I actually went to Lowes and bought a BBQ grill paint and it held up pretty good. I think the key thing is the prep work.
Not sure if it's true, but a guy told me once o heat up the tubes and then spray paint them and it bakes the paint on.
I did that with pulley's before and the wife wasn't thrilled with me, but it did hold up pretty good.

 

i used VHT, it worked great, i blasted the headers first then painted them, this is what they still look like after almost 2 years

 

VHT in my opinion will last the longest, I tried the hi-temp BBQ paint and got about one season out it so I'll never go with that again. Sandblasting is okay if they have a lot of rust or crude but I would only spot blast them. Every set that I sandblasted completely were gone inside of two years. Now if you can use something other than sand that is not removing the metal then that might be better.

you are correct, the shop used soda blast

 

VHT is great stuff to give a bit of protection/heat reduction without breaking the bank.

Use the primer before the paint its worth the $10 or so.

One can of primer and 2 cans of color is enough to cover most headers.

I use flat paints so I can go back and touch up areas I may wack with a wrench or ratchet.

 

VHT in my opinion will last the longest, I tried the hi-temp BBQ paint and got about one season out it so I'll never go with that again. Sandblasting is okay if they have a lot of rust or crude but I would only spot blast them. Every set that I sandblasted completely were gone inside of two years. Now if you can use something other than sand that is not removing the metal then that might be better.

 

I used VHT on my new build below and it has went through a few heat cycles so far and is holding up grate and already had an antifreeze spill from my radiator and it is holding up just fine. Unfortunately if you get any carb cleaner on it then it will eat it right off but other then that its some good stuff.

 

Thanks everyone! Sounds like VHT is the way too go. When I blast, I use TSC fine coal slag. I may warm the headers in the oven before paint and probably bake them after paint (motor won't be running for awhile). Primer sounds like a good idea too!

 

Ranchero build - Page 7

Ranchero build - Page 7

57fordsforever.com

The ceramic coating is from Columbia Coatings. Sprayed it on after cleaning/blasting, let air dry for five days before handling. Use rubber gloves so no body oils transfer to the items while cleaning. The picture shows the manifold after several runs, two twenty minute runs for break-in and several more for drive train adjustments and check outs.

 

Some comments based on my limited experience with headers:

If the sandblasting media is too coarse you will end up with a rough, almost pitted surface. Those tiny pits seem to attract rust more than a smooth surface, even on ceramic coated headers.

Also, leaving the vehicle outside in the weather is guaranteed to make the headers start rusting sooner, unless you live in the desert.

Finally, tiny rust spots will show up quite well on silver paint, whereas black paint will hide them better.

 

I went with Por15 from Amazon. Sandblasted my headers, cleaned with a degreaser, and put on 3 nice coats and baked in my oven for the said time. I think it was 2 hrs. Says on the can. I have done 2 sets so far and it still looks great. Went with the gray

 

I haven't used it myself, but I've heard only good things about POR15.
It's supposed to be impervious to chemicals etc.
The high temp comes in spray cans.
I'll probably use POR15 when my factory header paint gets screwed up.
So far the paint on my Hookers has held up well...

 

Been using VHT "Nu-Cast Cast Iron" for a while, stands up to pump gas amounts of nitrous retard.

Grant

 

Any high-heat auto paint.
On a side note... powdercoating is baked on at over 350 degrees.

 

I used POR15's exhaust manifold paint on my ram horns, that had to be baked in an oven at 400 F. But it has held up well. I know color choices are sparse.

 

Just to update this thread..........I went with VHT header paint. I sandblasted the headers, inside and out then layed on a coat of VHT primer followed by a couple of coats of VHT white. I also baked them at 350* for about 1/2 an hour. They look good, now let's see how long they last!

 

I use the VHT Flame Proof paint rated much higher temperature at 1350-2000 degrees. Two keys are very clean metal, and don't put it on too thick! Too thick is worse than not thick enough. With header paint it's likely to flake easier if it's laid on too heavy.
Another issue is engine start up with freshly painted headers. If the engine is going to need a cam breakin, don't do it with freshly painted headers! It will end up ruining the paint during the 20-30 minute 2500 rpm steady run.
When I paint new headers or old headers, I start the engine up and let it run for maybe 5 minutes. Then shut it off and let the headers cool to a point I can touch them and they're just warm. Do this 3 or 4 times, and the paint will be cured, and it will last a lot longer.
My headers are 11 years old and 14,000 miles on them now, and never been repainted or touched up.