prefer to build headers with oxy-acetylene. One really good trick I learned that makes life easy may not help you Buick guys cuz I did it with FE Fords, but maybe.... Take note of the smallest car your particular engine came in. For me, the 67 GT 390 engine I had in a 59 Ranchero did not have a specific header available for it. Since the 390 came in the Mustangs it was easy enough to buy a set of headers for the 390 powered Mustang and use them in the Ranchero. The right side was a bolt-in with no problems. The left side required one pipe altered a bit. Turned out to be a nice set of headers when done. When I moved the 390 to a 62 Ford wagon, the same trick with the headers was done. A different brand of headers this time around, but they were the headers for 390 powered Mustangs. Almost the same deal as before - right side bolted on. Left side required two pipes to be altered. Either way it was no big deal and easily done. Even if you ended up with only one pipe usable on the left side, you'd be ahead both $$-wise and time-wise to buy the small car headers for the big engine and build the new pipes as required. Building headers is not a black art as some believe and it's easily done at home if you have a welder. Most times you'll end up with a better product than you can buy commercially. Not to mention saving a chunk of change....
