Technical Ceramic coating. Is it really worth it?

I've repainted my headers I don't know how many times. Using every combo/tip Imaginable just to see the paint start flaking a week later. I know everyone says get them coated. Does the coating hold up though? I drive my truck a lot and hard(like most of us do) currently doesn't have a hood and sees a lot of rain. I don't want to spend a few hundred bucks on a high heat coating only for it to not last. What is everyone else's results if you've had your headers coated?

 

Coating works well, but because it does, it looks unnatural. Annual blast/paint is a pain, but it's traditional.

 

I bought a set of pricey headers and didn't spring for the extra $ the manufacturer wanted but rather sent them off to "jett hot" and spent even more for their name brand coating. It does last but doesn't look any better than the headers I've seen come coated from various header manufacturers. Bottom line is on my next project I will just order them coated and be done. Not trying to bash Jett hot or anything it's a great product, I just think ceramic coating from lots of companies will do the same.

 

There are coatings that look more dull, not the shiny silver, that would look natural after a while on the road.

 

i got mine coated flat black. Looks better than the shiny something like chrome coating. I think.

 

Right now the headers are painted a dull silver to accent the black motor and natural aluminum intake. So I'd look for something in that color. I just want it to last

 

I'm sure one of the colors available almost any where you would be happy with, they will last a long time. These came from here--http://ccpcoatings.com/ceramic_coatings.php

 

these headers are coated. i couldn't afford to have them chromed again, they turned blue and started to rust within a year;

 

5 year old coating on 40 year old headers. Personally, had I known they would turn out this shiny
I would have removed all the numbers, flashing etc. The photo doesn't do them justice.

 

I had mine ceramic coated by a local shop. Within an hour I had a couple of blisters from where they didn't get it prepped right.

Gary

 

The tubes on my T Bird were ceramic coated at the manufactors (Ford PowertrainApplications)

The coatings on the T Bird tubes went to shit within the 1st year. To be fair FPA has offered to recoat them for free BUT I'm sending them to Jett Hott.

The cast exhaust on my Merc wagon were done by Jett Hott and still look great after the 1st year. Jett Hott will also recoat for free if needed.

Jett Hott has many different color combinations you can get.

I figure its best to let people who do this for a living do what they do best! Not a cheap date BUT I feel the service is worth it.

That's my .02 $.

Oldmics

 

How much does coating usually cost? Haven't looked at any companies yet. Set of SBC shorties

 

Turned blue and rusty after chrome or getting them coated?

 

I have a set of small block Chevy shorty headers on my Olds Cutlass. Bought them coated from Summitt. I have had them for 11 years and they still look good.

 

Sorry no pix, Sanderson headers on my small block have 3500 miles no rust no problems,,paint wont last, chrome will turn colour based on 40 years experience with Harley pipes,and I run em in the rain.

 

I used to be a dealer for Jett Hot. I had my home built headers coated and after a couple years they were showing rust under the coating. They were probably not cleaned good before coating. Even being a dealer for them and showing their coating to my customers they would not re coat them for no cost. So my next money will go to someone else. I also had my steel intake Done at the same time and it is still great 15 years later. Gary

 

after chroming them years ago. i was really discouraged, they had cost me a lot of pay checks back when i was a kid.
in my case i could have cleaned them up and run them and kept cleaning them to keep them looking ok. i chose this time to have them coated. the prep included me welding up some cracks, then sending them to my blasters to have them baked and sandblasted. then they went to the coaters. i think they look like "old chrome".

 

Zoomies done with HOTCOAT. You can go over them with mag-aluminum polish when they get dirty, and they look new again. In fact the more you polish them the more they shine. They are coated inside and out, last for many many years

 

Had my headers and intakes (2) done in Forest Lake, MN by Race Coatings, I think the headers cost around $250, don't remember the intakes, they are holding up well @ 7,000 miles.

 

just a note; i was warned that the headers can get wet but do not let the water sit on the surfaceor it will spot.

 

Running 2 sets of shorty SBC headers , ordered them coated. Less down time and the price difference was negligible. The 57 has 9 years on them and the Merc has over 65,000 miles since built. No problems.

 

David,Talk to Jack, he sends them somewhere ( I think in mich) might get a better deal through his shop,

 

Water spots will polish right off

 

Thanks Scotty! I'll have to call him this week.

 

Had my modified Sandersons coated at a local shop (inside and out), chose the color which had the highest temp rating. About 3 years and 20k still looking good, even with water, coolant and oil on them. I think it also depends on the shop and how well the coat them. If it's going to be uncovered and getting water on it all the time I would tell them, if they miss just a small spot where the tubes come together it will start to rust.

 

The paint has been on these headers for about 5 years now.


I shot as much paint down the inside as I could. We cured the paint slowly, as in fire it up get them warm and let them cool off getting them a little hotter each time until we couldn't grab them. Took about an hour. We stay on top of our tune, little known fact, slow timing will roach your headers quick and we run it a little fat.

 

My headers are coated with "Kool Koat" . have been running them for 4 years and no problems,
just don't get oil on them because it bakes on hard and is difficult to remove.

 

Many years ago, good friend of mine had just finished his truck build, had a one-off marine EFI unit on a SBC and took it to a shop for some time on the chassis dyno to get everything married up. Spent too much time without a fan in front of the radiator and cooked the coating off his headers.
Often times these discussions center only around coating longevity, I thought some additional info might be helpful.
Many coating websites have a FAQ's page.
Found some interesting thoughts on the subject here:
http://www.mpgenhance.com/ceramichorsepower.html

 

Well that makes some sense, along the same lines as exhaust wrap, by keeping the heat in the exhaust it increases the scavenging effect.

 

I have mine done at G H Coatings, They use Cerakote products. The new Glacier products are very high temp.
http://www.ghcoatings.com/
http://www.cerakotehightemp.com/