ss_girl

iTrader: (9)

Just curious if there are any benefits to going stainless versus mild steel for headers and downpipes. If I plan to get everything coated in the end.

Speed

iTrader: (33)

I've built a lot of kits out of aluminized mild steel on street driven cars. Never had a problem with it. Mild is more ductile than most the stainless used on exhaust systems. That said, I'm building my next system using stainless (only because it's pretty polished up).

If you are coating everything, save your money, toss the bragging rights and put your focus into system design. Making sure your heavy parts are properly supported is worth so much more than the material it's made out of.

Gauge

iTrader: (3)

I vote stainless. Everyone I know who has mild steel headers (coated or not) has rusty-*** headers. One buddy is replacing his because there are holes rusting in them now.

Speed

iTrader: (33)

Never had one rust using aluminized mild. Just sayin'

subarubill96

iTrader: (9)

coated mild steel will rust after the coating flakes off, its just like paint over mild steel, expose it to the elements long enough to get scraped up and it will rust. if you never drive it in the snow, or rain mild steel thats coated will be fine, otherwise id look into stainless. it seems to me that having to coat mild steel would pretty much offset the price of stainless but considering ive never priced mild steel for a build id leave that to the people that deal with it more frequently.
speed- never seen aluminized mild steel rust? one winter up here and you'll see more than you ever wanted to.