painted headers
05-05-2010, 10:24 PM
#1
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painted headers does anybody run painted headers? i would want to run ceramic coated headers but ther too pricey for my budget. what are the pros n cons of painted headers?
05-05-2010, 10:29 PM
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Just get some vht primer and vht ceramic after and spay can it on. Did mine that way. Still on and looking good. Just make sure to clean them really good first. I just bought the stainless because the coated were way more and rattle canned it.
05-05-2010, 10:31 PM
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I've never owned either, 
, but I think that painted ones rust a lot faster than coated ones. Just save up for a little longer, it will probably be worth it. Unless you don't drive the car much, and judging by the mileage in your sig, you don't. So maybe painted would be fine for you. Or maybe my brain is fried from studying for finals and you should just ignore me.... Yeah.......
, but I think that painted ones rust a lot faster than coated ones. Just save up for a little longer, it will probably be worth it. Unless you don't drive the car much, and judging by the mileage in your sig, you don't. So maybe painted would be fine for you. Or maybe my brain is fried from studying for finals and you should just ignore me.... Yeah....... 
05-06-2010, 09:21 AM
#5
There's a lot of guys that run both. If you are just looking for something to get you by, the painted ones will do the trick. If you are looking for something to last several years, you need to wait on the ceramic. The painted headers will flake off and rust after a couple heat cycles where the ceramic will stay coated for a while as long as you don't scrape the coating off on speed bumps etc. Let me know which way you decide to go and we'll get you fixed up!
Jon
Jon
05-06-2010, 11:21 AM
#6
I always believed it was worth paying the premium for ceramic coated headers. They look awesome (when they're new) and help keep heat in the engine bay down (as best as possible). My experience with painted headers that followed helped change my opinion a bit.
When I bought my SS it came with a set of painted Hooker Headers. The car is a 2002 and they were installed shortly after the car was purchased. When I picked the car up in 2007 they were started to look rusted on the outside. That being said, although they're not as nice looking as a polished stainless set, they still work just fine. No holes, no leaks, heat in the engine compartment isn't an issue, moderate ground clearance, etc.
In summary, if money is an issue, you'll probably get by just fine for years with a painted set. If you're looking for show-car quality and appearance + a few hundred bucks isn't much of an issue, I'd go with a ceramic coated or stainless set. Unfortunately, regardless of which direction you go, they won't look shiny and new for long!
When I bought my SS it came with a set of painted Hooker Headers. The car is a 2002 and they were installed shortly after the car was purchased. When I picked the car up in 2007 they were started to look rusted on the outside. That being said, although they're not as nice looking as a polished stainless set, they still work just fine. No holes, no leaks, heat in the engine compartment isn't an issue, moderate ground clearance, etc.
In summary, if money is an issue, you'll probably get by just fine for years with a painted set. If you're looking for show-car quality and appearance + a few hundred bucks isn't much of an issue, I'd go with a ceramic coated or stainless set. Unfortunately, regardless of which direction you go, they won't look shiny and new for long!
