PDA

View Full Version : Painting Exhaust Pipes



crazyivan
04-09-2010, 06:08 AM
Has anybody painted their exhaust pipes (stacks)? Any downside to doing so? Is it legal? If I did it, I'd be using POR-20 :
http://www.por15.com/POR-20-ALUMINUM/productinfo/P2G/

d.grimm
04-09-2010, 07:51 AM
I have ceramic coated (Jet Hot Coatings) and painted mild steel exhaust on a experimental, I put original pipes on a J-3 and polished the stainless.
Ceramic didn't work, paint required periodic touching up, and polished still looks good. If you are doing it for looks I would polish the stainless.
Dave

Andrew K
04-09-2010, 02:21 PM
I was actually thinking the same thing the last time I looked at my engine. My intake tubes look so nice and smooth but the exhaust is another story.

Dave, can you explain why the ceramic coated tubes didn't work for you? I have Jet Hot coated headers on my old Camaro and they have lasted far longer and look better than friends' chrome or painted headers so I would be tempted to go this route if it was experimental (or legal) and not weight-prohibitive.

As far as the POR goes, I've used that exact product on the exhaust tubes of my car starting where they connect to the headers and all the way back. I must say it's working out very well in this application. I did the cleaning, the metalprep and whatever else they recommended before applying this stuff and it has held up well. It does stain if you get oil on it when hot though but I haven't seen a finish yet that doesn't.

cammons3
04-09-2010, 05:29 PM
Kinda had thoughts along that line. The Harley boys are into hi-temp powdercoating. Was wondering of the legality of using this process on exhausts...

d.grimm
04-09-2010, 05:42 PM
Dave,
I had my pipes ceramic coated and by the next spring they had rust all over. Sent them back and they re-coated them for free and they still looked like crap in the spring. Used black header paint and just touched it up every year. I used power sander and buffer with Flitz on the stainless and they still shine with a golden hue.
Dave

Andrew K
04-11-2010, 08:28 AM
Dave,
I had my pipes ceramic coated and by the next spring they had rust all over. Sent them back and they re-coated them for free and they still looked like crap in the spring. Used black header paint and just touched it up every year. I used power sander and buffer with Flitz on the stainless and they still shine with a golden hue.
Dave

Gotcha, thanks for the follow up. After looking at my exhaust yesterday I think I might try the polishing, they look better than I remembered when I posted earlier.