Showcasing the white ceramic coating in its best form and function. Heat, yes, fast efficient exit, yes, bends, yes, discoloration, no… is usually the case with ceramic paints. But, the obvious is the long standing VHT style paints that have been around for many years…before the latest technology. Hello, Normally, we do not like fenderwell headers. We like headers that flow under the frame and meet in a nice collector heading toward the mufflers. Sight unseen, like the ones on the SBC motor below: If we were building a hot rod these days, it would definitely have ceramic coating headers. Not chrome, but ceramic. No more VHT paint coats, repairs, re-sprays or whatever, is in need of keeping them nice looking. We started with white on simple Hedman Headers for our SBC to make it stand out on a stock color orange block. It took several runs on the street and warm up tuning sessions to see the color getting marred with whatever. We started with VHT white, then went to silver, then ended up with black. The discoloration after running it around the community and back to see what was going to last in header paint. So, our choice was black. Now, that was a similar double coat spray and it looked very good. But, this was 1960 and no ceramic at the time. It was the best procedure for most hot rod folks that could not afford chroming the whole headers. Plus, the chrome headers we saw were always discolored, unless they were on strictly “show cars’s motor” displays. Daily hot rods always had the bluing on the bends and curves. Heat has no barriers… Jnaki Watch out for painted headers or ceramic headers always being hot. I have the last vestiges of my right bicep finally getting rid of the discoloration of a nasty burn. Perfect oval design which would go over well disguised as a tattoo, these days. When I reached under to save my brother’s face from being smashed while laying on the ground doing starter work at the drags, the weight of the starter dropping extended my elbow joint to straighten out my arm and thereby sending the bicep into the black headman header pipe for a nasty 3rd degree burn. Peeling skin and all… YRMV So, if ceramic technology were around back then, it would have been our top choice and application. For our fast, 1958 Impala, chrome headers were seen on show cars, but rarely on the street, unless they were discolored and for us, a waste of money. From stock to chrome on parts that would not get discolored by extreme heat was the play of the day… valve covers on the 348 motor and the top cover of the large factory air cleaner.
Yes he did. Freddie was in the car as far back as 1973 from what I can find. Leo Cleary also drove the car after Freddie was killed. http://www.edflemke.com/category/other/len-boehler/ http://www.edflemke.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-05-at-00.29.47.png
I used the newer VHT high temp (2500) over VHT primer as recommended. It touches up well. Fresh blast and zero touching the bare metal with your hands.
I have a set of SBC Hedman headers that I had aluminum sprayed years ago. Haven't run them yet but I don't expect discoloration.
The VHT held up ok over the summer, fall season. It did start to flake of some up toward the header flange. I will re-coat in the spring, heavier coats.
The Jalopy Journal
