I don't post alot but I have been diligently reading for about a year now and have a question that I could not find any clues on through searching.

My original stock exhaust setup is in dismal condition. After taking the down pipe from the collector to the CAT flange off and putting it back on to replace oil pan and other maintenance things my gaskets are obviously leaking exhaust gases. I took off the heat shields to check the condition of the manifold and yeah its cracked. So I'm thinking of buying an ebay header. Just wanted your input to see what kind of results you guys have yielded from these.

1) Is there any true significant power gains I should expect?
2) Which is the best quality?
3) Is there going to be side effects from not having heat shielding?

Heres some of the ones I like:

Extreme Racing Team

Quality Performance

OBX Ceramic

All input is greatly appreciated Thank YOu

you can get maybe a couple horsepower . i would say go with dc headers . good quality . you dont need the heat sheild

I personally have the OBX 4-1 in stainless steel. I didn't notice any difference in performance but it did change the sound a little. I regret ever buying it though since now I am going turbo but since yours is cracked I would highly recommend the OBX stainless steel. I got mine for around $200 or so and it's stainless steel so it won't rust. I was very surprised by the quality and it looks great! I wouldn't waste your money on an expensive one. The OBX includes all but one gasket, the very last one that connects to the cat.

I bought a greddy 4-1 on ebay for $130 shipped and it is in excellent condition, and it's stainless. Just shop around and you'll find the deals