I have a 2008 Corvette. For about 5 months now I have been poking around at a longtube headers/x-pipe combo. I have been doing some reading about Ceramic Coated Headers and definetly think that they're the way to go. I live in TX and it gets really hot, so anything to keep the temp. down under the hood. For anyone out there that has already taken that route can you give me some feedback please? My car right now is running the factory exhaust (fuse pulled on the NPP).
-Patrick

 

Check out Melrose headers if you want ceramic coating. They are regular steel vrs Stainless the coating supposedly holds up better on regular steel. Coated will run cooler than stainless although stainless itself does hold in more than stock so they also are cooler.
Either way you will be happy

 

SF06RZ - Smooth Flow ceramic coated long tube headers with stainless steel high flow catalytic converter and x-pipe (direct fit to factory muffler section).
I have these on my Z06 for five years now, and they still look great! A few pictures are in my public album on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=4637ff27ee

 

I say get 'em! I have Kooks on my '08. They are jet hot coated and were purchased and installed by Brian at RPT. He is in Cedar Park (Austin) and you should give him a shout. (He is a forum vender) He had a great deal when I got mine and may still have a special going.

 

I also have ceramic coated headers and mine are black. They help with underhood heating issues and they looks as good as new. I have a coater in town and he does a great job. I have the Kooks LT's and fit like a glove.

 

I'm in So Cal so I couldn't have LG longtubes with ceramic coating as that goes against the letter of the law. If I did I'd tell you they've been great for 4 years.

San

 

I did not coat my header when I bought them because I was told by the MFG that it was a waste of money.

I am putting new engine in and sent the headers out for coating. Coated headers just look better.

 

What follows is an excerpt from an article out of HotRod Magazine from several years ago.

Header Coating Test conducted by HotRod Magazine

All the preceding tests were with uncoated, stainless Kooks headers. After completing the internal-coatings evaluation, the headers were sent out to Xtreme Coatings to receive inside and outside thermal-barrier protection. The headers were evaluated in this standalone fashion because this popular coating is widely available directly from header manufacturers, and it is also one process the average enthusiast can get done quickly without hassle.

Testing coated versus uncoated headers on an otherwise internally uncoated engine showed no statistically significant changes in overall torque and power output, although the engine was up a couple of numbers in the midrange. It could be that stainless steel headers are just less sensitive to thermal-barrier coatings than typical mild-steel headers. In any event, ambient temperatures with a heat gun in the vicinity of the headers did show a 200-degree-F temperature drop near the pipes at the pipe surface. Although the dyno numbers don't reflect this drop, in a tight engine compartment not using cold-air induction but rather ingesting inlet air from inside a hot engine compartment, a reduction in exhaust-radiated heat could translate into a big power gain: On a normally aspirated engine, every 10-degree-F inlet air temperature decrease increases engine power by about 1 percent. Even if the air were only 50 degrees cooler by the time it got into the inlet tract, that's a 5 percent improvement.


http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...s/viewall.html

 

Thanks for all of your comments everyone. On a side note; do Kooks have a line of headers out that they will send to you already coated or would you have to get them and then line up a place that will do it? I guess I'm still not sure which route I want to take (buy headers, then get them coated or buy headers already ready to rock'n'roll) -( http://demo.fuel360cms.com/exhaust-s...g-tube-system/ ) or ( http://www.corvettemods.com/Corvette...pe_p_6353.html ) or ( http://www.vettesupply.com/products/...st-System.html )

 

Forum vendor marylandspeed.com works directly with Kooks and a JetHot coating shop. They offer Kooks headers precoated. My experience with purchases from Maryland Speed have all been good.

 

nice article to include Motorhead.

 

Kooks sends them to JetHot for coating if they are requested. The coatings are ~$270 if ordered through Kooks. There is extra lead time required and they usually do not have them already coated. Out of all of the coatings that I have used, the black ceramic is higher temp and last even longer than sterling silver. I have used the silver coating and they have peeled at the bottom of the collector over time. The black coatings seem to hold up over years of service. I have a coater in ATX and he does a great job and I use this these on my personal car.

 

thanks for sharing!

 

^Thank you for including this^

 

What would be a better route to go? ; Should I get a system that comes already coated (http://www.melrosecorvette.com/2008-...header-system/) OR get a system that is S.S (http://www.kookscustomheaders.com/show.php?pid=885) & have a PRO coat them?...I live in Killeen, Austin is just a hot min. away...

 

Mostly depends on who is installing them and who will tune your car.
if you can get it all done at one place that is where to go provided they are good!

 

You're definetly right about that. I'm here in Killeen, TX and most of the performance shops here want to take advantage of the soldiers on Ft. Hood. That screwing over of soldiers pukes over to all the rest of us.

 

What I did when I ran LG LT's prior to turbos/manifolds was have just the headers (not the x-pipe etc) coated by a local shop (Embee performance).

Going local was less expensive and the quality was just as good if not better than Jet Hot. I coated only the headers because I wasn't concerned with the look of the underside of my car nor did it really add any performance benifit and it saved a bit of money. Installing them myself also saved money and is very simple and straight forward.

 

i have kooks 1 3/4 ceramic coated headers with offroad x pipe and the stock npp catback on my '12 grand sport with the mild to wild switch (which i just leave the valves open 99% of the time). the coated headers are nice to keep the temps down a bit and they look nicer as well but not a huge deal. and it sounds absolutely awesome with headers and no cats. sounds much better than it did before headers. its nothing crazy loud under normal driving it just sounds throaty and mean with valves open. under WOT it definitely catches a lot of attention though haha

 

Mine are Jethot 2000 coated. I think I paid way too much to have it done considering the guys saying 270.00 but they are awesome and definitely help out under the hood temps. I am glad since with an F/I car and a 416 my oil temps seem to hover at 235/245 all the time when its 90 degrees outside. External oil coolers are on the way I think....