Long tubes vs shorties — which headers should I buy?

Long tubes if they fit; shorties if they don't.

Type	Good at	Trade-off
Long tube	Most power; best scavenging	Needs room and ground clearance for the collectors
Shorty	Fits tight or lowered chassis	Almost always less power than long tubes (short, unequal primaries)
Stock / performance cast manifold	Compact, fits, low maintenance, quieter	Least flow; performance manifolds are a compromise

Shorties are usually the pick on lowered cars or where there's no room for collectors under the floor. They still flow better than most stock manifolds, but they almost always make less power than long tubes.

Also match primary size to the engine: small, low-rpm engines don't want huge primaries, and big high-rpm engines need the volume. Modern headers with thick 3/8 in flanges and V-band collectors leak much less than the old reputation suggests. On an EFI engine, a tune helps you get the full benefit from headers. Check local emissions rules before removing factory parts.