I just finished welding up a set of limefire style headers for the Olds 324 in my roadster. What are some opinions on my options to finish these?? Chrome? Powdercoat? High-temp paint? Tape? Any ideas/personal experiences are appreciated! =NOAH=
Good ol' VHT header paint works for me!! I apply several kinda heavy coats and let 'em dry a day or two before installation and start-up. Works well...but NOT impervious to corrosion and the elements if exposed or driven in a salty/wet climate.
Header wrap will generally make'em rust out sooner. BBQ paint, but plan on doing it once a year. Chrome lasts well, if you don't mind the cost or discoloration. 'Bout the best thing for'em in my opinion is to have them Jet Hot coated. Not the cheapest, but less than chrome. It looks ok, and lasts very well. There are some at home ceramic coatings that I hear work well, but I've never tried them. -Bugman Jeff
How about a Zodiac vinyl metalflake "header cozy"? You could change colors for every show! HA HA whats up Noah? I was going to paint my manifolds with POR15 stuff but I just sold the Caddy and all the parts/ spare motor etc... so now I won't need to. How are you guys doing? Do a search as someone asked about header/manifold coating not to long ago. Ted
a buddy of mine sent his sandersons back to sanderson to get them "jet hotted". but they never did look to good. they're grey, but not shiney like the ones you buy already coated.
[ QUOTE ] a buddy of mine sent his sandersons back to sanderson to get them "jet hotted". but they never did look to good. they're grey, but not shiney like the ones you buy already coated. [/ QUOTE ] Just a question. Are Sanderson's headers really that much better than others? They are sure as hell a LOT more expensive. Is the value there? On topic, the ceramic coated headers seem to hold their good looks longer.
Russ Meeks, Bonniville racer record holder, Portland Roadster show hall of famer, builder of Oakland Roadsters Show AMB winner(when it was still in oakland, not pomona) and all around nice guy www.finishlinecoatings.com just had a motorcycle head,cam,rockers,piston,valves and exhaust done with a 3 day turn around time. I have never been able to burn or discolor the headers that he has done
I had my hemi headers done with the cramic coating in Phoenix. Best thing I ever did. I was constantly painting them before. Hemi's headers run hot because of the short port and I was geting a lot of heat in the car. With the coating the heat stays in the header and now the paint burns off the mufflers way at the back of the car. I stay cool! You could get bright or dull. I got bright. They are just like new after 4 years. The headers were 6 years old at the time!
I have used VHT header paint on my Rods headers for years, and YES, you will have to remove them and sand and repaint numerous times to keep them looking good. OR Have them coated with the High-Temp exhaust coatings and be done with it. ( You get what you pay for in the long run)
I have Sanderson headers. The original ceramic coating from Sanderson had bubbles which pitted in ~3-4 years. After that, I had the headers jet-hot coated and have been very pleased with them ever since then . I've been told (but can't personally confirm) that chrome headers "blueing" can be minimized by coating the insides with bearing grease. There's lots of smoke initially , but the carbon forms an isulating barrier that minimizes the blueing.
I'm not sure If they have high enough temp powder coat in clear. I had a set of lime fire type headers coated inside and had them chromed,I decided not to use them so I sold them. The guy that bought them said they worked fine and didn't yellow or blue. I have used metal spray lots of times I don't like alum, but #2 Stainless or brz. or Monel look good and work great,and stay looking good.--TV
A lot of the folks around here use Jet-Hot......this is NASCAR land headquarters and there are a couple of coaters local-like. As a side note...chrome ones last a lot better if you run the engine FAT.......lean is heat.....
Russ Meeks metallic ceramic coated my set of Red's flathead headers for my '35 pickup. They look great and are easy to keep clean. I'm going to have him coat my Offy intake manifold this winter. Red Hamilton (Red's headers) also recommends metallic ceramic coating on his headers. It helps with heat dissipation and is very durable. Red uses Russ when is regular guy in California can't deliver. Check out Red's website, it gives a pretty good breakdown of all the coatings available for headers.
Thanks for the input fellas! I'm on a tight schedule with this one, so I'm gonna look around and see what's available locally and ship em out of state if I have to chrome or ceramic sound like the best way to go to me. TED - I'll call ya this weekend, lots going on in my world right now. =NOAH= Here's a pic of the bad boys too--
My personal opinion is towards jet-hot coating. This has worked very well in the racing applications we have used, and they look the same many miles down the road. Not as shiny as chrome, but they won't blue either. Oh, and man that olds motor looks really purty..
The ceramic coating on my headers still looks good after six years. The guys that did mine showed me that the coating is now available in colors as well. Red, Blue, Black and Shiney Silver. Not quite as shiney as chrome, But will last!
I've been hassleing around with header paint, etc.for 5 yrs & I found the best & cheapest is the POR15 bright silver paint.If the metal is new & never been painted or anythin. Goes on great with a sponge brush or fine brissel.put them in the oven for about 30 mins at 450o between coats(2 or 3) & they come out great!! On a roadster here easy to touch up during the season incase somebody puts there hand on them & te skin sticks to em' JimV
If you decide on chrome, I got another non-blueing tip. My buddy, John, ran a psir of chrome headers on his 455 Olds powered A coupe. He capped off the big end of the headers and poured 'em full of cheap, left-over paint. He said any paint would do. Emptied 'em back into the paint can and let them dry. The paint forms a heat resistant thermal barrier. His never discolored. Your mileage may vary.....
Header coatings huh? I heard that putting salt on a worn Teflon coated pan whilst hot will rejuvenate it. Perhaps you could sprinkle salt on them when hot, or maybe spray them with a saline solution. I think Visine is a saline solution but at $2.00 a bottle it could get very expensive.
Here is the set I built for the A. Sent em to Jet Hot in Mississippi. Took about a week to get em back. Looked GREAT till I got home from the Hamb Drags. They turned dull silver. They haven't gotten any duller since, but I sure liked em shiny... PS. I am anal about my carb jetting and ignition timing, so I don't think a lean condition was a factor. PPS. Who does that white rough texture coating that tooks bitchn on gassers?
buff em up with OOOO steel wool!! we did it on my buddies & they came out perfect.I think they all dull up alittle. jimv
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