Painting Stainless Steel

I have a stainless exhaust arriving shortly. It looks beautiful but I plan to paint a great deal of it wrinkle black. I got high temp paint that's designed specifically for exhausts, so I have that covered. (Sorry Daniel)

It's an x-ost system from Daniel at Ricambi.

My real question is, what kind of prep do I do to stainless, if anything, to insure good paint adhesion. Or do I simply clean thoroughly with a pre-paint prep solvent, and go to town.

Bring on the suggestions...

Dave
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I Googled what seemed to make the most sense: "powder coat" "stainless steel" paint exhaust
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=%22powder+coat%22+%22stainless+steel%22+paint+exhaust&btnG=Search

 

Yeah, I went there too, didn't like what I saw. Hence my question here. We have to be smarter than GOOGLE, don't we???

I don't think I'm gonna powder coat it. ANSA sure didn't in the 70's.

soooo... It can't be all that tough. Maybe I'll slap a coat of paint on the wife's beautiful stainless steel refrigerator as a test...

Errrr... maybe not. She's a pretty good shot.

DM

 

These guys are the best in the business IMHO, way ahead of Jet Hot.

Give them a call

http://www.hpcoatings.com/

 

I'd like to end up like this...
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Dave,
We just painted one the other day. (Not an Xhost but simular) We first scuffed it with a Scotchbrite pad then painted it with Castle engine enamal. (sorry, not wrinkle) So far, so good. Castle is 500 degree paint. It was a used unit. Not sure how this will work on a new one. Sorry, no pictures.

 

Wrinkle paint is not high temperature paint. VHT makes exhaust paint that is rated to 1500 degrees, but it is not wrinkle paint. VHT's wrinkle paint is only rated to 350 degrees. It would burn right off the first time you fired up the engine. From http://www.caswellplating.com/vht/vht_high.htm

I think you would be wasting your time trying to wrinkle paint an exhaust system.

 

Ok, so...

what is the running temp of an exhaust syetem. Not the headers, but the exhaust. Of course in the dino, there's not a lot of distance from the headers to the exhaust, but..

I'm looking for temp reference here. is it 500 degrees?? 350, 700, what? I really don't know.

And Arlie, you're right, I looked up the temp rating on the paint I have it's 350 degrees.

Dave

 

The only way to get the paint to last would be:

1.) Mask off areas you do not want painted.

2.) have area you want painted bead blasted (Glass beads)

3.) Powder coat the area you want with a very good high temp primer/sealer.

4.) scuff up powder coat with 3m scotchbright med or coarse.

5.) Clean overall with acetone

6.) ) Paint over powder coat with wrinkle paint.

It may last then.

Or...

Do get a powder coat wrinkle finish, but it is not "high temp". But it should be okay.

Thing thing is that nothing will stick to polished/smooth stainless steel. It has to do with the surface tension energy of stainless.

 

I forsee having the same problem with a new Stebro system on my 365 GT 2+2. Does anyone know what paint ANSA used on the original non-stainless exhaust systems? It does not burn off and looks like original ANSA exhaust paint - this is called stating the obvious! That is my objective - something that does not burn off and looks like ANSA paint.
Tom Kizer

 

I think you'll find that you will have wasted your time.

SS does not have a very porous surface to retain the paint.

I doubt it will last long term.

 

I would use a ceramic coating its comes in a few colors and black is one of them.

 

The s/s system we are doing from parts is not polished, rather Magnaflow satin. I am opting to try and have it ceramic coated matching the headers - there are many colors and finishes available, my favorite being the titanium grey. I am not doing it for heat reasons, rather for protection and heat cycled open stainless in the extreme underbody environment does not age well.
Good luck

 

Like has been said above, polished stainless will not hold paint well. Ceramic coating is your best bet. It will also stand up to the heat better than any paint or powdercoat. Other than that, acid etching before painting is probably the next best alternative.

 

Just an FYI. I can assure you that most of the cost of that muffler is in polishing it to look like that. Timevalve for example sells thier unpolished stainless muffler for a 308 for like $1200. It costs more than that again to have it polished, over $2500 total. I guess I dont understand why you would want to polish a muffler that is that pretty. If you want one black why not just buy an Ansa? They are a lot less expensive, and last a good long time.

 

Well, Dave already has his muffler, so that option is out the window.

The best way to prep for paint adhesion is to bead, or lightly sand blast the surface. This will give the paint a better grip on the surface than just scuffing with 3M pads (these paints produce the best wrinkled finish with a good heavy coat, and they are also a fairly thick paint, so a very deep rough surface is called for). Besides, the rough finish will enhance the wrinkle effect.

 

ANSA is over $2700 retail for my car. And that's only if you can find one. All of the sources I know of don't have one for a US car, which is different than the Euro car. And, ANSA only makes them once in a blue moon. Not nearly as big a market for a 72 Dino as there is for a 2004 Civic.

Daniel's x-ost is more reasonable than that, too.

I'd like it to blend with the car, not scream out from under it. Just a matter of personal preference I guess, and a desire to keep my car as original looking as possible, even when original parts are unavailable.

DM

 

Ok.

So looks like ceramic coating is the way to go.

any of you know a good EAST COAST guy for this? I'd prefer someone in the Philly area so I can go and explain exactly what I want. BUt, I'll send it wherever it needs to go.

Dave

 

In some truly bizarre way, I am like this a bit as well, with the emphasis on 'original looking' through using OEM (Weber, Momo, Brembo, Speedline, Koni, Tubi, Ansa, etc) or period correct aftermarket parts for the most part on my little car. No bling.

I also think the ceramic is the way to go. There is probably a ceramic coater in or around Philly - the place to ask is at hot rod, racing or speed shops as they do this all the time and there must be a market large enough to support one there. All of those white racing headers you see everywhere are ceramic coated. I think within a few calls you're there. They should have several colors to choose from, including black and the really nice dark grey titanium.

Good luck!

 

I had no idea an Ansa was that expensive. So okay, I understand what your trying to do.

If your looking for a quick and dirty way of doing it, I would have it glass beaded or sand blasted so you have a surface that paint would adhere to. If you spray it with VHT 1500 degree satin black it should last a really long time. At least as long as everything else stays looking good between services. I sprayed my steel Ansa with it two years ago and it still looks pretty good. Certainly light years better than it did to begin with. And its not like its real hard to drop the exhaust off of a 308 to freshen it up. I would imagine a Dino shouldnt be any much different.

 

Looks like Jet-hot has a location right in my neck of the woods.

Email sent, might even call them later today.

Next question. Matte black or semi gloss? Can do either, matte is higher temp resistance.

Dave

 

If you drive the car on public roads and and the muffler is exposed, it doesn't matter what you start with, it will become matt.

 

I don't have a lift, and I need the car about 4' off the floor to clear the exhaust. Sooo... this is a shop job for me.

Damn, I knew I should have gotten that lift installed.

DM

 

Damn good point, matte it is!!!