[incinerous]

Ive been looking at the 97 ford probe header set for $200 with y pipe, my question is the vulcan v6 was used in the probe and does it have the same bolt pattern as the duratec? And does anyone have experience using a mazda header setup? I have seen some posts from the contour group about the mazda headers but didnt get a clear answer if it worked or not with or with out modifications. I'm really thinking if the headers match up I could modify the y-pipe to clear the alternator bracket or what ever is in the way. The routing of the cougar exhaust manifolds is less than ideal to run a true dual set-up, but I've been contemplating buying a mandrel bend set from amazon and welding up my own and using the existing flange's off the stock header/precat. I'm just not willing to spend the amount money msds is asking or any other company making these headers. anything over $300 is just ridiculous for a set of headers on this platform. Theres less than $50 bucks worth of material and to think paying someone over $500 to weld it is even more insane. IDK maybe im just to practical to entertain the thought of aftermarket headers.

 

[B3NN3TT]

MSDS used to be $250 for just headers. Have you contacted them? Anything else is pretty much knock-off junk.

 

[incinerous]

MSDS used to be $250 for just headers. Have you contacted them? Anything else is pretty much knock-off junk.

835 bucks is whats listed in todays market, cheapest SS set ive found is 200 but its for mazda 626 or probe up to 97. Im gonna try and find the bolt pattern for the flanges and see if the vulcan and duratec are the same. Make my modifications as needed. IDK i might just have to make my own.

 

[B3NN3TT]

835 is probably headers and y-pipe, jet -hot coated, with all hardware and MIL eliminators. And it’s worth it. But you can contact them and order a la carte and provide your own hardware, coating and MIL eliminators and save a ton.

There’s no way the Vulcan had the same flange.

 

[Beans]

Probes and 626's dont run duratecs. Won't fit.

Mazda6's do, but it won't be 100% bolt on.

 

[mmc757]

The budget option your looking for is to gut the precats.
Its not the same as headers but it does provide a noticeable difference, and its basically free.

 

[mmc757]

... I'm just not willing to spend the amount money msds is asking or any other company making these headers. anything over $300 is just ridiculous for a set of headers on this platform...

MSDS used to be $250 for just headers. Have you contacted them? Anything else is pretty much knock-off junk.

835 is probably headers and y-pipe, jet -hot coated, with all hardware and MIL eliminators. And it’s worth it. But you can contact them and order a la carte and provide your own hardware, coating and MIL eliminators and save a ton.

Its been about two years since I ordered my headers, un-coated, without a Y-pipe for $275.

Also, your not just paying for a couple pounds of steel and some welding. Your paying for the engineering, testing, marketing, and continued support. I'm not saying headers shouldn't be affordable, but the juice has to be worth the squeeze for any manufacturer to continue offering a product. Like it or not, we drive a dead platform and very few suppliers are interested in offering anything for us. Even the benefit we used to get from the popularity of the Mondeo is waning as Europeans are being pushed out of their old cars by impossible MOT standards.

 

[mmc757]

I was looking at the 03+ Mazda 6 headers this morning and I can understand the temptation.

The rear looks like its nearly a carbon copy of ours. The front is very different though.ill
It would be a big risk to order headers for another car. There's a strong possibility that they wont fit in our engine bay at all, and even if they do, you will still have to come up with a custom Y-pipe that will finish the job.

Try it. If they fit, then we'll know. If they don't fit, you can sell them on ebay or a Mazda forum.

This photo is of OBX brand headers. They used to carry headers for us even though they don't list us anymore. It might be worth shooting them an email to see if they could still make a set.

 

[B3NN3TT]

Those gaskets look to be all wrong. And the "Y-pipe" will never go around our oil pan. Lots of work to make that fit, if it's even possible.

 

[mmc757]

That was my first thought about the y-pipe too. Upon closer inspection, the length of single pipe at the top of the photo combined with the front header might just be roughly equivalent to our front header plus some extra length. It wouldn't bolt right to our Y-pipe but it would be a relatively easy fab for an exhaust shop. Obviously the two pipes with the flex joints don't look like anything on our cars but the rest isn't really that far off.
The 6 uses the same oil pan we do so presumably it wont run into that, but its hard to tell if it would run into the subframe or anything else.

 

[Beans]

mazda 6 stuff fits as mentioned. Ypipe is not bolt on.

https://www.fordcontour.org/topic/11950-mazda-6-headers/

 

[mmc757]

I didn't catch that elevation change before the "Y-pipe" section. That's interesting. They must have a much larger center tunnel than we do.

 

[incinerous]

I appreciate all the feed back, I'll send an email to msds, and obx in the near future, im still looking at making a set myself, would be nice to have a mock set other than the stock version to get it right the first time, as we all know there isnt much room for error. This site never ceases to amaze me with the participation for a 3 year production model car. Thanks again guys.