polished stainless vs. chrome
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 154
Likes: 1
From: Hanover Maryland
polished stainless vs. chrome
I am getting ready to order a set of hooker headers and side pipes and was wondering if anyone has a set in the polished stainless steel? I currently have a set in chrome but messed them up when I lost the car around a turn and hit a curb. So main question is how much of a difference is shine is there? I take my car to a lot of shows and don't want them to look dull. Any help would be apreciated.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,390
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
The polished SS looks polished - there are swirl marks and buffing marks on the sidepipes and the header tubes, so they do not have the mirror finish of chrome... but it's close. If you spent a little time on a buffing wheel with the parts you could probably make them near perfect.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 403
From: Nashville TN
St. Jude Donor '09
You'll be very happy with the SS. They do have a bronze look at the heads, similar to the bluing affect of the chrome headers after they get hot. When I did my cam break-in, the pipes got hot enough to slightly discolor where the pipes come out under the rocker. But that can be polished out fairly easily. Before the cam break-in, they looked as good as chrome and I don't have to worry about rust. Well worth the few extra $$$ IMO. While I had them off this winter for my engine work, I polished them back to their original appearance which was not very difficult.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
SS can always be removed and re polished. Once chrome starts to go, it's over. Some chrome parts are easy access and keep in tip-top shape,....headers don't tend to be one of those things.
I don't build show cars, so I can't testify to the appearance but stainless steel is much more durable than chromed mild steel. Even if my budget didn't permit stainless, I would go ceramic coated before chrome. It looks great and lasts.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 412
Likes: 1
From: St. John's Newfoundland
Stainless
I really couldn't afford it, but I am restoring my '79 and plan to pass it on to my son. Baring any accidient, the pipes are one thing he should not have to replace.
Hooker SS Headers and tubes.
JCL, SS Spiral baffles.
Steel shields SS heat shields.
C
I really couldn't afford it, but I am restoring my '79 and plan to pass it on to my son. Baring any accidient, the pipes are one thing he should not have to replace.Hooker SS Headers and tubes.
JCL, SS Spiral baffles.
Steel shields SS heat shields.
C
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,284
Likes: 235
From: Rockledge FL
Last time I looked hooker didnt make stainless for BBs right? There is that one thread where the person was making BB stainless for a good price. If I knew that I wouldnt have to worry about burned plug wires Id go that route. I will probably go the sterling ceramic from jet-hot on my BB.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 412
Likes: 1
From: St. John's Newfoundland
Last time I looked hooker didnt make stainless for BBs right? There is that one thread where the person was making BB stainless for a good price. If I knew that I wouldnt have to worry about burned plug wires Id go that route. I will probably go the sterling ceramic from jet-hot on my BB.
C
