I spent the whole day yesterday stripping the black "hi-temp" ... errr "crap" ... paint that Hooker uses for shipping off of my new 2055s and prepping/painting them with VHT (by PJ1) aluminum-colored flame-proof exhaust paint.

I ran into a few issues with this process and learned a lot along the way. I wanted to fill you guys in on what I think is the best way to do this, as it is not that hard (just time-consuming) and beats paying through the nose for coating unless you really, really want that super-shiny look.


1) Stripping:

I used a can of Klean Strip aerosol Aircraft Remover, and when I ran out, I went to Auto Zone and picked up a can of another Klean Strip aerosol stripper called "Peeler". Peeler is a stripper for base/clear paint that is not supposed to harm epoxy primer. The Peeler worked much better and faster than the Aircraft Remover.

After I let the stripper do its job, I blew away the stripped paint with my pressure washer. This is another process I would do different if I had to do it over again. The water basically disables and undoes what the stripper is doing and the paint seems to "re-stick" to the headers. I eventually got it to work after several stripper applications (wait), pressure wash (wait to dry), re-apply stripper (wait), etc. If I were to do it again, I would suggest washing the bubbled paint away with lacquer thinner or maybe even gasoline as those should wash the paint away completely.

2) Prepping:

After I got all the paint that I possibly could off with the stripper/pressure washer method, I went over the headers (oh ... and my y-pipe, too ... forgot to mention that I did all of these steps on the header AND y-pipe) with coarse steel wool. This roughed up the surface a bit and cleaned off any paint or residue left on the headers. The problem with the steel wool is that it got little steel-wool fibers everywhere and forced me to do another wash to get all of that off. I would recommend 400 or 800 grit sandpaper instead.

Next, I put on a pair of latex gloves to avoid getting any more finger oils on the metal and wiped everything down with lacquer thinner. I even poured some lacquer thinner down in the tight spots between the runners to remove any left-over paint that might be hiding in there. Surprisingly, after all of that stripping, the lacquer thinner was still turning my rag black from paint residue. I would say that this step is VERY important. It got off a lot of residue and also any oils that might have been present from my hands.

3) Paint:

While I was at Auto Zone picking up the Peeler, I also picked up a can of VHT flame-proof primer. I figured it couldn't hurt to prime the pieces before I applied my top coats. I primed both of the headers and the y-pipe. This seemed to work OK, but it took a LONG time to dry completely (more waiting). I did all of my painting on a flat piece of plywood, which meant I had to paint one side of the headers from four angles and let it dry, then flip it and paint the other side from four angles. If I did it over again, I would hang them to paint (and strip, too) and cut my painting time in half. I at least had the foresight to paint the under side of the headers first, so that I could paint the top side (that will be seen when installed) last to avoid having the top side down on the plywood last, which could potentially scratch the paint. Oh, and make sure you are in a WELL ventilated area. This stuff is potent. I was in my basement with the doors open, and the fumes still set off my gas detector that's incorporated with my house alarm! After that happened, I took it outside.

After the primer dried completely (about an hour and a half), I applied my first top coat. I was pretty disappointed since the aluminum-colored paint didn't look much better than the gray primer. It was very rough feeling after it dried and had no luster at all. The paint can said not to put on heavy coats, so I didn't. I did three coats in all and it still didn't shine at all. I seriously thought about canning the aluminum-colored idea and just go back to black. But I was determined to get these headers looking good.

The top coats only took about 30 min. each to dry, so it was a lot faster than the primer. But once I had all of my coats on, the headers and y-pipe still looked like crap. The paint had an obvious texture to it (almost like sand paper) and really looked like gray primer with just a little shimmer to it. Nothing like the cap on the can. Not even as shiny as anodized aluminum. I was pretty bummed out, but I still had the baking process to do, and I thought that might help it out a bit.

I baked the headers in our kitchen oven (OK'd it with the wife first ... surprisingly she had no issue with it) per the can's instructions. First @ 250 degrees for 30 min., cool for 30 min., then 400 degrees for 30 min., cool for 30 min., and then the can said to bake at 600 degrees for 30 minutes and let cool completely. Well, our oven only goes to 500 degrees, so I just left it in for 45 minutes @ 500. After the header was completely cool, I took it out to see what the baking had accomplished. Absolutely nothing. The finish still looked dull and had a rough texture to it. So I went to bed disappointed. Oh, and I might note that obviously a y-pipe isn't going to fit in a conventional oven, so as I write this it is sitting on the concrete in the sunshine (it's the best I can do ... setting it on a piece of sheet metal or something else more reflective might work better). Besides, I'm not nearly as concerned about the finish on the y-pipe as I am the headers.

