I ran across this thread on a google search and thought I might add a story to this.  I have a 1968 Mercury Cyclone that I have intentions on Drag Racing in Stock Class.  My motor, 428 of course, was built by who I feel is one of the best 428 builders in this country.  He told me one thing, NO street headers.  He said that his dyno has shown that the HP he put into my motor would only be used best with either 2" or 2 1/8" headers, anything less would waste his efforts.  That started me on a search for the Hooker headers.  I found that many fit-up issues were common not to mention the price.  So I tried set from a fellow that would not fit but cost half as much as the Hookers.  Then I had a friend buy an new set of Hookers for his 1968 Torino, and they fit fine, but his car had been modified by having the crossmember removed and blocked off at the bottom of the shock towers.  The Mustangs have a "bar" the connects the shock towers and the Toinos and Cyclones have this much larger crossmember.  I had also purchased a used set of Hookers that are really worn badly and could never get them to fit.

Then one day I came upon a fellow on Facebook who said he had worked at Hooker back in California back in the day.  We called each other several times and he had worked on the Hooker 6375 series headers.  He also happened to be there when they were shutting down and moving operations to Mexico.  He told me that one of the workers had taken a set of 6375's and modified it to fit his particular car and combination, but when they needed a set of headers to send to Mexico as the "master" he sent his modified ones.  He felt that was the reason for the ill fitting ones that were on the market.  One of the reasons I was thinking of this was a posting on FB that he had passed away this week, much too soon.

I had been back in contact with him last summer when I was able to find what I believe to an original set of 6375's from the California era and I am looking into the coming future of cutting the crossmember in my Cyclone for installation.  Photos attached

I just thought you might like to add this to the story of an interesting header.

Thanks

Steve