At the SEMA show a few weeks back, American Racing Headers‘ Nick Filippides gave us a sneak peek at something pretty exciting – the first 50-state smog legal headers for the 5th Gen Camaro. They were still in the midst of the testing process, and he told us they were hoping to have some news by the time PRI rolled around.
Well, here we are, and sure enough, all three phases of testing are complete and the headers passed with flying colors. There’s no EO number for these pipes just yet, but we’re told that all the major hurdles have been crossed and what remains is satisfying all the bureaucratic requirements imposed by the California Air Resources Board. Per Nick, the process isn’t just expensive but it also is very demanding, and not just on the headers themselves.
“They want a car that is unmodified and pristine,” Nick told us. “Even a car that’s got 20,000 miles on it but is in perfect shape isn’t good enough.” Fortunately, the right test car was located, all the t’s have been crossed and i’s dotted, and in the next few months, the Camaro headers will join ARH’s extensive line of late model muscle car and truck applications that cover not just Chevy vehicles but Ford and Chrysler as well. Stainless steel construction, 3/8-inch thick flanges, TIG welding, hand-porting, and US engineering and craftsmanship are the hallmarks of American Racing Headers.