Hiya. I'd like to know if it is possible to paint...headers? I don't know if there is any paint that can withstand that kind of heat. I know there is engine paint, but doesn’t the headers get much hotter then the motor? If they can be painted, I'd like to know what kind of paint. Any and all advise is appreciated. By the way, My headers are not coated. Oh ya, I only discover on Saturday that I have headers, and now I want to paint them :lol:

Thanks

Dwayne

 

Great to meet you on Saturday!! I wouldn't paint your headers. The coated ones are the way to go (appearance plus reduction in heat in engine compartment) but I'm not sure if painting is feasible. There might be a special high heat paint, but then you'd have to pull them, paint them, reinstall, which is a big pain in the ***. I mentioned to Mark and Mike that your backup lights came on intermittently while I was following on the drive through Oakville. Your car is a beauty by the way....just imagine if you had Mark's ZZ4 in the engine bay?? Wouldn't mine one myself!!

 

Hey Doug, It was nice meeting you as well! Thanks for the advice. About the reverse lights, I think my putting the car in neutral caused it. The position points on the transmission shift are not where they should be; as a result I tend to push the transmission close to the reverse position, which is probably why that was happening. As for painting the headers, I was going to try the lazy way (leaving them on). But, from what I gather, in either case painting the headers is not a good idea.

Will we be seeing you on Saturday, in Thornhill?

 

Hi Dwayne....wish I could but our Corvette club (Corvettes of Durham) is hosting a Quad C. show at the Ice Sports complex in Oshawa (Townline road just south of the LCBO storage facility. Too bad it happens to be the same day. I know the club is expecting a heavy turnout. Believe it starts at 10am and goes all day? Maybe you guys can squeeze both in? Pretty tough though, I know!! Glad you've got the backup light thing figured out, an easy fix! :cheers:

 

Dear Dwayne- If they are the original headers-you may want to consider replacing them. I have a 77 Vette, with original headers and I was considering doing the same thing.My boy friend is a paint and body man, and he says it can be done-that he has to send them out to be powder coated with a high heat coating, and even that is not a cure all if they are very worn out and rusty.My problem right now is heat loss.Feels like my feet are on fire in the car.That is what hsppens when they get old.The molecular structure of the metal breaks down-they rust-get thin walled-then holes begin and they are shot. I am looking to replace mine with aluminum headers-which my boyfriend says he can get at cost-and they supposedly are the best for heat loss and performance.If you are interested, I will check on what price he gives me, and see if you can get a deal too. He thinks cost is around $ 400 for mine,but he hasnt looked at the book yet. Even if you sent yours out for powder coating, it would cost at least $ 200.

 

Thanks Starlite. This is more a cosmetic thing then anything. Though I will keep the idea of replacing the headers. Gotta finish school first though, DeVRY to darn expensive, over $12,000 CDN, per year. Good thing I'm in my final year!

:cheers:

 

Hi Dwayne

I tried painting the headers on my 79 L48 and didn't have a whole lot of luck. I thought I had done everything right. Bought a can of heat resistant primer, cleaned the headers up before applying it and let them sit overnight. Applied a high heat black paint in three light coats and thought they looked pretty good when I finished. Within 6 months they had discolored and looked as bad as they had when I took them off. I took them off again and started to ask around for some advice. I was at work a couple of days later and was asking a couple of guys at work when my boss mentioned he had just picked up a set of headers he had just had ceramic coated for a 72 chevy 1/2 ton he was rebuilding and they were in his car. We went out for a look and I knew right away it was the way to go. The coating comes in three or four different colors and not only do they look great, but they shed their heat about twice as fast as an uncoated header and reduce engine compartment heat substantially. I took mine in to a place in town and it took about a week to get them back. They looked great and were coated inside and out. The work is also guaranteed against chipping or cracking for 3 years. I reinstalled the headers and couldn't be happier. Not only do they clean up really well,
after running the car for an hour you can touch the header in minutes before you can hold your hand on the valve cover. I'm really pleased witht he outcome. It cost about $250 but in my humble opinion, it was worth every penny. Hope this offers you another choice.

79 Burgundy L-48. 69Chevy factory 300hp 4bolt main. Comp Cam/MSD HEI ignition 8mm MSD wires recurved/ 202 heads with heavy duty springs/valves/rods
flat top 9.5 comp rat. pistons 12 '' added cooling fan/ Headman Ceramic Coated Headers/ Edelbrock TorkerII Intake/ Carter 650 Competion Carb/
and still adding.....Hoping the Wife never finds out. Corvette....You want one when your Twenty....You can afford one when your Forty...
:D

 

Canadian Tire High Heat Header Paint been using it for years 6 bucks a can :D

PS: You gotta take em off and clean them up first


[Modified by MotorHead, 1:20 AM 6/9/2002]