2 seats

John Micheal Henry

Use some header wrap on your headers and x-pipe. That works better and it will insulate the Vette from some exhaust HEAT.. Win, Win..

spinkick

I talked to ARH and they dont recommend a coating at all. Honestly, I dont notice them getting all that hot. Maybe if your car is a full on race car running at WOT for long periods of time.

2 seats

Custom Corvette Accessories

I'm with Nick, seen way to many warped flanges and busted welds...

Regards
Chip

JerryU

Have Sanderson ceramic coated long tube headers on my 18 year old street rod! Look almost new.

449er

"Busted welds & warped flanges" from ceramic coating? I have to politely disagree with this statement

2 seats

Dcasole

I agree with Spin , unless your car is a full on track car, there is nothing that is going to radiate more heat than that block of cast iron GM calls the exhaust manifolds , then add to it the CATs that are right under it , between the block , frame rail , firewall and starter because GM need them to heat up fast for emissions . And everybody is worried about 4 stainless tubes that have way more clearance around them for airflow and a set of cats that is now down in the tunnel.....
Don't coat them , it just causes stress risers if they get to hot.
Dave

2 seats

JerryU

I don't know why all the concern! I've had headers that were uncoated and it a short time they look bad ('67 Corvair, 260Z, V8 CJ5 Jeep!) As mentioned, I have long tube headers on the 502 cid BB Chevy in my ProStreet Rod and they look fine after 18 years. Would not still be getting trophies at car shows with rusted headers! They are quality headers from Sanderson and when I bought them 18 years ago they offered silver. Now they offer both silver and black. Ceramic coating costs ~$200 more-well worth it IMO.

Sanderson uses thick flanges and quality welds. Welds that bust are poor ones! My headers get hot! Don't try touching them! What do you expect with ~2000 F exhaust gas passing through!

If concerned get stainless!

Headers after assembling the 502/502 crate engine from some 30 boxes of parts 18 years ago! Look almost as good today.

Dcasole

I have used hi heat black an they looked good for may years ...
Dave

Dcasole

Jerry , what type of car is your pro street rod ?
how many miles do u put on it in a year?
Dave

JerryU

Not many now! Mostly goes to Shows.

Dcasole

That's beautiful .....

Dave

bowtiguy

FWIW, I had Kooks stainless stepped headers on my 454 cu in LS7 in my C6Z that flowed into a B&B fusion exhaust. When I pulled the motor for a refresh ( I tracked it heavily and had an A.R.E. dry sump pan issue) I had the headers/ X-pipe ceramic coated by Jet Hot inside/out. Besides the obvious appearance upgrade, there was a MASSIVE decrease in under-hood temperatures!!! ANY car I do in the future will have the headers/x-pipe coated including my current LT5. besides cost, I saw ZERO downside to coating.

robert miller

As long as you get a good coated set of headers you will do good on the outside and inside. THIS IS LIKE EVERY THING ELSE YOU CAN BUY, if you get the coating that will go up to like 2,k plus deg's it will do great and will keep that look and not break down. Some of these vendors in here the coating that you get that they give you that is free is junk.... ASK ME HOW I KNOW THAT. Had to pull a set off my c5 and have them redone within 6 months after putting them on.

Like John said above here if you use the wrap on them IT REALLY WILL DO BETTER THAN THE COATING ON THEM AS FAR, as keeping the temp's down from under the hood by a long shot.... Robert

vader86

I've had JetHot coated TPiS headers on my car for years, eventually it will flake off the underside of the header if you drive pretty much daily, and there is where it will start to rust. My inside-coated headers have clogged up the main cat, but I believe this was primarily due to the car dropping into open loop at idle and part-throttle cruise and it running too rich.

It does make a huge difference in underhood temperatures to have them coated however. Wrap does help temps, but I will never wrap a header because this usually invites rust inside the wrap. Some brands with higher quality stainless may never do so, but I learned my lesson.

JerryU

I've had Sanderson long tube ceramic coated in and outside headers on my Street Rod for 19 years! They look about the same now as in this pic from when I assembled the 502 cid engine from some 30 boxes that came in a wood crate!

Bubbletop409

I have ceramchromed Bassett headers on my 79 Cole with a pump gas 565 BBC. Coated inside and out 8 years and a couple of hundred hours ago. They still look new and actually continue to get better looking after every polish job. I asked constantly how I keep my "chrome" from turning blue. These headers are also water injected so above 1500 rpm they also have water flowing with the gases, These headers were first built in 1988 so they are living testaments to the benefits of HTC. The exterior of the tubes also stay much cooler than raw, chrome or painted tubes. Go for inside and out, the powder is sprayed on then baked, I see no way this could compromise the integrity of the metal. Besides the headers my oil pan and intake manifold are also coated. Very easy to maintain a chrome like appearance.