(Image/pixdaus.com)
Iconic — adj. \ī-ˈkä-nik\ — widely recognized and
well-established; acknowledged for distinctive excellence
What are the most iconic brands in the automotive performance aftermarket?
We thought about that for a while and collected votes from thousands of hot rodders and performance enthusiasts on Summit Racing’s Facebook and Instagram in search of the answers.
The word “iconic” may mean different things to different people, but we chose to roll with the dictionary-based definition of the word.
Continuing the countdown to #1 is the brand you voted to the #4 spot on the list.
#4 — Hooker Headers
Gary Hooker was 5 when his family moved from Iowa to Pomona, CA.
His father was a lay minister and his family had very little money, so there weren’t a lot of toys and games to play with.
When he wasn’t playing baseball, basketball, or football, he was rifling through old copies of Hot Rod and Popular Mechanics his neighbors would give him.
Hooker said in a SEMA Hall of Fame inductee interview that he could name any car when he was 8. He spent hours drawing cars and modifying their designs. An interest in race cars soon followed.
After joining the U.S. National Guard and serving six months of active duty, the 20-year-old Hooker started his first full-time job as an electronics technician. His paychecks were enough for him to afford a brand-new 1962 Chevrolet 409.
Within two hours, a legend was born.
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Hooker had the cylinder heads off of his new car almost immediately upon getting it home. Because he couldn’t afford to buy aftermarket headers, he was forced to design and make his own—their prominent feature being that the header tubes were longer and featured larger diameters than was typical for early ‘60s headers.
A man named Jack Bayer owned a dyno shop, and Hooker took his 409 there to have it dyno-tuned before taking it to the racetrack.
As Hooker tells it, Bayer was just finishing up with another customer running the same Chevy engine when he arrived.
When Hooker’s made more horsepower, Bayer looked at him and said: “It’s got to be those headers. Can you get me some of those?”
Hooker told him those were the only ones in existence, but that he would take them off his car and sell them to Bayer if he could get a ride home later.
“I more or less went into business right then,” Hooker said in his SEMA interview.
Innovations in design and coatings over the years would elevate Hooker Headers from an unknown startup to being known as the winningest header in drag racing history, and sporting the widely recognizable Hooker heart logo as iconic as the name itself.
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Popular Hooker Headers Parts
Hooker Competition Headers
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Hooker Competition Turbo Mufflers
Before I knew anything about cars, I KNEW the “Hooker Headers” name!
In around 1982 I purchased a set of Hooker Headers for my 71 Corvette. I wrote to Hooker when I kept blowing out exhaust manifold gaskets. I was surprised to get a phone message from a notable retired racer that worked for Hooker (I can’t remember who it was) He said I had a choice, either send the headers back and they would replace them, or Have them machined at a machine shop and Hooker would pay for it. I chose #1. Hooker sent me a replacement set that are chromed ! They’re still on the car, still work perfectly. A “I love my Hooker Headers” decal is the only decal I have on the car (rear bumper) Any Idea as to who phoned me ?
Fonzi
I was the first set of hooker headers made for my 1955 chev 265. They made my 55 a winner in J stock. I new gary when he was a 2 car garage in Ontario calif,with elwin westbrook who built my 265ci.run so good. Thank you gery.
My 1973 ‘Cuda 340 4 speed had Hooker headers and it ran like crazy. Of course it had other things on it but the first thing I would tell people was the Hooker headers. My 70 Barracuda I built also had Hooker headers on it too. Oh well like a dumd Asszzz I sold it in 1992 when I was in 29-Palms in the USMC. Still to this day I wish I had not sold it but know I will never see my ride again cause I live in N.C. my project now is converting my 2003 Ram 4X4 to a Ramcharger and Hooker will be the headers for my Ram.
i love my hooker headers decal is smaller than in the 70’s. stubbed people cant make anything wright now a days