Does anyone know/recommend a good quality exhaust manifold paint? I have a 1971 6 cylinder engine, painted Chrysler blue. I want the exhaust manifold to match but everyone tells me not to waste my time and money??? I have pictures of restored cars with painted exhaust manifolds, but unless someone is trying to sell me something the feedback I am getting on this subject is all negative. Has anyone had any success with this? Can anyone recommend a high temp Chrysler blue exhaust manifold paint?

I sprayed mine with dupli-color and after 3 cycles it turned turquiose by the end of the week it was a coat of White ash con the manifold.

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Leela: 1970 Dart 225 CID
Coulmn Shift TorqueFlite
7 1/4" Axle 2.76 Gears

Go ahead and save that weird car, the sedan, the 6 cylinder, the C-Body. If you want a big block musclecar and that's all you care about, your missing the point.

fwiw i have painted many many exhaust manifolds with all kinds of different types of paint, vht, grill paint and anything else that said it held up to high temperatures. they all wound up turning white. i dont bother any more. if you want it to look nice i would recommend ceramic coating. im not sure what you have around you but ive gotten quotes for around $60.

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

Most all of your "high-temp" or "exhaust manifold/header" paints need to be baked on properly for them to stick... Just read the cans, I have yet to find a brand or color that stays... Unless you break a big chunk of cash off and have it ceramic coated in the color you want. Surface has to be super clean, sandblasted, degrased, then bake the paint on... Its really not worth the hassle or money to use the over-the-counter paints, they just dont stay. Ive even tried baking them on by running the engine like they recommend and still burned off in the first couple of drives.

The VHT high temp paint in the gray seems to work pretty well. I hang my headers up and heat them good and hot with a propane torch up each tube. Then spray them and let them "bake" on. Give them another good coat after re-heating up each tube a second time. Of course they need to be nice and clean to start with.

If you can get any kind of ceramic coating for $60, get them done!!

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

I used VHT black, baked it on as the instructions say. It will hold up, but if you let your car set for any period of time, rust will come through. Daily drivers are OK 'cause the daily heat cycles keep the moisture at bay.

If you really want the finish to last, get them jet hotted. This is a ceramic coat as suggested above. I did this with mine and they look great, the finish seems to be holding after 6 months just like new. There are other types besides jet hot, that is just one brand.

See: http://www.jet-hot.com/

Here is a pic of my manifolds (DD front, modified back, gloss black color):
http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... 9.jpg.html

You have to find a local person who does the work, many fabricators and body shops are jet hot dealers. For jet hot specifically, they will send your manifolds to jet hot and then you get a price estimate...it can get pricy 'cause the intermediary tacks some profit on there. I'm not sure if you can deal with jet hot directly, perhaps so.

BG

I actually painted my headers with VHT primer then VHT red...oddly the red worked and stayed in the straights, but the bends and collector is showed signs of higher temp and the paint turning grey-white.

Guess I should up the jetting a little...



-D.Idiot

Thanks for the information everyone. The cars I see with painted manifolds (matching the block and intake manifold) are probably trailored to shows and not driven. Although my car is being restored to period 'factory' correct, I intend to drive it occasionally and enjoy it in this manner. Now that I have read what you folks have to say, and it matches what others in the restoration business have told me, I know how to proceed. Many many thanks for your time.

Hey, I used VHT ''Nu cast'' several times with great results on freshly sandblasted cast, it turned out great and stood up to the heat. I used it on my 4 speed trans,, master cylinder and center section as well.
I use very thin coats and lot's of them, seems fine.
Here in Canada it is 13.99 a can, one will do an exhaust manifold. If I could have it ceramic coated for 60.00 I would do that. My Duster has Hookers with ceramic coating, you can almost touch them when there are hot. The engine compartment is cooler and I am not losing any HP from the continual rusting of regular headers.

Thanks Derek

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70 Duster 238'', four speed ,3:91's, 500 Elde, Hookers
68 Dart 4 dr 225, completely original

VHT nu cast gets my vote too. Wish I could buy it in Australia for that price! On my daily driver it has been very durable, same prep and application as above. Usually these paints tend to eventually get rust coming through, but this doesn't, at least on a regular driver.

I will note that since I chose black ceramic, I don't get as much of the heat insulating effect of ceramic, since black is the most emissive color, gives off more heat than lighter colors. Still, better than before ceramic. I can't touch them though...did that by accident last week, and I have a big scab on the back of my hand now...

The flat black VHT stayed well, never burnt off or turned gray, but when my engine failed, and it sat for just a few days (we have fog here) little rust spots came through pretty quickly. I used the VHT instructions, several light coats and I baked it on (in the oven when nobody was home, run the fan too...).

bg

Cast iron can look pretty good for a few weeks when you wire brush the manifold, or use some steel wool. I would think there would be a graphite treatment that could be applied ongoing that doesn't have the problems of paint.

Stove polish. Nothing else will take the heat.

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85 d-100 HEI 2BBl
06 Toyota Corrola

You can always get it ceramic coated in silver, black, white, etc....
I had my 4 barrel intake done in clear ceramic.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG