Technical Looking for white header coat that lasts and who does it

I tried having my headers cerakoted in white and they have turned brown in a short time. I contacted jet hot but they were pretty outrageous. Has anyone had any luck with a white coating? I’m in New York, but i am willing to ship them to get something that will last.

 

I'd Be interested too. I priced it from Jet hot and couldn't believe how expensive it was for a set of Lakes Headers. I need to do the lakes headers and a set of early Mopar A body fender well Hookers as well in white.

 

Our local coaters don’t like to do white for that very reason, it discolors with age and use. This is the age old dilemma, how to keep white headers white.
I have had decent luck with VHT white high temp coating but the headers have to be sandblasted thoroughly and not touched with bare hands. Coat them well, like a tack coat and three good coats. Then “bake” them by heating them from the inside using an oxy/acetylene torch until they are smoking. Let them cool and use gloves to install them. Mine have lasted for several years before having to repeat the process.
The ultimate “white” header coating is aluminum spraying them. Our local guy quit doing it years ago and I never found anyone else to do it in the LA area. Check around your area, there might be someone who does it.

 

Years ago when I installed a set of headers in a Falcon wagon with a 289. I painted the headers white with VHT and figured all was good. Then I went through the nightmare of installing the headers. Ended up with greasy hand prints all over the headers. After finally getting them in I fired up the newly built 289 with a solid lifter Sig Erson cam. After the 20 minutes at 2,000 RPM cam break in all the paint had burned off. I'll have the headers for the 302 in my Ranch Wagon coated in gray. Hopefully it will last better than my VHT white header paint experience back then.

 

Here are some bread crumbs

Hot Rods - 29 RPU- "Street/Strip" B/SR Build - Marty Strode | Page 33 | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

That's pretty much what I do on Plan II. They got pretty rough looking the past few years, so I did them again last summer, and they again look OK.

Something about having a traditional car makes me accept that the paint will eventually flake off the headers, and when it does so, the car still looks "right". I guess I'm not into the modern world.

 

Hello,
If a coating place was around when we sprayed the VHT white coating, we would have gone that route. Luckily, it was inside of a 57 Chevy Bel Air hardtop. The only time anyone saw it was at the local teen hangout when we all had the hoods lifted up and were all checking out the latest conversions from stock. We had just finished putting on a set of dual quads and had sprayed his Hedman Headers white. So, it looked nice.

Now, since most admired our handiwork, there was that. So, we did not have to keep lifting the hood every time we were at a teen gathering. But, the white paint stayed white for some time. Eventually, got discolored and were ready for another coat. If the ceramic coatings were around, we would have paid to have them done. The paint process was simple and handy for us.

Jnaki

So, lakes header pipes are exposed and is one of the first things people see when the hot rod is parked somewhere. That has to take precedence and who cares how much it is if the coating shows well and lasts for a long time. If I remember correctly, we had to take care of the white VHT paint and made sure no oil leaked onto the headers. Ceramic coatings as I have seen them, look great and should stay clean.

Note:

In all relationships, the first time impression lasts a long time. Those should be considered, regardless of price. Plus, a satisfied product is always good for the soul. Would you put a piece of plywood on your front door? It does the same, can be secured, and is certainly less price. But, the friends and family that come to see you will notice the odd impression staring them in the face... just a thought...

So, who cares how much it is, if it lasts, the cost is relative. Even if it is $600.00, divide that by 12 and it is only $50 a month for some satisfied customer, which is you. YRMV If it is less, then more for you...

 

Been there and done that! White is definitely not the color for headers that are hard to install! But that’s not the paints fault, white VHT needs meticulous preparation and application as well as curing before cramming them into a tight engine compartment, even then they scratch easily. I tried wiping with lacquer thinner as prep, flaked off. I tried sanding and wiping with acetone, nope, flaked off. It’s pretty unforgiving, but it can work. For a while…

 

Bob, only a car guy would get this but I still get nostalgic thinking back to the day I bought my first set of headers, 1971, my second car in high school was a 57 BelAir that had a later 283 and B/W T-10 four speed, nothing under the hood to brag about..........until I bolted on that set of Appliance headers.
The first week, just before it got very dark, I would go out every night, pop the hood and just stare at those gleaming white headers.

 

The reason why white is hard to achieve. Even if the coating survives the heat ANY contamination from a finger print to a drop of oil will burn into the surface.

 

try aluminumizing the header, leaves a silvery white rough coating that will begin to yellow over time but the rough finish gives the high temp paint a good bite to stick to. lasts for years.
look for a company that does industrial metalizing

 

You're halfway there. True, the cerakote will brown over time - but it will also insulate any paint you put over it. Just spray them with high-heat white Rustoleum right over the cerakote.



I did exactly that on my A. And in a year and a half, I only had to do one minor touch up.

Here are a couple of pictures of the raw (gray) cerakote and after, with the white paint.

Yep, that's why being able to touch it up with spray paint is an advantage.

 

Do you have a thread on the A?

 

POR-15 makes a gray 'exhaust manifold' paint. It stopped the rusting for 'years'.
A top coat of white on a cured POR-15 might stay white a little longer!?
6sally6

 

Here’s the final one. I just sent it down the road.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1930-model-a-sedan-the-grinch.1300781/

 

Back when I used to build hot rod bikes, I tried a lot of different brands and types of heat paint. This stuff is what I swear by now. It holds up. I have a bike now that has had this on it for around fifteen years, with only one touch up. I've never used the white, but wouldn't hesitate to try it first, if I was going to.

 

Whatever coating ya use try not to use the headers on a fresh engine.

 

Think cast manifolds vs. tube headers makes any difference in how well the paint holds up? Probably not, eh?

 

Anyone ever try powder coating them white? HRP

 

They will look like burnt marshmallows

 

I think I’m going to try this

 

Good thread. White has always been a pain in the ass, but when its white looks fantastic. I am going to do the second set of zoomies I built with VHT. I have used it in the past, the first time being in 1979 on my OT 1970 camaro. Touch up was always needed over some time, seemed to be mostly up closer at the head near the header flange.

 

Anyone try this?
https://swaintech.com/race-coatings/race-coating-descriptions/white-lightning-exhaust-coatings/

 

I had white headers on my first roadster. I read in an old Hot Rod tech tip to put them in plastic trash bags for installation, then rip the bags off when the last bolt is tight. I poked holes wherever I need to gain wrench access. And clean cotton gloves! Both worked well.

 

I wash my hands before installing freshly painted headers, no problem with greasy finger prints. But that might be too simple?

 

I talked to our local ceramic coater and he does not do white. However, he suggested that he would coat them on the inside (silver, black, whatever) so that I could then plug them off, give them a final abrasive blast on the outside and then apply the white VHT. (He gives them an acid bath before doing the inside). According to him, the internal ceramic will reduce the external surface temp by hundreds.

 

Not gonna help you guys that aren't somewhat local but RW Little Co. in San Diego still flame sprays or aluminizes which ever you want to call it.