Paint headers or leave 'em

UPS brought my Summit headers today.

Now, I know ceramic coating is the best way to keep headers looking good, but I can't see spending $250 to coat $95 headers.

So my question is, is there any advantage to sanding them down and painting them with some hi-temp paint (plasti-kote, BBQ grille paint, etc.) or should I not waste my time and put them on as-is.

I know they'll rust eventually either way. Just trying to keep 'em nice as long as possible. Thanks!

Not sure how often you drive your car, but I painted my rusty ones with flat black engine or exhaust paint 2 years ago and they still look great.

Car only gets out 4-5 times a year tho..

I say paint em..

Plaz

A friend helped me put the headers on my truck a year (or so) ago. When we pulled 'em out of the box, he insisted on putting a coat of high temp paint on 'em. I thought "waste of time, but who cares". To my amazement, they still look pretty good today, and I drive it 3-4 days per week. That said, I say put a coat of paint on 'em.

Use VHT flame proof paint, works very well if you strip off the factory coating/paint, clean, then thoroughly sand/scuff the bare headers with like #320- get a good profile; clean and then paint with multiple coats per instructions. Also let the engine heat harden the paint per instructions. You'll get good results.

vht x2

I bought an old set of headers off a freind for my wifes charger. We had them blasted then painted W/ VHT' header primer and paint. I remember I bought 3 cans but I don't recall if it was 2 primer 1 paint or 1 primer 2 paint. If I were to go that route again I would get 2 of each.

To be honest I wasn't all that thrilled with what I saw after I painted them untill I fired the motor and the paint "curred". After that they looked good.

Another option is Eastwoods header paint. I've seen this on PROSPORT's car and it still looks great. I'm thinking about using it on mine.

I was told barbque grill paint and I used it on a set with good results... the headers since have set where its damp and rusted some, but held up pretty good.

I would probably test fit the headers first. In case you have to do any to get them to fit. Ideally you want to do that before painting.

I'm gonna try the POR 15 "Factory Manifold Gray"
its supposed to be good to 1400*F. (because its what I have here) I have the insides etching with "Metal Ready" (POR 15's "prep" product) as we speak, I'm gonna try and get at least inside the collectors with it; I know I won't see if it holds up (they are brand new headers) but as above I want em to last as long as possible and I only pd $45 for them; they're Hooker Super Comps, and ceramic on the outside but the coating stops about 2" inside the collector. I got em at a swap in Indiana this past Sunday (NOT Indy though)