Tough and good-looking. Sure, that’s what they say about us, but these words are also applied to some of the new coatings showing up on hot rods.
For years, coatings meant chrome. Chrome contributes shine and style, but not much in the way of protection from heat or corrosion. A few years ago, powdercoating appeared as the hot new alternative to chrome. Powder-coating is colorful and offers excellent chip and scratch resistance, but can-not withstand temperatures above approximately 300 degrees.
Ceramic coatings, such as those offered by HPC and MCCI/Jet-Hot, give the advantage of high-temperature thermal protection for a reduction in radiated heat and lower underhood temperatures. Like chrome, thermocoatings provide a good-looking finish to engine parts. Unlike chrome, the high-temperature protection of ceramic coatings helps prevent corrosion and discoloring, making it a popular choice for exhaust headers.
The next step up the evolutionary ladder of coatings is the relatively new ceramic coating popularly known as titanium coating. The fact is, there really isn’t any titanium in titanium * coating. That’s just the name of one of several colors available, including gold, black, and white. The advantages of this high-temperature thermal coating with ceramic binders is its out-of-the-ordinary appearance as well as it’s extraordinary temperature rating—approximately 1,400 degrees metal temperature.
Titanium and other ceramic coatings can be used on exhaust systems, intake manifolds, brake components, brackets, alternator housings, and any place where you might want protection against corrosion, rust, and heat—as well as an alternative look to chrome.
These photos were taken at Specialized Powder Coating in Huntington Beach, California, one of a handful of shops around the country that has recently started offering this new product. At Specialized, the price of titanium coating on a new set of street headers starts between $100 and $150 dollars, depending on the headers. For the protection you get in return, that’s hard to beat.
