Top Gear UK Decat long tube headers. (amazing build quality!)

Ok so I've researched so much on headers that my brain hurts.. I almost bought the Fabspeed longtubes for 1200usd. The soul headers are a stupid price (don't care how good they are) TopGear UK has a great star rating overall and the price is unreal! $479 USD for the pair! Too good to be true? Well I have them and have them Installed (installed myself). Install took me about 2 hours (I have a stud kit) I have the Agency Power cat back exhaust which was paired with the OEM manifolds. When I mounted the Top Gear headers, they matched up perfect and I didn't have to make any adjustments. All bolts holes were perfect, welds perfect. Note: if you have stud kit with flanged nuts you will have to grind off some of the flange on the nuts that go on the outside flange of the headers because they bring up on the flared part of the collector.. Not a big deal at all.. Regular bolts/nuts would work perfect. Sound: holy crap it screams when you open it up but with the agency power exhaust it is perfect for just cruising. No drone anywhere in the rpm range. I was super surprised actually. Note: still using the stock t-pipe and tip. Throttle response has improved something crazy and there is without a doubt a power increase. I wouldn't even care if I lost a bit of power tbh because the sound is out of this world. I would never recommend any other brand of headers now after seeing and using these. Obviously I haven't used others (except circuit werks) but based on price and quality... Holy smokes just get the Topgear! BTW I reused the OEM gaskets with Copper Gasket Spray (100k km on gaskets and no leaks) Used supplied manifold to midpipe gasket (composite)

Is this for a 987 Gen 1 or Gen 2? What about CEL? Thanks

Gen 1 and you will def get CEL without a tune to turn off the 2nd o2 sensor .. a little trick I learned with my 370z is to buy the 90 degree o2 bung extentions and stuff them with steel wool before you screw the o2 sensor in. I have a tuner coming so It doesn't matter to me. Ill just drive it with the light on for now lol. I have 500 km on the exhaust now and it is wonderful! Top Gear also makes 200 cell headers too!!!!

Hope they list an option for Gen 2 Cayman . Seems attractively priced

They look to be very well built. Please keep us posted on their durability. Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

I'm looking for catless headers for my Cayman R as well. I'm still doing research on catted vs catless and FVD vs Soul . Can you make a video clip of the sound? Also, do you notice much of a smell with catless headers? I don't see the catless headers for the 987.2 . If they offer it I would have picked it up right away.

I have Soul catless headers on my 2013 BS with stock Porsche PSE . Sound is freakin' amazing, sounds like an exotic sports car now. I can easily scare small woodland creatures (and people!) in Sport and Sport+ modes with the PSE engaged, especially on the overrun pops. Sounds like gunfire. I'm chiming in here due to the exhaust "smell" question. I have a Cobb tune and though set for "modified exhaust", I am running an OTS (off the shelf) tune that does not assume catless headers. I've been told I really need to have the car custom-tuned to take full advantage of having no cats in the exhaust system. So...I DO smell exhaust when car is running and stationary. I have the top lowered most of the time, so I do smell the exhaust at stop lights, but when moving, no issue at all. One of these days I'm going to bite the bullet on a custom tune, though am contemplating a couple of more mods first before going through the custom tune expense. BTW, with the Cobb tune, no CEL with the Catless headers. Since no CEL, wonder what will happen when I have to have the car smogged (I'm in Southern California). If no CEL, I "assume" there is no fault codes that will be show when the smog check people plug their computer into the OBD -II port. Hmmmm.... - Josh

Been looking at their 200cell cats for a while not to replace my old CATS which are starting to break down. The well known issue of removing the current bolts has stopped me doing it myself!!!

Instead of relying on a tune to turn off the CEL on the downstream O2 sensors, I bought the O2 spacers offered by Soul when I got my Soul headers . They work great and I don't get a CEL from the downstream O2 sensors.

