Header Coating Question

[rvanstory]

I am planning to "black-out" the exterior of my roadster, but will have some chrome and bare aluminum "bling" inside engine bay. My question is related to the headers. Do I need to have them coated black too, or just the side pipes? Wasn't sure if you can see any of the headers from exterior only when looking at the side pipe cutout in the body.

[rthomas98]

you can't see the headers from the outside. The side pipes actually mount to them just inside of the body.

[Ted G]

I chose to keep my headers bare stainless steel (GasN). I love the now blue look and I think if you black them out, that coating will soon change color and start to flake over time. If you do black them out, you need to do a very high quality coating but I think black is the worst and will discolor no matter what.

[AC Bill]

My headers are ceramic coated silver, side pipes are black. You never see the difference.

My side pipes are the regular steel ones, not stainless. I used VHT Flameproof header paint, and it's never discolored in over ten years. Apply the paint with the pipes really heated up. I found a good quality heat gun did the trick. Keep heating them the entire time.

[Rdone585]

I used Ceracoat for side pipes and headers. The ceramic coating withstands heat better than standard powder coating. So far no discoloration, flaking, or bubbles. I've been told the key is a great prep before applying the coating.

[JohnK]

Standard powder coating is not appropriate for headers or side pipes. It's not meant to handle that kind of heat. A good ceramic coating is definitely capable of handling the heat of headers and will not chip or peel over time if applied properly by a reputable vendor. Some shiny ceramic coatings like Jet Hot's Classic Polish will dull over time, but a black finish shouldn't change color or sheen. I went with Jet Hot Extreme 1300 satin black on the side pipes and it turned out great. They have higher-temp finishes (Extreme 2000 and Ultra Extreme 2500) for headers. Those will withstand more heat but have more of a rough textured finish so not really appropriate for side pipes. That said, I agree that the headers aren't visible at all from the outside of the car, so if that's the concern there's no need to coat the headers.