Magnum engine auto trans. How much difference would I see from the stock hi po cast headers to a set of shorty headers. Not a race truck just street duty. I need them short to hook back up to the Lil red exhaust chrome stacks.

With a stock engine very little. They are out of breath with the kegger at 4500 and have a tiny cam that doesn't help either.

If you have cam, replace the kegger with a/m intake, etc then it might be worth the switch. If you can find some v8 magnum 92 or 93 year model exhaust manifolds they flow slightly better than the rest. I would not let searching for them hold up a project though as it is minimal difference.

The ones on the truck dump in the center, what about them?

Bottom line for me is if you are running the stock cam and intake on a magnum engine there is little reason to spend money on headers, unless you plan on upgrading later.

Engine has a lot added, M1 intake, ported heads, 1.7 rocker-spring kit and RT cam (380 cam in the box). I get what you’re saying so I might just make up a set of short tube headers. Car headers are too far back to hookup to the mufflers then stacks.

Yep, a nice pair of center dump shorties and maybe a cross pipe like on the '78s?

Sounds great thanks

Not to hijack the thread but, wondering if something like this would work with stock exhaust on the Lil Red Express other than the end of the original manifold pipes? https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g9064-1/make/dodge

That’s what I was thinking about.

I did a little more research and that's what some of the people are running. I've also read the Sanderson headers but, they are way more expensive. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/snh-dd1-bec/make/dodge

Are they gold plated?

I don't know. They are pretty pricey for what they are though.

Sanderson headers have always been on the expensive side of the price range.
I haven't heard anything lately, but a few years back they ran into a bunch of issues with the center tubes cracking near the flange. That may be corrected by now.

That's all great to know. One would like to think they wouldn't crack considering what you pay for them price wise but, I see they would fit the factory exhaust size however for these trucks where the Summit and Hedman are 2.5" which is fine. The only problem will be find the factory style exhaust tips to fit a 2.5" exhaust. Not sure if the tips sold from Dodge Connection are made in the USA but, the others ones I see are generally made in China. Just depends on which way a person wants to go.

Specs say ceramic coated. But I thought Sandersons were stainless hence the huge price difference?

Apparently not looking at the specs. It only says steel. Here's the bare and slightly cheaper versions. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/snh-dd1sec/make/dodge

Well after seeing two lil reds over at MIR today and talking to the gents I’m putting the 360-380 engine in the truck. I’ll use the stock manifolds till I get around making a set like those pricy ones. Thanks for all the help and input, I’ll keep you posted.
One other thing, can I convert the 92 overdrive trans to a non lockup converter? I want to use one of my regular loose ones.

FWIW a ways back, like in 1996 I installed Summit's shorty headers on my the new 95 Dakota Sport 5.2 5 speed. easiest set of headers I've even installed. That said I might have picked up a 10th. The truck already had a MP ECM and a 3" performance cat and 3" exhaust system 14.07 @ 96.8

I would say any dump header is way better than the stock manifold. What type end bell or flat flange?

Why do you want to do that? Just keep it from going into lock up.