So, I woke up this morning (my day off) and went out and looked at my headers and sulked. Then it hit me ... the perfect solution! I rushed to my basement and foraged through my tool chest drawers until I found a piece of 1500 grit wet/dry sand paper that I had left over from a painting project. It was slightly used, but it would do. I ran water from an outside spigot over the headers while I rubbed away (lightly) with the sandpaper, making sure I hit all of the nooks and crannies. I turned the water off, put the header in the sun to dry, and VOILA! It looked (and felt) like I expected it to! I only did the top side (outside) of the header since that is all you will see when installed, and I am very pleased. I tried rubbing polishing compound on a small area after the wet-sanding, but I couldn't tell any difference in the luster after I hand-buffed it, so I figured it was a waste of time.

I hope this helps someone out who wants to do this sometime. It is always rewarding to know you've done the best job you can on a project. But, next time, I might just send them to jet-hot ... not because I think it's not worth the effort to paint them, but because I really like shiny stuff!

Here is a photo of my new driver's side header!!

 

wow really great write up!!! I've seen people ask about how to do the very thing your doing. If i were you I think I would go buy some silver flame resistant paint. Something to spruce them up and make them look like they costed close to 500 bucks, but thats just me.

 

What brand? I'd love to make them shinier if possible, and now that all the hard work is done, I'd be glad to throw another couple of coats on them. I thought I was using the best ... except for maybe Eastwood's.

 

Sand blasting is a good way to go because it not only removes the shipping paint, it also roughs the surface up a little for better adhesion.

The thinner cleaning is a vital step.

I used the DEI paint, seems to hold up pretty well. I couldn't get the y-pipe in the oven, so tried to cure it with exhaust heat - didn't work as well. The y-pipe suffered for 4 years of year-round DD-ing, the ceramic coat didn't take well on the y-pipe because of rust pitting.

I also painted the long tubes on the '57, which also didn't fit in the oven - used propane torches to cure them. It's held up reasonably well for 5 years (driven to the track and raced only, not a DD or winter driven).

 

Five7kid beat me to the torch to cure them. Thats how i did my shorties. You dont see this step in the oven, but if you cure with the torch, you can see the paint get dull, and cure to the metal. Its the only paint ive been able to SEE curing. ITs like it becomes part of the metal.

I wouldnt bother with buffing because the header has a pourous texture to it anyway.

But they came out real nice! Your effort will show in those nooks and crannies where it will seem spotless, unlike mine where you can tell i did it in 15 minutes .

 

Well, I went through all of this trouble and work to paint them, then did this extensive write-up detailing the entire process, and THEN:

I shipped them to High Performance Coatings yesterday to get ceramic coated!! I'm such a hypocrite!! But I just want that chrome look. This "anodized aluminum/primer gray" look just isn't doing it for me. And since headers are such a pain in the a$$ to get on and off, I'd rather just do it like I want it the first time. And, this way, I don't have to worry about whether or not the paint will last.

But, I think I've given some pretty good insight to any that want to still paint. I think the coating is going to be well worth the $200 that it is going to cost. I just wish I had my $30 for paint & stripper ... and my entire Sunday back!

 

I just "cooked" a set of headers in the old ladies oven last night after spraying them with the VHT flat black paint, came out reall well. I guess we will see if the paint burns off or not. oh ya i did strip the black coating off of them that the headers came with, used just a regular paint stripper only took a few seconds to disolve and then i used a 3M pad soaked in mineral spirits to rub everything off and clean the metal, then hosed them down with the hose and let them dry. Worked well.

 

did this on my shorties but went back over it with a 400 grit wet sand lol had left over from body work. it looked great and is still good no bubbles or flaking but had to cut off driver side collector heh i feel bad about that 1.

 

I am about to do this myself, well the headers are painted, BUT I got to bake them, will this make A LOT of fumes and ruin a standard kitchen oven?

 

Did you use the VHT paint? It's the only one I can vouch for. But, no, it didn't make a lot of fumes or ruin the oven. It had a smell to it ... but it smelled kinda nice. A little bit like melted crayons if you've ever smelt that.

 

I did it in my kitchen oven (when the wife wasnt home) it made a smell, but i wouldnt say fumes, i just opened all the windows and turned the exhaust fan on and it was fine, and my oven is still working. Mine was electric, i cant vouch for gas ovens.

 

LOL well Yes I used the VHT, I first shot it with the primer, then baked them last night after the wife went to bed lol started at 12am and finished by 3am, Smell wasnt too bad, I noticed some yellowing on the tubes from the heat, so I baked and cured the primer step, Im going to go out and get the black paint today and shoot them with that and bake again, Was wanting to use the alum color but Im worried I have the same yellowing problem and as mentioned above, the alumn didnt look no better than the primer.

thanx guys!