Ceramic or Stainless Headers?
 

Hey there, I was looking at changing out my headers but I have come across 2 questions that I can't find answers to.

1. what is the difference between ceramic and stainless, other than the heat suppression in ceramic, and which one would be better for a daily?

2. Long tube or short tube? I am not sure which would be ideal

I have a 2004 G35 coupe

The general consensus on here about headers is unless you're doing a major rebuild and/or adding FI headers aren't worth the money. They're incredibly hard to install if you DIY and very expensive on labor if you have a shop do it for you. The gains are minimal on a mostly stock motor.

Oh okay, well thank you for your time. Appreciate it.

No worries that's what we're here for. Spend a couple hundred dollars and get a plenum spacer, 5/16" is the most popular for everyday driving. You'll get a 10-15HP bump and they're incredibly easy to install. The VQ is a well designed motor from the factory and real power increases are really only reachable from forced induction. The spacer will alleviate the design flaw that doesn't allow enough air to flow through the plenum into the motor.

Headers mostly just shift what rpm the engine makes peak power (EDIT: on the G35 anyways, some vehicles they do add a lot of performance because of restrictive factory exhaust manifolds). For most NA applications the factory headers are not creating a point of restriction.

As for the SS vs. Ceramic, there's actually a few reasons why you would want them ceramic coated. First off it add corrosion protection, secondly it decreases (slightly) the amount of heat radiated off the headers, lastly it looks really good.

There are no reasons to NOT get coated headers but they are more expensive.

Yea I got a 5/16 spacer already installed with my cold air intake. I also got the motordyne shockwave exhaust system with Berk resonated test pipes. I am just looking to see what I can do to further the gains without having to live out of my car 😂. What are your thoughts on a bigger throttle body?

Sounds like you have all the breather mods, get it tuned and call it a day.

Further gains...Osiris tune!

I did tomei headers. I coated them with zycoat. It keeps the surface temps down. Keeps the heat in the exhaust. The headers improved throttle response, engine sound and made the car rip to redline which is very different from how it felt before installing them. I would say they are worth the effort and cost for how much different the car feels and sounds now. When you take the stock ones off and compare you will laugh at the oem design and wonder how your car made any power at all. If you have done all the mods you listed already i will tell you a throttle body will make no difference at all. The engine can only ingest so much air through the oem maf and intake pipe...the throttle is not a bottle neck...and there is something to be said for velocity. Bigger throttle can decrease port velocity which drops hp. I have seen it on every car forum i have been a member of. Bunch of unsubstantiated claims with improvements that can be compared to statistical dyno noise or in many cases lower hp numbers than without it...not worth it even on a 500hp forced induction fd3s. Osiris tune is 100% worth it. Do the headers first so that you dont want to try to squeeze a few more hp out and need a retune.