Chrome exhausts/ Air conditioning

[Maca Iles]

Hello!

I've got recently a 1979 C3. It has black side exhausts and I would like to get chrome ones. Any place where I can take it? Should I get stainless steel or ceramic coated ones? Exhausts 's headers are a bit rusty, so I don't know if I could use them or get new ones? Exhausts are in a good condition, just a bit rusty ( pic attached)

Also any suggestion regarding air conditioning? The whole system is missing ( it has been used as a racing car, so a few bits are missing to make it lighter). Should I order whole thing by myself ( only found one website in USA) or take it to a specialist? I am based in London, any good place around here?

Thanks in advance

 

[stealthyflatfish]

Personally I'd go for stainless steel if replacing, ceramic coated doesn't last that long in the exposed locations ie behind the wheels on sidepipes
You will probably find the ceramic coated pipes listed by suppliers are mild steel construction, and rot from the inside out, like any normal exhaust.

 

[Nick B]

Stainless every time.

 

[Roscobbc]

Good quality ceramic coated headers (and presumably side pipes) are coated both externally and internally. That gives best the best heat reduction (and sidewall noise transmission) plus corrosion resistance. Hookers were the name at one time - probably Chinese made now.

 

[Daytona Vette]

Conflicting info here just to confuse, if it was me your side pipes in black look cool and not so bling, but I would go for chrome on steel with the side pipes and have them ceramic coated on the inside only to stop the blueing

 

[stealthyflatfish]

Gentlemen, I was speaking from my own personal experience, I have Hooker ceramic side pipes on my Vette, and in the last three years they have deteriated badly, I enquired about getting them powder coated but the technician said he wouldn't advise it as the powder coat wouldn't last long and would crack and drop off due to the heat the headers would produce. No reason to
disbelieve him as he was doing him self out of a job.
Then I looked at getting them re ceramic coated, I could only find two companies in the UK that apply ceramic coatings, there could be more, but that's all I could find at the time, also prohibitively expensive.
Also told they don't like doing used pipes as all the chemicals soot etc on the insides of the pipes upsets their chemicals? But motorcycle exhausts can be re chromed.
Re chroming very expensive for us retired guys, and they don't like doing them as they can't get between the gaps of the individual pipes to clean and polish them. So that only leaves purchasing or getting a new set of headers made.