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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    White
    2002 Pontiac Trans Am

    Kooks or Pacester LT+Y on my 2nd bird

    Good morning everyone!! I recently bought my 2nd bird (2000 TA, M6) which came with a stock exhaust, and want this to be one of my first mods. I have been researching and listening to various combos for days and came down to the following sounds I liked. LT + Y with either Magnaflows or Hookers, so here's the setup I want to go for,

    Kooks LT + Y with Magnaflows or Hookers

    or

    Pacesetters LT + Y with Magnaflow or Hookers

    I have the Hookers CB on my stock 2002 TA which sound Great but want something identical but louder. One of my ?s, Kooks are way expensive and better quality, but would they more or less sound the same as the Pacesetters? Overall, which combo would be louder (No cats) with better performance. Sounds clips are nice to hear but may be misleading. Any info is greatly appreciated guys and thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Veteran 35th-ANV-SS's Avatar
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    Red
    02 35th LE Camaro SS

    I've never heard anything bad about Kooks. They are one of the two best brands of headers you can purchase. Install them once and never worry about them ever again.

    Any header that is not stainless steel will eventually start to rust.

    I vote Kooks with Magnaflow if you have the coin. I have the Kook's 1-7/8 LTs and the Kook's ORY. Nice piece.

  3. #3
    Senior Member tatertot91's Avatar
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    Sunset Orange Metalic
    2001 Camaro SS

    Kooks hands down (look into ARH headers as well)
    Magnaflow hands down
    /End of thread

  4. #4
    Spaz is My Mentor SMWS6TA's Avatar
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    Navy Blue Metallic
    98 T/A w/ mods, 00 FBVert

    Here's mine, Pace Setter LT Race Style (EGR Delete) Ceramic Coated with TS&P ORY.

    The rattle you here in the middle of the clip was the baffle in my muffler that went out. Had to replace it the next day. Sounded like someone threw a bunch of coins in it after the clip.

    I have Magnaflow on now and it is just pure

    http://www.fquick.com/videos/Headers..._pre_tune/8969

  5. #5
    Senior Member NeeD4SpeeD's Avatar
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    Collectors Edition Yellow
    2002 Pontiac Trans AM WS6

    Kooks.... No contest.

    Pacesetters are a nice quality budget header but they WILL need to be replaced eventually because they are not stainless steel and the ceramic coating can only do so much before you have some ugly brown mild steel pipes. Put the extra coin into 1 7/8 Kooks with the 2100 Degree Jet-Hot coating or you can go with the lesser one. Will be around $1k and you will never need another header, and will not need to worry about heat soak from exhaust temp because of the jet-hot.

  6. #6
    Impounded
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    Kooks FTW
    no cats on the Y
    and if you want loud...
    SLP Loudmouth II

  7. #7
    blah '02 WS6's Avatar
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    black
    '02 trans am ws6

    Ceramic Coated Pacesetters are gonna last a long while. I have yet to see a set "rusted out". There's +10 yr old cars with them and they have some browning on the collector a bit, but primaries are still perfect. Hot rodders used Hookers and Heddmans for years before the stainless wave came in, and the world got caught up in it. If you have to have stainless save some $$ and go with a Fleabay set.
    '02 ws6.....mods? nope

  8. #8
    Senior Member NeeD4SpeeD's Avatar
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    Collectors Edition Yellow
    2002 Pontiac Trans AM WS6

    Quote Originally Posted by '02 WS6 View Post
    Ceramic Coated Pacesetters are gonna last a long while. I have yet to see a set "rusted out". There's +10 yr old cars with them and they have some browning on the collector a bit, but primaries are still perfect. Hot rodders used Hookers and Heddmans for years before the stainless wave came in, and the world got caught up in it. If you have to have stainless save some $$ and go with a Fleabay set.
    Believe it or not i actually have a set of Pacesetter ceramic coated on my old 346 that came with the CETA and with about 4K on the headers they are fully brown and the car does not go out in the rain or any sort of bad weather.... Maybe i got a bad set but seing that made me decide to spend the extra money and go to stainless.

  9. #9
    Junior Member
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    White
    2002 Pontiac Trans Am

    Great info guys!! So after seeing some comments, I'm going to opt for the Kooks for the LT &Y combo and still debating about going with the Magnaflows or Hookers. But I'm leaning towards the Magnaflows. I should be gettn them soon and can't!! Like I've said, I've heard numerous clips with these combos and sound great, or at least the way I want my TA to sound. Thanks for all the input guys.

  10. #10
    Impounded
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    get magnaflows over hookers

  11. #11
    TunedbyFrost.com Tuner Frost's Avatar
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    Why the odd set of apples and oranges in the header-compare area?

