Coating exhaust tips - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Dexman1349 · 11-20-2013, 03:18 PM

I'm getting a new Kooks exhaust system (LT's, cats, & catback) which unfortunately comes with polished chrome tips. My car does not have a speck of chrome on the outside of it (all been either removed, painted, or powdercoated) and I want the exhaust to match. I would like to address it before it's installed so I'm not dealing with the diffuser or overspray issues.

That being said, I have a couple questions for refinishing the tips:

1) What is the recommended way to get them black (preferably matte black)? Powdercoating, rattlecan spray paint, plasti-dip?

2) Would this "customization" cause any issues with the lifetime warranty from Kooks?

BH531SS · 11-20-2013, 03:52 PM

My friend owns the shop I had my ATAK exhaust installed. We acutally sanded the chrome from the exhaust tips and painted it with a matte black heat resistant paint. I forget now the name of the paint, but it was something that could be bought off the shelf. We applied a total of 3 coats so I had to wait and extra day or 2 before installing the system but the look was defanitley worth it. Almost 2 years and not one sign of color fade or flaking of paint. If you want I can look up the paint, and post some pictures up how it turned out. Hope this helps in some way .

Dexman1349 · 11-20-2013, 03:59 PM

^^^ That would be awesome. Any/all suggestions are welcome!!

ST1LE · 11-20-2013, 04:02 PM

Be sure you do as BH531SS did and sand the chrome, you dont want to skip that step as paint wont stick to chrome for long.

vroomapunk · 11-20-2013, 04:05 PM

Powdercoating would be your best bet probably, double walled bigger tips dont get all that hot, and powdercoating cant stand a lot of heat, wont hold up forever on headers, but exhaust tips arent nearly as close to the heat source.

As for the tips, they are just metal, so the warranty probably covers the finish, which you will be painting over anyway.

HI temp ceramic paint or coating is also an option.

You can plasti dip them to make sure you will like the look, then take it off after. But I think plasti dip will hold up to the heat. My tips get hot, but not hot enough to melt plasti or anything, which is all plasti-dip is.

axis · 11-20-2013, 05:47 PM

If money isn't an issue, they have matte black header coating. Probably wouldn't cost a LOT but time could be an issue. Easiest/cheapest method would be the sand, spray with heat resistant paint.

Apex Motorsports · 11-20-2013, 05:49 PM

We send them to Jet-Hot and have them ceramic coated.

JDP Sales · 11-20-2013, 06:30 PM

Ceramic coating is the best option. Powder coating will only hold up to about 400* depending on the powder.

Best regards,

Tyler
888-308-6007

MarylandSpeed · 11-20-2013, 10:30 PM

As stated, ceramic is best. The problem with coating catbacks is if the manufacturer does not do it, you have to ship the whole catback to the coater, and to customer, which gets expensive.

Dexman1349 · 11-21-2013, 08:28 AM

If I did the sand & high temp paint route, would there be any issues with the Kooks warranty?

11-20-2013, 03:18 PM	#1
Dexman1349 2010 2SS/RS M6 Drives: 2010 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Auckland, NZ Posts: 1,482	Coating exhaust tips I'm getting a new Kooks exhaust system (LT's, cats, & catback) which unfortunately comes with polished chrome tips. My car does not have a speck of chrome on the outside of it (all been either removed, painted, or powdercoated) and I want the exhaust to match. I would like to address it before it's installed so I'm not dealing with the diffuser or overspray issues. That being said, I have a couple questions for refinishing the tips: 1) What is the recommended way to get them black (preferably matte black)? Powdercoating, rattlecan spray paint, plasti-dip? 2) Would this "customization" cause any issues with the lifetime warranty from Kooks?

11-20-2013, 04:02 PM	#4
ST1LE Drives: E92 BMW M3 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Houston Posts: 4,496	Be sure you do as BH531SS did and sand the chrome, you dont want to skip that step as paint wont stick to chrome for long. __________________ SOLD - 2013 1LE - Pat G Spec'd Cam, NPP with 1 7/8" Long Tube Headers with High Flow Cats, Intake w/scoop, Ported Throttle Body, and Apex 1.25" Lowering Springs. J-Rod Built and Matt@FSP Tuned

11-20-2013, 04:05 PM	#5
vroomapunk [COTW 5/12/14] Drives: 2012 CRT NF Cammed 2SS/RS For Sale Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: NOLA Posts: 6,115 View My Garage	Powdercoating would be your best bet probably, double walled bigger tips dont get all that hot, and powdercoating cant stand a lot of heat, wont hold up forever on headers, but exhaust tips arent nearly as close to the heat source. As for the tips, they are just metal, so the warranty probably covers the finish, which you will be painting over anyway. HI temp ceramic paint or coating is also an option. You can plasti dip them to make sure you will like the look, then take it off after. But I think plasti dip will hold up to the heat. My tips get hot, but not hot enough to melt plasti or anything, which is all plasti-dip is. __________________

11-20-2013, 05:47 PM	#6
axis Search Ninja Drives: 2010 Black 2SS/RS A6 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Central Ark Posts: 7,183	If money isn't an issue, they have matte black header coating. Probably wouldn't cost a LOT but time could be an issue. Easiest/cheapest method would be the sand, spray with heat resistant paint. __________________ 2010 Black 2SS/RS A6 Halltech CF 102 fed GPI modded intake manifold Bo (knows) White ported TB Kooks LT's/ Dynomax VT Pfadted (springs/sways) Dyno tuned by Rhino and GPI I once parallel parked a train.

11-20-2013, 05:49 PM	#7
Apex Motorsports Drives: 2000 Camaro SS Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky. Posts: 25,179	We send them to Jet-Hot and have them ceramic coated. Last edited by Apex Motorsports; 11-21-2013 at 05:58 AM.

11-20-2013, 03:52 PM	#2
BH531SS Drives: 2012 Camaro 1ss Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 42	My friend owns the shop I had my ATAK exhaust installed. We acutally sanded the chrome from the exhaust tips and painted it with a matte black heat resistant paint. I forget now the name of the paint, but it was something that could be bought off the shelf. We applied a total of 3 coats so I had to wait and extra day or 2 before installing the system but the look was defanitley worth it. Almost 2 years and not one sign of color fade or flaking of paint. If you want I can look up the paint, and post some pictures up how it turned out. Hope this helps in some way .

11-20-2013, 03:59 PM	#3
Dexman1349 2010 2SS/RS M6 Drives: 2010 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Auckland, NZ Posts: 1,482	^^^ That would be awesome. Any/all suggestions are welcome!!

11-20-2013, 06:30 PM	#8
JDP Sales Drives: Chevys at the limit Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SLC, UT Posts: 9,621	Ceramic coating is the best option. Powder coating will only hold up to about 400* depending on the powder. Best regards, Tyler 888-308-6007

11-20-2013, 10:30 PM	#9
MarylandSpeed Account Suspended Drives: 2012 ZL1 & 2010 2SS/RS Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,378	As stated, ceramic is best. The problem with coating catbacks is if the manufacturer does not do it, you have to ship the whole catback to the coater, and to customer, which gets expensive.

11-21-2013, 08:28 AM	#10
Dexman1349 2010 2SS/RS M6 Drives: 2010 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Auckland, NZ Posts: 1,482	If I did the sand & high temp paint route, would there be any issues with the Kooks warranty?