FE Headers

[Doug I]

Oh I think it'll be fine Craig. We know the players in this and now that a game plan is in place it'll be fine.

If not we know where he lives

[lovehamr]

Update! After talking with Tony and getting that great offer from he and then Reg, I went down to the TRR and met Reg face to face for the first time. He was quite busy at the show but still talked to me for a good 30min about the ins and outs of putting an FE into a BDR. They also do not have an FE or a car for an FE to work on in Boynton Beach which works out nice for me. Seems there are quite a few tricks to getting this accomplished that I'd have had to find out the hard way. Things like the steering column has to come out before the engine will fit in and several more. Having my new motor hovering above my car only to realize that it wasn't going to fit would've sucked big time. I say "would've" because Reg decided that he wanted to have his guys do the engine install as well. As he said, the BDR was not designed with the FE in mind even though it can be done. But to be done requires some tricks that his guys already know very well. Of course he could've also been thinking: (now ya gotta read this with a SA accent in your head) "There's no way I want this big oaf messing about in a car my guys are going to work on." That being said, I couldn't care less. The BDR crew themselves are going to bolt my engine in, doing all the little mods necessary to get it done. Then they're going to fix me a set of headers which will work, insure that my side pipes are aligned, send my headers out to be coated, reinstall them, then bring my car back to me next week! All I can say is "Holy crap guys! Thanks a ton!" Here are a few pics of the car and engine being picked up last night.


The engine, BH and trans along with the car and the the transport with Bill heading down south with BDR687.

I'll let you know what happens next week! Steve

[Excaliber]

This is the first time I've ever heard of an FE being installed in a BDR.

Interesting comment that they couldn't find an FE in SA, not surprising I guess when you think about it. What a nightmare the installation must be!

I would highly recommend the Rem Flex soild graphite exhaust gaskets. There pricey but they are the ONLY exhaust gaskets I've found that gave a perfect and LASTING seal on my FE. Man I spent some money and some time on various exhaust gaskets before I found Rem Flex. I even tried the all copper high dollar gaskets, those eventually leaked as well. Here's a link:

http://www.remflex.com/exclusive_features.htm

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

I would highly recommend the Rem Flex soild graphite exhaust gaskets. There pricey but they are the ONLY exhaust gaskets I've found that gave a perfect and LASTING seal on my FE.

I guess $60 for a set of exhaust gaskets is pricey - I was expecting them to be over $100 or something.

I want to know why the FE gaskets are nearly twice the price of every other model, though...

[Cashburn]

Where's your clutch fork? Or HTOB?

[lovehamr]

Ex, I've got some carbon/graphite gaskets that I'll be trying first.

Jay, don't have that set up as of yet. Turns out my Shiefer flywheel is for a Long style clutch and as you know my clutch is CF. It seems like whenever I do a project over time I do something like that. What can I say, sometimes I'm a tard.

Steve

[Doug I]

So burn-outs by Christmas

[lovehamr]

LOL, I doubt it'll be that quick. But shortly after the new year!

[Doug I]

He's from SA - offer him a 6-pack of beer. He'll have it done by the end of next week.

[Excaliber]

I have some slight warpage on one corner of my headers, that was the problem. The graphite style have terrific "crushability" to make up for that. I wasn't aware of carbon/graphite type gaskets, sound like a similiar deal though. Good stuff.

[lovehamr]

Here's an update after my post of 12/9/09. Well, last week came and went without BDR687 in my garage. I'd planned on calling Reg this afternoon but he called me first. He said that my engine is in the car and that the headers are finished but not coated. He gave me the choice of black or shiny coating and I chose black (not into the polished stuff really). Then he did something that I found rather refreshing; he told me that while they could make a special trip up here and get it back before Christmas, he asked if they could bring it up on a trip that they already have scheduled into GA on the 5th or 6th of Jan. I mean, he could have made up some BS about a supplier or something and not even offered to do it until after the first of the year and I thought that was pretty straight forward. So I told him the 5th or 6th would be fine and he promised to call on the first or second to confirm. And that's where we are, I don't have my car yet but things are headed in the right direction.

Steve

[rustyBob]

you have to be happy that this is comeing to an end........you'll finaly get to drive your Cobra.....

[madmaxx]

I had a Backdraft and found the quality to very good, not representative of the headers sent. It makes sense they headers were sent semi-fabbed for final fitment here.

It always bewilders me how manufacturers let little items fester to they boil over then all hell breaks out and it cost them a multitude of what it would to just do it the first time.

I guess in hindsite there was not a muffler shop that could have made a set local?? I know you should not have had too but there is no way I could have waited 7 months. I would have also invoiced the OEM for the cost and then if not paid the post would have flown.

Cant wait to see the final picutures!!

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

I guess in hindsite there was not a muffler shop that could have made a set local?? I know you should not have had too but there is no way I could have waited 7 months. I would have also invoiced the OEM for the cost and then if not paid the post would have flown.

Cant wait to see the final picutures!!

I live in a very small town in south GA, yes we have a couple of muffler shops here but I wouldn't want them working on my Cobra. If this hadn't panned out I would be taking the car to my brother inlaw's place in NC to get them done. I went through this with my Boss 302 as well. I wound up taking it to a shop in Savannah, who assured me that they could do the job, and when I picked it up all they had done was beat the **** out of my headers. Hell, I could've done that. In the end there, the original supplier (FPA) remade one side for me and it fit like a glove.

Steve

[lovehamr]

BDR687 is back home!!

Guys I could not be more happy! The engine is in, the headers fit perfect and look great. I've probably got a couple of weeks of sorting things out to make them the way that I want them but the BDR crew has come through in a big way. Here are a few pics as she now sits:

Side pipes are level and straight


The headers are beautifull!







Unfortunately there is no way I can use my cool H/M valve covers


This is with the VC a good half inch off of the head


The BDR crew has really come through for me. I have to thank the big man Tony Martin for kicking this thing into gear. Tony, you asked me once what it would take to get me on your team? Well mate I am firmly there "on your team" now. Once Reg was cut loose by the factory he got my car worked right into Custom Cars schedule even though they were quite booked up and still are. Thanks Reg. Bill was responsible getting my car to and from my house even though he had the job and personal things pulling him in vastly different directions. Thanks Bill.

And Jay at Vintage Motorsports; thanks for sticking with me man! Guess what? Those guys even swapped the Nittos for the F1s. Can ya believe that? Good thing I never cashed that check..........

Steve

[6t8stang]

Very cool...and looking good! That's got to be a good feeling having that much progress and back in your garage! Way to step up guys - I hope a few lessons were learned so no one has to go through this in the future!

[Doug I]

any ideas on the valve covers you can use?

Those are some nice looking headers - a much better indication of what BDR typically does.

[Cashburn]

Good news all around. I am glad to hear everything worked out. Sometimes it's not the problem but the solution that needs the "press". The tire swap is icing on the whole cake.

You were more than patient and I guess there was a reward for that after all.

Now start a new thread where we can discuss the valve cover issue specifically.

[rustyBob]

now thats how headers should look........nice job........
its a shame about the H/M valve covers.......

[cdnus]

Great job--to everyone involved. THAT'S the way to turn things around.

Congratulations

Craig