I just finished welding up my custom header for my 12A that I just got in my beetle. I used RB flanges and thier header pipes / bends. It's all regular steel and I was wondering if anyone has found any coatings or platings that will stand up to the temps and expansion. I know chrome won't cut it over 600F and all the paints will obviously burn. What about nickle? and what does RB plate thier presielencer with? Thanks for any help. I'll get some pics up soon. I still can't believe its all fits.

 

Even the coating on the pre-silencer doesnt last too long. There is no affordable solutions to coating these headers.

 

ceramic
you can get bake on stuff that works great

 

turbo x paint, for turbo exhaust manifolds, should do the trick.

 

Jet Hot 2000....well worth the money...

 

where can you buy it???

 

i think pepboys carries it in there paint section. theres all sorts of thermo paints that can with stand a lot of heat.

 

Paint from a can is not going to last more than half a year no matter how well you prep the surface. Even the flat black for BBQ grills won't last...

 

hmmm.. the paint we used in auto shop was from pepboys it was a super heat resistant paint and the autoshop teacher had is duster in there that he rebuilt like 3 years prior and the paint on that looked good. no cracking or pealing just bright *** orange.

 

Welp, that was either a 318, 340 or Super Commando 383, but it warn't no rotary...700 degree fahrenheit difference in exhaust temps prolly would've crushed that paint....were you talking engine block or did he paint his headers bright orange? ooof...

 

he painted the block, headers, part of the intake manifold, and some other small stuff. i know your thinking ugg thats nasty, but it went with the color schem of the car and didnt look to bad.

if i remeber correctly the reason for painting the header was it was rusting. so he sanded it and painted it.

 

Here are some pics, I welded it all myself, lincoln 300/300 TIG. All RB flanges, bends and tube. The muffler will be welede to the flange at the other end of the pre-sielencer with a slight bend to folow the edge of the body. How much does the jet hot cost? I think it might be worth it this was a lot of work. No real dimensions to work from, just eyeball and make it clear everything.

http://home.comcast.net/~620chevy/beetle/header01.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~620chevy/beetle/header02.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~620chevy/beetle/header03.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~620chevy/beetle/header04.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~620chevy/beetle/header05.JPG

 

That is some sweet work and now I have to say you definitely need to go the JetHot route....they coat the inside as well as the outside of the header, so it lasts years and years longer than any other coating or spray painting you could have on there. When I had mine done years ago, JetHot 2000 was in the prototype stage...since it was experimantal and I was willing to waiver any guarantee, we got it for $110...absolutely the best thing I could have done for them...

 

I've gotta get my 20B header coated with Jet Hot 2000!