Hooker ceramic sidepipes questions
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Hooker ceramic sidepipes questions
Got my hookers, ceramic finish. Gorgeous, to be sure. NOT pleased with quality of fit... especially the passenger side, seems the pipe was a bit out of round and fought it like crazy to get it slid on the header collector... now there is a small spot that "leaks"... guess I need to mark it, slip it back off, and try to "round it" a bit more. Headers went in and fit great, pipes not so much. Used Sweet Thunder 2 1/2" inserts.
Question: how do you clean these things? Soap and water? Want to keep them looking nice, assume there will be the usual road grime that will get tossed up on them. Any cleaning hints out there?
Thank you all in advance.
Question: how do you clean these things? Soap and water? Want to keep them looking nice, assume there will be the usual road grime that will get tossed up on them. Any cleaning hints out there?
Thank you all in advance.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Apache Junction Arizona
It seems Hooker Side Pipes are notorious for fitment problems, but have not yet heard of the pipes being out of round...seems their quality has really got to pot!
As for cleaning/polishing, I use Nevr-Dul for quick cleaning and polishing; for a better polish, I use the Adam's Metal Polish #1/#2 with a cotton buffer wheel on my drill and/or with my PC buffer. I have the same ceramic Hookers you do and my 82 is a daily driver, the above products have worked very well for me for the last 18 months.
Oh yeah, I use the Sweet Thunder 2.5" insert also and I love the sound - not TOO loud, but not to quiet either....
As for cleaning/polishing, I use Nevr-Dul for quick cleaning and polishing; for a better polish, I use the Adam's Metal Polish #1/#2 with a cotton buffer wheel on my drill and/or with my PC buffer. I have the same ceramic Hookers you do and my 82 is a daily driver, the above products have worked very well for me for the last 18 months.
Oh yeah, I use the Sweet Thunder 2.5" insert also and I love the sound - not TOO loud, but not to quiet either....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 955
Likes: 50
From: Jersey Shore
Take good care of the ceramic coating. ie: dry them thoroughly when you wash the car, or after driving in the rain. These are mine after 3 months with Hooker's ceramic coating. It got so bad (the whole sidepipe was speckled with rust) that I ended up painting them with some high temp spray paint.
Last edited by vette427-sbc; May 25, 2010 at 12:15 PM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Take good care of the ceramic coating. ie: dry them thoroughly when you wash the car, or after driving in the rain. These are mine after 3 months with Hooker's ceramic coating. It got so bad (the whole sidepipe was speckled with rust) that I ended up painting them with some high temp spray paint.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
It seems Hooker Side Pipes are notorious for fitment problems, but have not yet heard of the pipes being out of round...seems their quality has really got to pot!
As for cleaning/polishing, I use Nevr-Dul for quick cleaning and polishing; for a better polish, I use the Adam's Metal Polish #1/#2 with a cotton buffer wheel on my drill and/or with my PC buffer. I have the same ceramic Hookers you do and my 82 is a daily driver, the above products have worked very well for me for the last 18 months.
Oh yeah, I use the Sweet Thunder 2.5" insert also and I love the sound - not TOO loud, but not to quiet either....
As for cleaning/polishing, I use Nevr-Dul for quick cleaning and polishing; for a better polish, I use the Adam's Metal Polish #1/#2 with a cotton buffer wheel on my drill and/or with my PC buffer. I have the same ceramic Hookers you do and my 82 is a daily driver, the above products have worked very well for me for the last 18 months.
Oh yeah, I use the Sweet Thunder 2.5" insert also and I love the sound - not TOO loud, but not to quiet either....
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,209
Likes: 12
From: Montgomery Alabama
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Mine are about 10 years old and I have the rust in the areas you can't get to with the buffer wheel or cleaning rags jsut like in the picture above. Also, there is some flaking of the coating up under the engine bay and rust forming on the tubes.
I have thought about having them re-coated, but I have been spending my money elsewhere on the car. maybe when I get the car painted, I will get some new pipes or have these re-coated.
Here is what they looked like when I bought the car (a dirty rusty pipe).
I have improved the look a lot with Mother's wheel polish, but the cracks still show some rust.
I have thought about having them re-coated, but I have been spending my money elsewhere on the car. maybe when I get the car painted, I will get some new pipes or have these re-coated.
Here is what they looked like when I bought the car (a dirty rusty pipe).
I have improved the look a lot with Mother's wheel polish, but the cracks still show some rust.
Last edited by Curby; May 27, 2010 at 10:02 AM.
