I have a friend that does the ceramic coating and there is a big difference.
The ceramic coating is a liquid like the paint but they cycle the headers thru two bakings at 750 degrees and the prep work is alittle more extensive.

BUT...the end result does look identical and unless you get the items absolutely clean and in his case bead blasted to the correct "profile" the whole thing is a big waste of time.

He did a set of used Harley exhaust pipes for me as a favor and his helper didn't do the best job of blasting them and after about 6 months they started changing finish and eventually flaked at the areas that used to be chromed...this was a problem and the entire chrome finish should have been removed OR completely left on. It seems a temperature differencial occured and caused the discolorations. The flaking was just poor prep work I think.

I am setting up a cheap powder coating operation with a kit from Harbor freight and going to take an old oven and build a larger box but use the "guts" from the oven to heat the double sided box. Going to line the box with fireplace brick OR Sheet Rock made for use around free standing fireplaces.

Wish me luck...if successful this thing will be big enough to do a bike frame or maybe a bumper so longer (7') and taller (42") than normal and just alittle wider (30") ...might use extra heating elements...

BUD