I can imagine for the "$100 more" to go up to LT's, you still then have to get the rest of the exhaust fabbed up to match into it. LT's are not a direct bolt on to the factory cats/mids and as far as I know, JBA doesnt make a mid that makes the LT's bolt up. So the cost of a shop to match up the LT's to my catback goes a bit higher than $100.
It would cost about $100 to have my cats cut out and weld the supplied collector flanges to existing pipe. But I want the bolt-in setup JBA has on the bench right now.
^ This is exactly why I am going the less-powerful and less-headache way of shorties and a custom y pipe attached to my magnaflow.
It will still cost you another $200 to replace your stock Y pipe.
(if its done right with mandrel bent SS like mine was)
and then you still have the stock cats as a choke point.
I guess you could get some high flow cats at $200-$300 and another $100-$200 to weld them in...
but now you're very close to a bolt in LT pricing and still no where near the performance.
And Yes JBA is making a mid pipe with Y that's a direct DIY bolt in,
should be released later this month. (yes holding my breath)
I don't know anyone who was satisfied with JBA shorty header performance,
4 guys I know in Edmonton alone removed them after a year for a set of LT's.
If I had to do all over again I would have paid just once and done it right the first time.
JBA shorties may be 1/2 price of LT setup like SW,
but they only deliver 1/4 (or less) of the performance.
I ignored the warnings, ate crow and heard lots of "told ya so's"
Just trying to save others heading down the wrong path.
You don't have to listen, I didn't either.