If you are reading this article you are like me. You don't have the extra cash or you are too cheap to spend the extra money for stainless steel, ceramic coated, or any type of professional coating.
My budget did not allow for much. So I bought the Summit painted headers for $149.99 turns out they send you the pacesetter ones that would have cost me $220.99.
The paint that comes on the headers is not a high temp paint so it will burn off if not cared for. I picked up Dupli Color’s High Heat with Ceramic that’s good up to 1200 degrees if properly applied. It is $5.50 a can and if you are doing small block shorties like me one can is enough.
Before getting started check your headers for any defects, if they are used sandblast them and spray them with a high temp primer first. My headers were new so I skipped this step.
Start by scuffing up the surface of the header with a scotch-bite pad (I also sanded out the runs in the paint)
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Now that the headers are scuffed up they need to be cleaned before they can get painted use soapy water for this step. I wiped mine down with damp paper towels because I had no grease to remove. Make sure to dry the headers thoroughly.
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I made some hooks to hang the header on for painting and baking. Any wire coat hanger will work.
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I have an extra oven that I don’t care about so I had no issues painting the headers attached to the rack. I positioned the headers so I could get full paint coverage while still allowing them to fit in the oven without having to move them around.
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Painting a light first coat helps the paint stick better. I painted mine in a makeshift spray booth that only has 2 sides. I would suggest doing this outside, but when it is -20 degrees, painting inside works better. Make sure you have a well ventilated area.
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After the paint has had 10 minutes to dry you can add a second light coat
Wait 10 minutes and apply a thick final coat.
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Bake them for 2 hours at 400 degrees and allow for cooling before handling (ventilation is a must, use an outside oven if possible)
Take them out and enjoy.
Finished Headers
