351W in a '61 unibody, header question.

[River City]

Hello all,
My '61 uni came with a 351W in it from a '79 LTD, the guy doing the swap apparently gave up and into my eager hands the project fell. Just curious if anyone on here has done this swap (or something similar) before and what headers did you use? As it is, the driver side manifold outlet dumps directly onto the steering box. I see they make hugger headers for the 351W and it looks like they may work, just figured I'd ask here before ordering them to see what you all have done. The knowledge on this forum is such a great resource. Thanks in advance.

[Gary Seymour]

Sanderson makes some shorty headers for 351W in 60's trucks. They're pricey. But they're NICE.

[River City]

Sanderson makes some shorty headers for 351W in 60's trucks. They're pricey. But they're NICE.

Thanks so much for the info Gary! I'll look into that.

[Truckrat]

On my 57 I am planning to run a set of the
long tube tri y headers like was used on the first
gen Mustangs. A friend of mine used them on a 46
Ford pickup with a 302 and c4 and had good clearance
with them. A 57 has a lot more room under the hood
than a 46, so there should be plenty of room for them.
I will say the Sandersons are a great choice too. TR

[LM14]

I have a set of shorty Mustang 5.0 headers we can try on it. I also have a set of Speedway's coated long tube headers for a SBF, they look like they may fit. Maybe we can get together as soon as you have the engine sitting back in the truck and do some test fitting.

SPark

[CHICOF100]

If you can weld, it's not that difficult. Buy some "Exhaust" tubing and cut and replace. Sometimes people over think a simple project. A cut off wheel and file is the only real tools needed. If a header is available, then you have the means to "Adapt" If a header can be placed on the head, then you need to cut the pipes and build to fit.
I have a 1964 with a 292 in it. I have dual exhaust going out the back. I had to custom make my tubes to run it by my 78 Volare front suspension. It's not hard to do, you just need to think on your building.
This will save you money and teach you how to build an exhaust system. Trust me, it's easy and cost effective. Many people over think what's simple, and it costs them dearly.