I recently ordering my new 68491 Hedman headers from Summit.
I was VERY excited since this was my first set of headers!

However, when they arrived, I opened the box and found one of the headers was not in a bag. This allowed for it to rub against the Y-Pipe (which also wasn't bagged) and cause both to get all scratched up!

Because I needed them right away, I didn't send them back. I went to the auto parts store and bought some of the highest-temp paint I could find. After that, I went and sanded & repainted some of the scratched-up areas.

I called customer service at Summit and told them what happened and expressed my disappointment in their product. They guy acted like he could CARE LESS. He did ask if I wanted to return them, however I had already fixed them. Other than that, he didn't ask about any sort of compensation at all. I even offered to send him pictures of what I received. Of course, he simply ignored my request and offered nothing.

Attached is one of the pics I took the day I opened the box. You can easily see all the scratches on the Y-Pipe. The header isn't right-side up in this pic, but the other side is scratched as well.

As many of you know from reading my posts/replies, I'm a pretty positive guy.
I don't like to say bad things about people/companies, but after this experience I am buying everything from Jegs, SDPC, etc. I only post this to warn my fellow thirdgen owners of my experience.

Thanks.

 

I wouldnt be too upset all that "high temp" paint will be burned off the headers in a couple months. Its more like a shipping coating.

 

I figured the paint would only last for a few months, but I didn't expect it to start coming off until after I put them on the car

 

I was told that isn't high temp paint, its there to keep rust from forming before you install it. You're supposed to remove that before you install the headers- I didn't and it just made my whole neighborhood smell like burning then it peeled off after 2 minutes.

 

just for your information, the paint on those headers is pretty much only to protect them from rusting until they are purchased and shipped out. in a month or so of driving it will all have burned off and they will develop a nice uniform coat of rust. this is probably why the summit guy did not get too excited about your complaint. had these been ceramic coated you would definitely have a legitimate gripe. ive had about 6 different pairs of headers and they all got their nice rust coat very quickly. so dont freak out dude, painted headers are for go, not for show!

 

Is there a way to slow the rusting (other than ceramic coating)? Or is that pretty much the way it goes?

I tried to get the ceramic coated version, but the sales rep said that Summit didn't carry them. I guess its a good thing I didn't.

Well put.

 

you gotta pack them up and send them out to be ceramic coated. jet hot or others.

 

I bought some VHT header paint from AutoZone for mine, it has ceramic in the paint. I sanded them down painted and baked the paint on the headers in an old oven I had, did that in February and they still have the paint on the headers, no rust at all on them. I also did the y-pipe as well, still holding up strong.

 

Klortho, how many cans did you use on them?

 

I paid $40 for some can of ceramic paint from Summit back when I bought my headers. I sprayed it through an HLVP gun per the directions on the can.

2 months later the headers were rusty and nasty. Maybe the VHT stuff is better than what I had... at least I hope it is for the sake of people buying it.

 

I used almost 2 cans, as long as you follow the directions, it will stay on the headers.

 

Ha you think thats bad, i got the same exact ones from summit and they arrived in worse shape.

 

When I bought my Flowtech 11500, I took a wire brush in my drill, knocked off the black shipping paint, cleaned them up, then I bought some aluminum colored paint from Autozone, Dupli-color ceramic high heat 1200* aluminum (DH1606). This is what my headers looked like almost a year later. The paint dulled a little on the first test run, but it was still there and looking good 11 months later when I pulled them off for coated Hooker Super Comp 1 7/8" primary units.

 

If you plan to keep your vehicle for a long time (and can afford it), go with JET-HOT.

The coating is inside and out. You can hit it with a hammer and it will not make a mark.

You can call them and they will send a free video on the process which is pretty cool.

 

even though that black paint is only to protect the headers for a short time, summit should have worked with you. no one wants to pay 120+ to recieve a banged up product. thats definetely not cool. i like jegs better anyway.

 

that black paint will come off after two hours of running your headers anyway dude. it ****in boils off. if they were dented, id be pissed. but if they're just scratched, just deal with it.

 

Summit doesn't pack the headers. Unless they were returns. Did the box the headers were actually in have "Summit" or "Hedman" on it?

FWIW, your pic looks pretty much what I would expect painted headers to look like when they arrive.

 

Another note about using the VHT header paint. Not alot of people have an old oven to throw their headers in. You could use a small propane torch to heat up the headers to cure them. Im going to try this for now till I have cash for Jet Hot.

 

when I got my 2055's they were extremely well packed. They were in bags, and packed in expanding foam... it was rather an order just to free them...

 

i bought my headers (SLPs) from a car club buddy. they are jet hotted inside and out. he ran them for almost 5 years, the coating has dulled, and some scratches were there. but no rust. i have been running them for almost 4 months now. after i shut the engine they are safe to touch after about 10 minutes. NOTHING beats ceramic coated headers inside and out. you can also buy many headers from jet hot allready coated.

its been said, but the paint is just for shipping. however, from a customer service standpoint this is how the conversation should have went:

SUMMIT:"well sir i understand your upset, but there are two things you may not be aware of, the first is that the paint on the headers is only for protection while sitting in stock, it is regular rattle can and will burn off within minutes of engine operation, the second is that we recieve the headers directly from headman allready painted and boxed, they were not dented or damaged in any other way were they?"

YOU: "well, uhm... no i supose not"

SUMMIT:" i would be happy to process a return if you are still unsatisfied with the product"

YOU: "no thats fine" etc...

and if he realy wanted to be nice..

SUMMIT: if you would like to order our ceramic header paint from page XXX of the summit atalouge i would be happy to give you a free upgrade to overnight shipping..."

regardless of why the paint is there, he had a customer on the phone who just spent $600+ who is upset about somthing. he needs to make that right. it's just good customer service. i would not expect them to offer everyone who calls about flaky header paint to have free stuff thrown at them, but an explanation would have been nice. you may want to call back and speak to the customer service manager regarding his uninformed sales/service rep. it could be an issolated incident and not indicative of bad serrvice from the entire company. if the manager blows you off THEN you can swear off ever buying from a company.

 

Thanks for the info everyone!

FYI - the headers were shipped in a Hedman box.

Maybe I did overreact. However, I have to agree with Xophertony - the customer service could have been more informative & helpful.

Also to me, if you spend a couple hundred dollars on a product (regardless of manufacture quality), you expect it to be in perfect condition when it arrives. The headers in the photos weren't all scratched up, so I didn't expect mine to be

Thanks again.

 

i had no problems w/my holley flowtechs