As the title says they don't fit right hand drive cars.

I bought a set of Kleemann long tube headers because the web site says 'with a little modification' they will fit RHD cars. WRONG!

My exhaust shop tried all morning to get the drivers side to fit but it needs a complete redesign. It goes straight when it should bend down to miss the footwell. Also the passenger side which is in 2 parts needs major modification because it bends around a LHD cars steering box but there isn't one there on RHD cars so the piping is all wrong. Again that needs major modification!

I spoke with the CEO of Kleemann (based in Denmark), we sent emails and pictures too. He's a straight up Guy and tried to help but in the end he conceded that they may fit on cars with larger engine bays (ML,CL,S,E,ect..) but on a CLK the space is too tight to make minor adjustments like a bend or the odd cut and weld.

He offered me a refund but I'm still out of pocket because I had to pay the shop plus I paid shipping and now I've had to ship them back!

The CEO has also offered a reduced rate ECU tune once I get some headers!

I found a company in England who will build me a full system but it works out at £2200 (double the price). The upside is.. well there is no upside.. I get a full system for more money than it ought to have cost!

My car has been sent over to this new exhaust shop to have my custom system done. I will try to have them take pictures before they fit the pipes. I'm looking at 3 days so maybe Friday I get my car back.

Fingers crossed it goes well this time, but I just thought I'd share my pain!

Ps, I have a set of 8 pot AMG brakes waiting to go on the car too, but the new outlay for my headers means that depending how expensive it is have custom hats/caps made for the centers and other modifications, that project will now have to take a back seat. Bummer!

 

thats bad news brother, very sorry to hear that, but here is an idea, since you said the driverside(right side)is the one having problems i'm assuming that the passenger side which for you is the left side will fit with no problems. now what i would do is have the exahsut shop duplicate a pipe with the same diameter as the kleeman one with the exact same bend as the passenger side one but the bends in the opposite maner. because i belive your car is just like the us spec ones but the steering equipment is on the opposite side. so if you duplicate the left side but in the opposite manner it should work for you no problem, then have them cut the portion that doesnt fit out and weld the newely created piece in. as long as you get the same diameter there should be no issues with flow. if you can make that work i would talk to the kleeman guy and have him refund you partially for the fact that you were missinformed and had to fork out money to make it work. and i'm sure they will have no problem with that since you keeping them and getting a credit refund is better for kleeman than getting them back and having to sell them at open package/used price.

 

Hi ASH.

We thought of doing that, but where you need to bend or cut and weld the pipe is right where the last pipe exits, so the design would need to change to make the bend start sooner. Also the passenger side takes up too much space with the steering box bend. Although it's possible to cut, bend and weld a new section in, I thought it inappropriate to be butchering so to speak an expensive set of headers.

There is a plus to all this though now I've had time to reflect.

The exhaust shop who are building me a complete system say it will be better than Kleemanns and be made from aircraft grade steel with mandrel bends and tig welding.

Here's pictures of headers they made for another car.

 

Very nice, and nice wrok done from them as well, that beast looks like a honda H22A prelude motor with custom turbo, i'm assuming it's gonna go into a lotus since thats the engine they used to use in the loytuses.

 

They didn't say which car it was for, I was just stunned by the workmanship!