    It's like... I'm going to get a new car. Should I get a lower-end Kia or a fully loaded Cadillac? .... I mean, both of them are cars that can get me around.

    For the $$, you can't beat TSP's 1 7/8" headers

  12. #12
    Senior Member tatertot91's Avatar
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    Sunset Orange Metalic
    2001 Camaro SS

    Quote Originally Posted by Frost View Post
    Why the odd set of apples and oranges in the header-compare area?

    It's like... I'm going to get a new car. Should I get a lower-end Kia or a fully loaded Cadillac? ....
    That's what I'm wondering. Both are nice headers but they wrent in the same class really. I can see kooks, arh, and qtp maybe

  13. #13
    Member Guerrillakilla13's Avatar
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    Silver
    2002 Trans Am WS6

    Pacesetter headers aren't reliable?? I thought they were at least decent...

    Hookers are so dang expensive though, twice as much as pacesetters plus more. My local corvette shop (yeah, corvette, but they said they could work on mine ) wants to charge 1500 for everything. I thought that was way too much just for headers and install.

    MyNightmare2002TA, share us a vid of what it sounds like. I'm also in the business for a better sounding T/A

  14. #14
    Impounded
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    Theyre cheap

  15. #15
    Senior Member NeeD4SpeeD's Avatar
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    Collectors Edition Yellow
    2002 Pontiac Trans AM WS6

    Bottom line....For a small budget Pacesetters are your best bang for the buck along with perhaps TSP. If you have deeper pockets or the money to spend Kooks Stainless are at the top of the line along with select other stainless brands (Hooker, ARH)

  16. #16
    Senior Member tatertot91's Avatar
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    Sunset Orange Metalic
    2001 Camaro SS

    I don't kow if I would go out putting hooker next to arh and kooks. Are their LTs even stainless? If I'm notmistaken hookers are pretty close to pacesetter in price as well

  17. #17
    Senior Member NeeD4SpeeD's Avatar
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    Collectors Edition Yellow
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    Quote Originally Posted by tatertot91 View Post
    I don't kow if I would go out putting hooker next to arh and kooks. Are their LTs even stainless? If I'm notmistaken hookers are pretty close to pacesetter in price as well
    Hooker makes a line of stainless headers that are going to be released shortly if they haven't been already PN HOK2291-2 for approx $755.99 1 7/8" primarys, look pretty good from what i remember.

  18. #18
    Senior Member NeeD4SpeeD's Avatar
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    Collectors Edition Yellow
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    I've heard Hooker stainless was good quality that's why i grouped them with ARH and Kooks. I could be wrong as i have never personally worked with them/used them just going by what i heard.

  19. #19
    Slow'er'Ass Mr. Luos's Avatar
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    Red Tint Jewelcoat
    2008 Trailblazer SS

    On a budget?? Get the Pacesetters. Good product, pretty good fit, decent lifetime.

    I highly recommend the Kooks if you can afford them. Worth every penny.
    I had them on my T/A and after 5 years (mostly fair weather, sometimes drove in rain) and they looked a little heat touched but that was all.
    I had a set of SLP longtubes on it before I did the stroker and Kooks.....rust was showing after 8-10 months of the same weather. Of course, I would rather cut off my dick than use SLP pipes (and most of their products anymore).


    I know both Pacesetter and Kooks have longtubes for the TBSS. I will likely go with Kooks when I find them on sale. Truck sees all weather.
    2008 Trailblazer SS
    Yank PTB3600, Kooks 1 7/8" LT's, 4" intake, E-fans, Magnaflow, Sonnax kit, tranny cooler, tune.
    Lowered, HID's, tinted.

    1999 Pontiac Trans Am WS.6 #1747 SOLD
    531.1 RWHP 481.3 FT/Pounds all motor.

  20. #20
    Impounded
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    Thumbs down

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Luos View Post
    On a budget?? Get the Pacesetters. Good product, pretty good fit, decent lifetime.

    I highly recommend the Kooks if you can afford them. Worth every penny.
    I had them on my T/A and after 5 years (mostly fair weather, sometimes drove in rain) and they looked a little heat touched but that was all.
    I had a set of SLP longtubes on it before I did the stroker and Kooks.....rust was showing after 8-10 months of the same weather. Of course, I would rather cut off my dick than use SLP pipes (and most of their products anymore).


    I know both Pacesetter and Kooks have longtubes for the TBSS. I will likely go with Kooks when I find them on sale. Truck sees all weather.


    yeah look into Texas Speed LTs if youre on a budget. great price and TSP is a good product.
    however i disagree and honestly have NO idea what Mr. Luo is talking about!!!! the SLP LTs have great reviews! everyone loves them...everyone!!! that is if you like rasp....horrible fitting...dragging...and way over priced items

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