Personally, I'd find a local custom fabricator and compare their quote to what FPA tells you. 
http://www.fordpowertrain.com/fpaindex/FPA%20index1.htm
 

Another outfit to try is Sanderson, which escaped me yesterday since I have only heard of them in the context of successful custom builds in my area; fwiw they list a few applications for 351C and 289/302s.
https://www.sandersonheaders.com/headers_by_engine/ford/ford-351c-cleveland-and-351m-400/
https://www.sandersonheaders.com/headers_by_engine/ford/ford_small_block_289-302/

The builder of the 289 on my Mustang does a lot of custom hot rod and race engine work and has worked with them multiple times (I was and am quite content with the hi-po manifolds).
 

Last edited by pkevins (March 30, 2017 8:41 am)

Yes, I got the same response from FPA. Doesn't want to mess with it. I will check the other options mentioned.
I have heard that Torino or Ranchero headers can work, but don't feel like becoming a potential header buyer and reseller.

With a lot of cars the real choke point is the manifolds. 2 1/4 exhaust isn't bad. If you are running a mild engine then that size is just fine. A lot of people make the same mistake with exhaust size as header size thinking the bigger the better. In most cases that is a myth. If you can make good power with the smaller tube, you will have a broader power band without giving anything up on the top side. That Cleveland engine would probably like 1 3/4 inch tubes if you plan on building it up at all. 1 5/8 would work and be torquey but Cleveland heads like to breathe. I would say if you plan on building it up go with 1 3/4" tubes. But I ran 1 5/8 on a 400 Cleveland with milled and ported 2V heads and they worked great. I doubt you are giving up that much with the 2 1/4" pipes. It's a small block. Now if you built a 408 or bigger stroker out of it, yeah go bigger. I would spend the money on the headers if the rest of the exhaust is in good condition and take the what you would have spent on the exhaust and put it toward something else you car might need. I tend to err on the side of velocity becuase I would rather give up a little up top to have a strong low and midrange. I can't stand to drive a car with an engine that noses over but pulls like a frieght train at redline.

The combo on the 400 was Block decked to give zero, Heads milled just for cleanup. Ported, bowl blended combustion chambers cleaned up, and exhuast ported and polished. Crane 278 Engergizer cam, and Edelbrock performer rpm 351C 2V intake w/ spacers from T Meyer. I ran 1 5/8 headers and 2 1/4" it breathed just fine although probably would have run better w/ 1 3/4" headers.

If you don't have any luck with getting someone to weld you up a set you could always do like the guys who race in the F.A.S.T.  classes and have your manifolds extrude honed. I mean if they can run down into the 10s and 11s with extrude honed manifolds then they outta' be good enough for a street engine.

Last edited by guitar74 (March 31, 2017 9:50 am)

Big Apple strat (Duncan Peraly gates Humbucker bridge and '59 bucker neck) is my number one so best of both worlds strat versatility with les paul huge overdriven sound. Yeah with that combo 2 1/4 might be a liiiitttllle small.

Can DEFINITELY see why you want headers. I have resigned myself to when the time comes, going up the road to Summitt with them off the car and saying match these please.

If it would fit under the hood of my '68 Cougar I would swap the high rise on the Galaxie with the Performer from the Cougar as the build on the Cougar could really use more plenum volume and the Galaxie could benefit from more velocity. Kind of funny but my '65 Galaxie with the little warmed over 289 will blow my wife's stock '79 Tbird 351m AWAY! LIKE NOT EVEN CLOSE!! Even with the 61 cubic inch defecit.