ceramic coated headers rusting?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 1
From: providence ut
ceramic coated headers rusting?
I bought a pair of ceramic coated hooker headers off ebay.
1. the header tubes are dull silver. the tops and flanges are shiny
2. the coating is very thin.......they banged against each other during shipping and are scrached
3. the collector area is rusted.
I'm thinking they are powder coated not ceramic coated, anyone out there have rust on a ceramic coated header?
1. the header tubes are dull silver. the tops and flanges are shiny
2. the coating is very thin.......they banged against each other during shipping and are scrached
3. the collector area is rusted.
I'm thinking they are powder coated not ceramic coated, anyone out there have rust on a ceramic coated header?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,772
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From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
Good quality ceramic coated should not rust.
I've some JBA's on my truck that are 6 years old and they still look like brand new.
Not familiar with the Hookers though.
But if you get a scratch that goes through the coating, then yes they will rust. Especially in collector area, since it's down low where it gets water splashed on it.
Were these used you bought?
I've some JBA's on my truck that are 6 years old and they still look like brand new.
Not familiar with the Hookers though.
But if you get a scratch that goes through the coating, then yes they will rust. Especially in collector area, since it's down low where it gets water splashed on it.
Were these used you bought?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
I have never seen any painted headers last more than 6 months before the paint was cracking and peeling. Even the chrome plated ones will turn blue from the heat (think motorcycle pipes).
That is the reason I went with ceramic coated. Good ceramic coated headers are not cheap though. As with most things, you get what you pay for.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 1
From: providence ut
I don't think they use the insulation factor as a selling point. The main benefit would be still looking almost new after years of use.
I have never seen any painted headers last more than 6 months before the paint was cracking and peeling. Even the chrome plated ones will turn blue from the heat (think motorcycle pipes).
That is the reason I went with ceramic coated. Good ceramic coated headers are not cheap though. As with most things, you get what you pay for.
I have never seen any painted headers last more than 6 months before the paint was cracking and peeling. Even the chrome plated ones will turn blue from the heat (think motorcycle pipes).
That is the reason I went with ceramic coated. Good ceramic coated headers are not cheap though. As with most things, you get what you pay for.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,772
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From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 560
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From: Hamilton New Jersey
if the car isn't garaged they will start to rust after time.. I had a set of hooker super comps on my 70 nova that needed to be recoated, the rust was pretty much all by the collectors and the car was driven in all kinds of weather. Most likely they are just older ceramic coated headers, a standard powder coat wouldn't hold up to the heat for very long I don't think...
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,469
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From: Winchester Ontario
Absolutely they rust. Hooker Super Competition Headers. Ceramic coated. They looked great for a while, until they start to rust.
Never winter driven (obviously, it's a Corvette!!!) Parked in a garage over the winter months.
Good thing about it is no one will notice it unless they're under your car, or your engine is on a stand.
Never winter driven (obviously, it's a Corvette!!!) Parked in a garage over the winter months.
Good thing about it is no one will notice it unless they're under your car, or your engine is on a stand.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,726
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From: Waukesha WI
St. Jude Donor '15
Absolutely they rust. Hooker Super Competition Headers. Ceramic coated. They looked great for a while, until they start to rust.
Never winter driven (obviously, it's a Corvette!!!) Parked in a garage over the winter months.
Good thing about it is no one will notice it unless they're under your car, or your engine is on a stand.
Never winter driven (obviously, it's a Corvette!!!) Parked in a garage over the winter months.
Good thing about it is no one will notice it unless they're under your car, or your engine is on a stand.
My Hookers started to rust shortly after I installed them. At the time I lived on a gravel road so they took a beating. I did drive them thru the occasional snow storm.
Hooker's coating is pretty thin and only on the exterior I believe - not to be compared to real (read: expensive) coating done by others. You get what you pay for.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,672
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From: Lake Wylie SC
I have the Hooker Shorties with Jett Hot's Sterling Ceramic Coating and they still look good after 6 years. I have a set of EM's long tubes that are ceramic coated ready to install. Just need some cash for the rest of the upgrade. 
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,894
Likes: 3
From: Reading PA.
My Hooker Super Comps look the same as Black 89's they have been on my 90 fro about a year and are all rusty near the collector. There is a shop near me that does powder/ ceramic coating and took mine there to get recoated (2 wk. turnaround) The owner called me and said we got em all blasted and ready to coat but you better come take a look at em they are all pitted and might look real bad ceramic coated. I went and looked at em and they were bad so I just had em done in a silver hot coating they had there. They look pretty good but not as good as the Ceramic Coated one's. Bottom line Hooker's coating is JUNK. The Headers are ok just the Coating is bad. When I get another set i'm going to get them uncoated then have them coated myself. Pipe
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 844
Likes: 0
From: Cape Cod Ma
wow i guess im not the only one? Mine rusted on the bottom/collector flange. Only 3k on the engine/headers. There crap.
mine were the jet hot coated ones, Any warrentee?I thought JET hot coatings were a liftime, or am i thinking of somewere else?
mine were the jet hot coated ones, Any warrentee?I thought JET hot coatings were a liftime, or am i thinking of somewere else?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,772
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From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
Jet Hot coating is not the same as Ceramic coating.
Good Ceramic coated headers should not rust.
I have a set of JBA Ceramic coated on my truck that are 6 years old, and they look almost like the ones Brian showed in post #5.
No rust at all, just a slightly duller look over the years.
Looks to me like the Hooker's are not coated very well at all.
Good Ceramic coated headers should not rust.
I have a set of JBA Ceramic coated on my truck that are 6 years old, and they look almost like the ones Brian showed in post #5.
No rust at all, just a slightly duller look over the years.
Looks to me like the Hooker's are not coated very well at all.
