Have any of you guys used Speedwaymotors headers in a chrome finish? I need a set of fenderwells and they have the fat fender set which I had used in a coated set a while ago. the coating eventually did rust after a few years and I kept wire brushing and hi temp painting them each year. The chrome isn't a whole lot more cost wise and I am sure they are probably import stuff like everything seems to be nowadays. Just wonder how the chrome may last? I tried to find a stainless set with the pipes all collecting more to the rear of the engine and cannot find ANY. they are going on a willys coupe with SBC.
I think chrome will not last and stainless will turn blue or black after a while. Coatings probably last the longest but you are already aware off their limitations.
T have used their roadster headers on my bucket. They are made by Patriot. The chrome ones lasted two seasons ( I drive this thing every dry-semi=dry day) of Michigan weather, before the rust got a good hold on them. Undersides and tight spots. I steel wooled and waxed them almost every week during the driving season. Previus Sanderson headers lasted since the eighties. I then installed the coated headers in the fall. Waxed them (did not run engine) covered the car for winter storage in the barn. The next spring I uncovered the car and the coated headers were surface rusted all along the bottom tubes. I was pissed. I can't blame the chrome plating quality because most of that is our governments EPA regulating the plating business. But the silver coated pipes were just a bad product.
I had their chrome headers on my T and the chrome quality was as good as it can be, considering. The problem was they rusted fairly quickly in-between the pipes. You probably wouldn't have that problem. My attitude about chrome headers now, is that they are exhaust pipes and should be treated as such. In other words, if you're after a "show only" car, yea, use them. Otherwise, get 'em in plain steel and use hi-temp paint.
I thought about the plain ones and paint. The coated ones I got from them did eventually rust after a couple of years and as you guys say, starting in the nooks and crannies. I was hoping to find a stainless set configured like them, but so far I can't. I sure can't see a set of these in chrome for 304 bucks lasting at all..like your T's
I bought a coated set for my wife's bucket and was unhappy with the welds and they soon started to rust.
I bought the coated ones several years ago and think they are holding up just fine, not daily driven.
Speedway sells headers made by a few companies, including Patriot, Dynatech (which they bought) and some off shore stuff. The headers that we (Patriot) sell to them are NOT coated by us. They buy them raw and do their own coating which is different than our own.
On my second set of Speedway Sprint style chrome headers, turned blue after driving my T-Bucket about 350 miles. Had to have Speedway replace right side header after it broke a tube atthe header flange, not impressed with their headers, look around for some others first.
I put a set of Speedway chrome lakester headers on a roadster 5 years ago and they are doing fine. You can't expect a show quality header for the price they sell theirs for..............
You get what you pay for..... and keep in mind that headers dont have the easiest life with all those extreme heat cycles.
what i do on new harley pipes is spray brake clean down tube to clean set in sun for an hour then spray the hell out of the inards with aluminzed heat paint help disapate heat make sure you got motor runin right first ie. to lean or to advanced will turn them blue quick
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