Exhaust clearence

[DRJDVM's '69]

I went back and forth on long tubes vs shorties and decided to try the longtubes.....the shorties were almost as much $$ and only came in 1 5/8.....

I bought some TTI headers for the Cuda.......which I cant return since I bought them uncoated...... and my concerns held true. Since we channeled the k-frame......which moved the motor up about 1.5 inches..... the collector flanges hit the floor. This is why I had considered the shorties

Since I cant return them anyway, I cut off the collector flange. With no collector flange the collectors get as close as 1/4 inch to the floor. So....looks like I'll have to cut some more floor....oh joy, more work..... make one change and it snowballs......

So....when I make the plan for the floor....how much space should I try and get between the floor and collector? I dont want to raise the floor alot and destroy my leg room, but I also dont want to cook the floor either....so I'm looking for some "try and get at least" ideas.....

The headers will be coated and I can alway wrap some areas too....