Neal, Just ordered some 304 stainless pieces yesterday (22nd) from Stainless Works(Ohio) and Burns Stainless(CA). Ordered less than I'm going to need, want to get started so I can get a better idea what's needed. Looks like about $700 to $800 just in parts and materials, just for the headers/collectors. No wonder stainless isn't commonly done.
And lets not even talk about 2 $275 racing cat.conv's and 2 $150 supertrapps.
And if you got it all from Burns Stainless you'd be looking at $1500, including "merge" collectors at $336 each. This is top line racing stuff though. I got some 4" radius bends from them 'cuz no one else has them.
Decided on stainless 'cuz it's so much work building headers, only want to do it once. And it's the nicest for maintainance, it can be left bare and although it turns colors like chrome, unlike chrome you can clean/polish it back to normal. Stainless also does not transfer heat as much as steel, so insulating coatings are not neccesary. More heat is retained thereby increasing gas velocity. And stainless is more heat resistant strength wise.
Of course you could step up to titanium or Inconel, with Ti starting at $25 per foot unbent. <grin>
http://www.burnsstainless.com/index.htm
top end racing stainless, best selection, GOOD TECH ARTICLES
http://www.stainlessworks.net/
best prices, good selection
http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Hooker.html, limited stainless, lots of mild steel, including flanges, can be purchased through Summit
http://www.stahlheaders.com/index.html
mild steel only, big selection
https://ssl5.mysecureserver.com/bosstoolscom/store/store/comersus_dynamicIndex.asp
mild and very limited stainless
figured out the firing order with the later engine. Not much different from the original. Going to swap 6 and 7 in the pattern to get the rotational scavenging. The different firing order means the rotational direction is opposite. This is good, means you can pattern off the original headers (nice drawing in the original parts manual), changing 6 and 7 doesn't look too hard.
[ October 23, 2002: Message edited by: Kalun D ]
[ October 23, 2002: Message edited by: Kalun D ]