Did you purchase these headers directly from their UK website? I'm seeing if there is anyway to avoid the 150$ international shipping charge Also you mentioned the headers didnt cause any drone. Did the headers not add any additional drone to your current setup or did it eliminate previous drone? Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Lesmurray- Any idea about how far back the cat can be placed, yet still get hot enough to do its job. I live in an area where we need to have a DEQ done with a tail pipe sensor once a year. I like the looks of the long tube headers by TopGear UK, but not their headers with the cats. Cargraphics is my choice, but they cost $3200. for a 987.1 with cats. I can have a local shop cut off my current oem cats and wield them onto the exhaust pipe before my Milltec muffler. That would add about 2 feet further downstream. Also, I can rap the headers with a heat rap all the way to the cat. Most likely I would end up paying about $1000 for this set up. I could also use titianum head exhaust studs, (cmoose, pistonheads, thread, giving exact dimensions),which would allow easier on/off of the system if I needed to change it later. I have seen this type of system available for 996's, so it should work for a Cayman .

I sent Topgear a message asking if they make Catless headers for 2010 Cayman S DFi engine. No replies so far. I am quite eager to get a good one and hopefully at a competitive price. Designtek and Schnell are two other brands that have headers for Gen1 cay/ boxster at reasonable prices, but they don't seem to list for the GEn2 cars.

Cargraphics are worth the price. No issues with CEL in CA smog and great performance. Most 200 CEL will throw a CEL at some point unless you spoof them.

almost 1000 km and love love love them.. They have changed to a beautiful gold colour... I can't believe how little drone there is.. You can cruise around town and have a conversation with the person next to you.. even at highway speeds

It didn't add anymore.. Im still blown away.. I don't know how its possible but they aren't much louder then stock until your really on the gas. But then it screams! I ordered from the US site but they shipped from UK and shipped fast...

Very cool thank you for the response. I have been seriously looking at purchasing these. I wonder if there is enough interest for a group buy? Have you looked at their valvetronic exhaust? Way cheaper then any competitor. I currently have a FVD race exhaust but the drone is sort of getting old and it would be nice if I could have it a tad quieter. Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

UPDATE!!!! I now have the Vividracing Tune and even though I doubt I got the 30 hp they claim, I can definitely tell you that the car pulls smoother through the entire power band and the engine even feels smoother at high rpm.. Super pleased with the complete package. It sounds and performs like it should now. And I don't have to worry about ever getting a CEL!!! Id recommend this setup to anyone... just do it Both Top Gear and Vivid Racing were totally awesome to deal with.. Fast shipping too!!! Heres a quick sound clip.. Ill try to get a better one..Hope this works!!!

Not sure Lesmurry how you pass your required California DEQ without cats? Maybe you have a trailer and only use your car on the track? I am not concerned with the CEL's as you mentioned, the O2 spacer plug with a 200 cell cat will turn off the CEL'S, but will not pass the state's inspection to get my car's licence tabs. My state, Wa, sticks a probe up the exhaust pipe at idle. I may order these TopGear catless headers and a O2 spacer after I get my new license tabs for next year. Washington State is resending the DEQ requirement for car licence tabs at the end of 2019. I passed the required evey other year test in Dec 2018, so I should be good to go with cat less headers. I am leaning to Top Gear, although Soul and Cargraphics are still in the hopper. If I can get Top Gear to confirm my order, I will use them. Considering a Soul O2 sensor bung as well to prevent the dreaded CEL.

For my year car it should only need an OBCD check - no visual. I do still have the manifolds with cats in case I need to swap back to pass inspection.

That makes sense, fingers crossed. Did you use titanium studs when fitting your Soul headers ? Also did you rap your headers/exhaust back to the muffler with heat tape?

I used the hardware included with the kit. No wrapping. Too beautiful to cover up.

This thread is a few years old so hoping for a response. I'm curious: no one had mentioned adding titanium heat tape to their headers? The oem headers had a heat shield. With none of the aftermarket headers I'm wondering if y'all have noticed any increased cabin temperature?