Questions about after market unequal length headers
 

I have a quick question

I am eyeballing https://www.ftspeed.com/part/ft86ctd...6#.YK6aVahKiUk these headers with the intention of getting a tune down the road but the car is relatively close to being paid off so I dont want to go messing with my insurance getting a tune yet. I don't really care much for racing, and track days for me are pretty infrequent, so this mod, for me, is 70% about sound and about 30% in hopes to make a bit of a correction to the torque dip.

I am hoping to install the mod sooner more for sound purposes and when the car is paid off and I can take the blow to the insurance, worry about the tune. Does anyone know if I would throw code or if there would be any real "problems" with installing this without doing a tune immediately as well?

Your insurance is going to be much more upset at your for changing out the headers vs something they'd never have an idea about like the tune.

It's not a good plan to run without a tune if you're trying to save money. But it can work, the car won't blow up or suddenly leak oil into your glovebox. But it will run less than optimally. Fuel mileage can suffer, etc. But you'll sound cool, and that's probably what's most important to you.

It may throw a code, it may not. People seem to have hit or miss experiences with this ( from my research, I haven't experienced it because I got a tune to avoid all that)

I mean, They dont really care but I can keep full coverage with just the headers. A tune, not so much. Saving money isn't as big of a deal either per se. Bigger problem is just spending the money and then if theres a problem it being a waste. But that goes to your point that you mentioned that throwing code could be hit or miss which means it may be a problem. I live in an inspection state so if a code comes up it would be a problem.

I just find the sound of the equal length headers very dry and annoying on the 86 even compared to other cars with equal length. The sound almost seems like it belongs to a different car. Like, if I never heard the car before and did a blind test I would assume the sound goes to a different car all together. I feel like the unequal length headers fit what I expect not only a subi but also a low aggressive car like this to sound like. For me I enjoy the over all experience of driving more than speed and at middle RPMs it just is missing something and I notice it every time I drive.

Why would you even tell your insurance about an header install? [emoji52]

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Because if the car is totaled and you don't they wont cover it and you lose that money.

If the car is totaled you can easily swap out parts it not rocket science.

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Depends on the damage and the accident. If an investigation is called then the car will be towed to a private lot where you can remove things from the car but you wont be putting the car on jacks and swapping a part. And while in 90% of cases they wont look for a tune, if theres an investigation, they will on that too. Not to mention, lets say you do successfully swap the headers. There will be questions if your engine is 5 feet up your transmissions ass and your headers are magically fine. I have been in those accidents before and they are not fun. God forbid you have to pull out the gap insurance and you didnt tell them then gap may not cover the difference either.

If your car is totaled, whether or not the insurance is going to pay you for your aftermarket header is really the least of your concerns.

This^^^^. Headers cost nothing compared to the car.

LOL I feel we got off topic here. Although my question was probably pretty well answered unless we have anyone with other suggestions in the interim. I don’t care if insurance will cover the headers. If I lose $900 on a mod that would suck but it’s whatever compared to the whole car, my safety, or someone else’s. My complaint about insurance has to do with the level of coverage on a financed vehicle. Insurance companies may not choose to offer full coverage on vehicles they believe have too many performance mods, which can be a problem, and if there was an investigation, the last thing I would want is to be in a bad accident that wasn’t even my fault and then be hit with a fraud claim because I didn’t tell them I had after market headers. Yeah that might be more extreme than what would actually happen but they are writhing their legal right to do so if I don’t make them aware. That’s why I’m sorta taking it one step at a time and asking how necessary a tune is. I can keep my coverage with headers but with a tune that’s guaranteed minimum coverage, which won’t work until the vehicle is paid off.

My previous FR-S was heavily modified with a supercharger and all the works (including tuning of course). Hit a deer and nearly totaled the car. Insurance still covered the damage with the stipulation of not replacing aftermarket parts. Same with my current BRZ. Someone rear ended me and everything was covered. But I get different companies have different policies. If you're not too worried about running rich and or seeing a CEL, then do it. However, if a CEL pops up around the time of emissions inspection, that may cause problems, idk about NJ laws. Also the likelihood of the insurance company knowing your car has a tune seems pretty slim.

Do you mind if I ask who you have for insurance? I personally changed from Allstate who had been great to me for over a decade but my wife convinced me to get on her insurance since we had several cars in her policy so we have quite a few cars on hers now and i effectively pay next to nothing for full coverage, but given your positive experience I am very curious who you are with. I may shop around a bit more.

Progressive is who I have. And yeah they have been chill with my mods so long as they don't cause the problems lol.

Thats awesome. Thank you. Yeah I dont expect insurance to cover any mods, just the car. For that reason I dont make a habit of getting rid of oem parts. I keep the old intakes and exhaust and everything, although, I may sell the old exhaust, old plastics, etc. Just easier that way in case something happens, or if I know a mod will devalue the car if I tried to turn around and sell it, easier just to have all the OEM stuff lying around.