Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums - Camaro5.com - Doug Thorley headers and axle-back ROCKS!

Their Customer Service is second to none and their products are even better!

Sorry, it's a bit long winded:

Here's the story

Okay, So I bought Doug Thorley shorties from Summit Racing (I LOVE Summit Racing, They are such a professional bunch of peeps) and they arrived as promised. I have had many sets of Doug Thorley headers in the past on off-road race cars. They are as sexy as hell, individually badged with a welded on Doug Thorley Logo prominently placed, Ceramic coated and really complement any open engine compartment.

I was too impatient to put these on myself, so I hunted down a guy who came recommended to have them put on. After a few hours I went back to pick up my car and the collectors were leaking, as well as at the exhaust ports. The guy said he tried everything he could but did not know what else to do. I was so bummed. I paid the guy for his shoddy service and took the car back to work.

When I came to, from my carbon-monoxide-induced-stupor, I called Doug Thorley's Customer Service. Frank picked up the phone. Frank was very sympathetic and told me to bring the car down the next morning and they would take a look at it.

I cruised down to Thorley the next morning and they took it in immediately and said they would fix it for me right then and there. Mind you, these guys do not necessarily install things on customer's cars, let alone fix other peoples mistakes, but they do have a R&D department and those were the guys who hooked it up correctly. Apparently, the "Genius" I had install these put the left header gasket on the right and vice-versa. Idiot.... That was problem 1. Problem 2 was that he bolted down the headers tight then tried to match up the collectors to the exhaust after the headers were tight on the engine. This was exactly the opposite from the proper installation: put it all on loose then torque up the collectors to the exhaust, THEN tighten down the headers to the engine.

While I was there it was pointed out to me that the GMPP(Borla) off-road axle backs I had installed at the dealer when I bought the car were melting the plastic where the tips stick through the back of the car! So i had them taken off and Frank set me up with their SS cat-back system that they make through one of their dealers. I have to say the system looked well engineered and made with high quality materials (I am a metal man by trade). Sexy as hell too. The tips stick out just enough to display their laser etched Doug Thorley logo on the outboard sides of the tips. The sound in the cabin is not as resonant as the off-roads either but outside the car, you can hear just enough to let people know something special is going on under the hood.

Let me tell you, the difference in performance and low end torque as well as throttle response surprised even me and I build off road vehicles for fun! I was expecting a difference, but this was hands-down the best dollar for performance mod to date! AND, at about 4500 RPMs, it's like someone pulled a rubber band back and let go, throwing me back in my seat! Not only does their stuff look like it was made by a jeweler, but they perform even better than they look!

I took the car down to a back street and rolled into first. We all know these cars will burn the tires off on demand with a little clutch play, so, as I was saying, I rolled into first, fully engaged the clutch and mashed the throttle with all the computers turned off. the car immediately went into wheel spin so I stuck it into second, regained traction, fully engaged the clutch and mashed the throttle again with the same results; the wheels went into wheel spin, burning rubber. Then I ran out of road (this seems to be a common problem for me :))

I am VERY pleased with the increased performance these headers and exhaust made. I have no numbers to back it up, but the Butt-Dyno says this was a VERY nice improvement. Maybe I can talk Thorley into a couple of pulls on their Dyno... :) If so, I will post the numbers as opposed to pre-Thorley numbers I already have.

If anybody is looking for an amazing set of headers, you will not be disappointed with Doug Thorleys! Their cat-back system is a perfect match to their headers.

Thanks Frank, Nick and the rest of the guys down at Thorley headers! I love my system. I ESPECIALLY like the fact that their headers and exhaust are engineered to work together optimally by the same company!

BTW, they make them right there. No chinese import stuff at Thorley!

I am going to go see the dealer about the melting issue. Somebody obviously did not do all their homework when they put these out on the market.