Printed in The American Tri-Five magazine in Volume 7 : Issue 1

Everyone has a certain perception of what a gasser is supposed to look like. Some prefer to keep the a-arms, some want a straight axle. Some want a big, radiused wheelwell, and some prefer the stockers with a skinny tire. Some want a tilt front end; some prefer the factory panels. Honestly, that’s part of the fun of the whole deal, making it what you want. But most can agree, a set of long, in-your-face fenderwell headers are one item that is truly at home on any nose-high Tri-Five.

There’ve been multiple options available for some time now, with Doug’s and Hooker being the current off-the-shelf offerings, along with your standard swap meet fare (but those are quickly drying up). Patriot has long since offered off-the-shelf big block header options, but us mouse motor guys were left in the dark.

Until now!

Patriot’s small block Chevy fenderwell headers are just what the doctor ordered: a reasonably priced header chock full of options to rival their big dollar counterparts. Ticking off boxes like 18 gauge 1.75” primaries, 5/16” flanges, smooth and precise bends, 3” collectors, these headers are a no-brainer for both the “street gasser” crowd as well as the dragstrip diehards.

Let’s take a look at features, and get a set of these installed!

Straight out of the box, the first impression of these headers is just that…..impressive! Build quality is second to none, exactly what you’d expect from a set of headers twice the price. Precise bends, good looking welds, and in our case, a nicely applied black, hi-temp finish. These headers are available in bare steel, and a polished silver ceramic coating as well.

Patriot tags all of their header products with this handsome emblem. Everyone will know where these guys came from!

As stated earlier, thick 5/16 flanges, as well as raised ports at the flange-to-head, will provide a leak-free sealing surface with ease.

Along with the headers themselves, Patriot includes everything you’d need to install your headers: hardware, gaskets, and even three-bolt 3” to 2.5” collectors to make hooking up an exhaust a breeze….if mufflers are your sorta thing…..

As with any pre-coated header like our Patriots, they should not be used to break in a new motor, especially a flat tappet engine, due to the cure process and high temperatures generated by break-in. The 355ci bullet in my delivery was a new build when installed, so I opted to use a set of headers older than I am to accomplish said break-in. With break-in complete, they’re destined to be wall hangers! Also note, even though common sense may dictate, inner fenderwell removal or modification is required for this style header, no exceptions!

I’m a big fan of high-temp copper anti-seize on header bolts, especially when aluminum heads are in play like my BES-built mill. This will not only prevent any galling, but aids in fighting corrosion that is inherent between two different types of metal mated together.

Start all your bolts by hand. Always good practice, even more so on delicate aluminum heads. These guys can and will cross thread with a quickness, and repair is never fun.

With the headers in place by a few bolts, it's good practice to check to make sure there is ample clearance where necessary. Some configurations may require slight modifications, but these Patriots were a bolt-up job, even in tight areas such as when head studs are used. This can be a problem spot with other brands.

Again, check for clearance at the steering and clutch linkages. Also, note the plug wires being ran under the headers; these are off-the-shelf wires from Moroso (p/n 73709), and couldn’t fit better if you made them yourself. A real time saver!

Once you’ve verified clearance Clarence, or made necessary adjustments, go ahead and insert the rest of the header bolts, and torque them from the middle out, this will be the most even manner of torque. Make a couple passes at them, but no need to get silly; they’ll take a re-torque once the gaskets are seated, and the headers have been heat cycled.

And just like that, install is complete! Give the headers a quick wipe down with a small amount of degreaser or isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free cloth (I prefer painting prep cloths from DeVilbiss as to not leave behind any fuzzies) to remove any grease/oil from your hands, and fire them up!

The fit to the fenders is great. Not too close, but not excessive. And flanges are mounted far enough up that making the bend to run exhaust along the rocker will be no problem.

Alright, now that we’ve shown them installed out of the box…..maybe you’re like me, and can’t leave anything alone. This car is a perfect example of that, what started as a perfectly drivable car I put 40,000+ miles on a year ago, was taken apart to be turned into the rowdy, raucous gasser it has become. So, some modifications to the headers were next.

I had no intention of ever installing an exhaust on this car. So, the 3-bolt flanges were removed in favor of some collector extensions, not only for aesthetics, but for some additional power. I added roughly 8” to the bottom to bring them even with the fender bottoms, but this number will vary with different motor mount setups. A simple measurement will verify if you go this route.

Along with the collector extensions, you may have noticed the crankcase evacuation setup on my break-in headers. I opted to keep this with my new units, in place of using a PCV setup or a crank-driven vacuum pump.

While the black finish is handsome, nothing screams 60’s to me like a set of white painted headers, so the black hi-temp will serve as a primer. A quick scuff job with a red Scotchbrite pad will make for solid adhesion.

I’m partial to VHT product myself. Their flat white header paint (p/n SP101) has always been my go-to. Start light, multiple coats, and two cans should be perfect for a set of big, long tubes like these Patriots.

And voila! The final product, with a couple “Speed Kills” style modifications!

…and showing off the new extended collectors and evac setup. The nice thing here, is even if a couple modifications are your thing, these headers are the perfect economical jumpoff point. Again, absolutely nothing “needed” at all out of the box, but if you’re looking to personalize a set, Patriot offers the perfect start too!

Check out our header selection here.