I've finally saved enough and ordered my new street port exhaust system. The header appears to be chrome or polished. this might blue and look cool. Or what about this exhaust wrap? looks good and reduces under hood temp...

 

Have owned several 1st gens,majority had RB exhaust collected header and streetport. Thought same thing as you,so heat wrapped them. Collected header cracked at flange. Streetport header burned thru right in middle of radius of turnat engine on #2 rotor. Have since not wrapped any more of both types,no problems. Not exactly a scientific test,personally don't think the time and further expense to wrap the exhaust made much difference on a street driven car. The unwrapped systems have fared well for several years now...ymmv.

 

I've been running the same heat wrapped header for 9 years. Recently re-wrapped it with DEI Titanium wrap. Never had an issue. I'm also running a very free slowing exhaust, so heat probably doesn't build up so much. Again, YMMV.

 

I wrapped my used RB SP header and it burned out on the bend at just the same place as GSLforme mentioned.

I didn't wrap the new one which looks exactly like what the OP posted.

 

Never wrap. Just get a heat shield instead.

 

& yes, it will blue.

 

The amount of practical advice here is great, Thank you! while the wrap is cheap the header is not, and I do not want to damage it. The chrome is better than not but nowhere near show chrome. I guess the under hood appearance is of value to me. No real problems with the carb in the heat. It doesn't get hot enough here. So the experts agree it will prematurely burn out the header?

 

My personal experience... 3 RB headers,1 collected and 2 streetport had heat related failures. Collected header flange cracked,streetports burned thru in aforementioned location. One of them carbed 12A,the other SE 13B burnt thru in same location. Currently have 4 RB systems in use on my car and 3 customers' cars for approx 6 years-no problems...ymmv .One application where i routinely wrap header/exhaust system is on full faired motorcycles where heat thrown off exhaust will melt and ruin bodywork. On tracked bikes this can cause a fail at tech inspection.

 

So you understand the appeal of these cars. swear its the closest thing to my old GSXR on four wheels....

 

Out of the eight RX-7s I've owned, five of them had RB headers. They all turn a bit blue, but never turn dull gray. The 79-85 PP mufflers will turn white on the bottom requiring a touch up spray every now and then. The 79-85 center section parts will turn dull and eventually rust FYI. Before I converted my 80 to EFI 13b I found a second hand RB 12A header that was probably 15 years old. It was rusty, but the car sat in a field for many years.

The only header I had that rusted through was a wrapped Pace Setter header on my 79 when I first got it. Rusted a quarter sized hole through one of the bends right out of the engine side flange.