VHT High Temp Paint vs a Ceramic Coating Job?

[Pyromaniacal]

So I just bought some used headers and they're a little messed up from use, no major damage but I could see them rusting out on me in a year if I do nothing from here.

Which brings me to the question, how much does a ceramic coating job generally run? Whats the benefit of that longevity wise vs VHT High Temp Paint (or equivalent if there is a better product) ? The VHT would cost me about 11-20 bucks depending on if I can get it local, but if ceramic coating is a reasonable price I would definitely want to go that way.

Thanks for any advice!

[9t8z28]

So I just bought some used headers and they're a little messed up from use, no major damage but I could see them rusting out on me in a year if I do nothing from here.

Which brings me to the question, how much does a ceramic coating job generally run? Whats the benefit of that longevity wise vs VHT High Temp Paint (or equivalent if there is a better product) ? The VHT would cost me about 11-20 bucks depending on if I can get it local, but if ceramic coating is a reasonable price I would definitely want to go that way.

Thanks for any advice!

VHT is not going to hold up at all. Ceramic Coating is your best bet. It will probably run you around $200 to get them coated. I recommend Air Borne Coatings!

[rel3rd]

Like said above Ceramic Coating is your best bet.

FWIW though, Back in early July I bought a set of JetHot brand longtubes and ORY for my car. Both were pretty rusty but for $200 (for both) I figured I'd try the old backyard coating (aka VHT Ceramic High Heat paint), although I thought I'd be wasting my time, to be honest.

The car sits in the driveway when not being driven, and the car has been driven in rain quite a few times. It's made 20 or so WOT dyno passes, and probably 40 quarter mile passes so far since I installed headers/ORY and they still look like I just painted them. I'm surprised, but they have held up great.

This was my routine...
Used bead blaster to remove loose rust/scale.
Used high pressure steam cleaner to wash them and remove bead residue.
Primed any bare spots
Painted the headers and ORY with several thin coats of VHT Ceramic High Heat black paint.
Let dry in bright sun all day.
That was it...

I have bead blaster and steam cleaner access at work, which is big plus, so all I invested was some time (maybe 2-1/2 hours total?) and $30 or so (3 cans) of paint. Can't possibly beat a set of great fitting name brand, and no longer rusty, longtubes and ORY for a total cash outlay of $230...

Like I said above, I never thought it would last, and actually planned to remove them over this Winter and have them "coated", but they are lasting and looking fine, so I'm not touching them for now.

[nhraformula]

So I just bought some used headers and they're a little messed up from use, no major damage but I could see them rusting out on me in a year if I do nothing from here.

Which brings me to the question, how much does a ceramic coating job generally run? Whats the benefit of that longevity wise vs VHT High Temp Paint (or equivalent if there is a better product) ? The VHT would cost me about 11-20 bucks depending on if I can get it local, but if ceramic coating is a reasonable price I would definitely want to go that way.

Thanks for any advice!

headers will get surface rust on them, but they will not rust threw quickly at all.
on a different car of mine, i had uncoated headers on the car for over 5 years.
i live in chicago where its humid as hell in the summer, rather cold in the winter and road salt like no tomorrow when it snows.
the headers did have surface rust, but never rusted threw.