I have set of plain steel Hookers and wanting to go with the early/mid-60s white header look on my Biscayne. What is the best way to go for a decent long term finish, prep and paint, ceramic coat?
Ceramic coating is a much more durable finish. High heat paint burns off, discolors, and lets the pipes rust. All my stuff is painted because I can do it myself for a couple bucks. Ceramic coating is pretty expensive and you have to find a place that will do it for you.
Had mine done with ceramic then high heat paint. I've had to touch the white up here and there, but the ceramic is still on there.
That's pretty much it in the nut shell. Paint 'em white and plan on freshening them when its time for yearly maintenence. That's what they did before ceramic coating. The paint will stick better if you get them bead blasted first.
and don't drive them in the winter after a salt spray.....currently cruising around with orange headers time for a white coating
reminds me of my mis-spent youth...building a ride and purchased a cheap set of headers (cyclone maybe) that were purple. sanded them down for a rough profile and used about a half dozen cans of high heat white paint so they looked right. Dumb kid, didn't even think about oils, etc on headers...got them installed (on an installation that wasn't ever coming out-squeeze fit...got the motor in and the first time it came up to operating temp the oils on the header burned and blistered the great job i had done. sold the car 3-4 years later with brown, blistery headers. I actually learned from that mistake (one of the few times I learned from my mistakes, I usually keep repeating and hope for a different outcome)
Ceramic coating will last longer. Columbia coatings offers the coating in several color choices for home application.
Ceramic coating is the best for the best white look . Will cost you some more than any other option . Another way would be get them cleans up real good , give them a few good primer base coats then just use white spay paint . I am talking about header paint . That would be the cheapest and easiest way to go . Just make sure you use header paint ! On the other hand you could get them powder coated too . I have done exhaust manifolds in powder coat and they turned out pretty good . There are your choices ! Retro Jim
Is there any place doing still doing alumaspray like in the '60s.? I'd like to have mine done like the orange one in the 65 photo,
I just blasted a set of headers, high heat primed them and followed the directions to the T on the can. you bake then at three different heats and let them cool, and then did the same when I painted them white with the baking. I will do the break in thats on the can that says run for x amount of time and then let cool too. Total cost, 17 bucks in paint, and a days work. if it holds for a year ill be happy.
Swain and Jet-Hot. Does anyone remember a hi-temp paint called Gilsonite Furnace paint? That stuff was great. We would paint CI manifolds with it and they looked like the porcelain like on the old Jag XKs. FC
Like many here have already stated high temp spray paint like VHT is the good old cheap and easy way. Another option that's not as expensive as a ceramic coating would be to have them aluminized. I had a set done in white 19 years ago and they've held up pretty well. Here's a picture and a link to a place that does it. http://www.pugetsoundcoatings.com/Metallizing/Metallizing.htm
I just saw your post after I'd done mine. Aluminizing or metallizing is the same thing as alumaspray. The place I posted is in Seattle so you'd have to ship your headers up there, but they do really good work.
Thanks I was going to chrome them and I ran out of time before LARS and sprayed them white. I think I like the white better. There used to be a place in Oakland that did it. I think by the airport. I'll have to check.
Steel rebel, I like the white headers on your car as well, it looks really good. I think the white headers balance out well with your white top and tires.
I don't know where Glen Mills is but Jet-Hot (ceramic coating) has a facility near Allentown. I've used them and am happy with thier work.
Thanks for the tip. I use to have a set of those Hedman 'alumicoat' headers. They did hold up for quite a while but they have a weird raised texture.
Thanks. The paint was new there. It burned off pretty soon, especially where I had used braze to smooth out the welds.
I'll have to go out and search the shop, but I used to buy a silicone based header paint from Summit. I have a few sets that lasted several years. Just touch up the finish when you replace your gaskets.
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