Chucky
Active Member
Really wanted my muffler tips blacked out; saw on here somewhere someone had theirs powder coated. I spoke with a couple powder coating places in SC who said they would not recommend powder coating because it is not high enough temperature and that it will flake off over time; both places I spoke with said ceramic coating is higher temperature and would be better but they didn't do it. While looking for someone who does ceramic powder coating I spoke with the owner of an exotic car shop who repairs and mods Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Porsche's etc. and he said they don't recommend ceramic because it flakes over time as well and that they almost always paint the tips with high temperature engine paint unless the customer asks for something else. He recommended VHT engine paint but warned me if I was going to leave the tips on the car masking would be a bitch (and it was).
WELL last night I took the plunge; here's what I did and some pics. Bought VHT Flame Proof Header Paint Silica - Ceramic Coating rated to 2000F but the only black available is matte; so I also purchased VHT Engine Enamel Drive Train Paint rated to 550F in black gloss. I left the tips on the car because I didn't have a lift to get underneath and remove the tips; in hind-site I might have found a way to do it like this because masking was indeed a pain in the ass. Took me about an hour and a half to mask off the area around the pipes, I used a thin narrow pry tool to push the masking tape all the way to the back and to make sure it wasn't touching the pipes, it wasn't perfect but it worked. I sanded the pipes with 400 then 1500 grit sandpaper and then did 3 coats of the matte header paint and finished it off with two coats of the gloss black. I think it turned out very well, let me know what you guys think.
I know way overkill on the upper masking!
Sanded the tips with 400 then 1500 grit sandpaper
3 Coats of VHT Header Paint Matte Black rated to 2000F
2 coats of VHT Engine Enamel Gloss Black rated to 550F
I think they turned out great love the black so much more than the stainless
Hope this helps someone; let me know what you think. I'm debating blacking out the lower reflectors as well, anybody done this, thoughts?
WELL last night I took the plunge; here's what I did and some pics. Bought VHT Flame Proof Header Paint Silica - Ceramic Coating rated to 2000F but the only black available is matte; so I also purchased VHT Engine Enamel Drive Train Paint rated to 550F in black gloss. I left the tips on the car because I didn't have a lift to get underneath and remove the tips; in hind-site I might have found a way to do it like this because masking was indeed a pain in the ass. Took me about an hour and a half to mask off the area around the pipes, I used a thin narrow pry tool to push the masking tape all the way to the back and to make sure it wasn't touching the pipes, it wasn't perfect but it worked. I sanded the pipes with 400 then 1500 grit sandpaper and then did 3 coats of the matte header paint and finished it off with two coats of the gloss black. I think it turned out very well, let me know what you guys think.
I know way overkill on the upper masking!
Sanded the tips with 400 then 1500 grit sandpaper
3 Coats of VHT Header Paint Matte Black rated to 2000F
2 coats of VHT Engine Enamel Gloss Black rated to 550F
I think they turned out great love the black so much more than the stainless
Hope this helps someone; let me know what you think. I'm debating blacking out the lower reflectors as well, anybody done this, thoughts?
