RE  "Don't expect too much out of the ceramic coating.  I have had exhaust parts treated with it from three separate sources and so far I am kind of disappointed. You get a nice shiny chrome looking part, that will quickly start to rust and within a few months the coating starts to discolor and peel off."

This does not match my experiences with ceramic coatings.  I had a set of fenderwell exit headers done for a 73 Ford 3/4 4x4 in `95 and last time I saw them they were still in good shape.  They had discolored some, but that is to be expected on a vehicle that is driven daily, year round in Alaska, and they are directly in the spray path of the front tires.  If the coating is peeling off I would think that the problem lies in the application of it, or the surface prep, not the material.

Mark in AK

----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 4:15 am
Subject: Re: Ceramic Coat Catalytic Converter?
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

> I have never heard of anyone ceramic coating one of these and I would
> not recommend it.  The bodies of all of the Cats that I sell and have
> seen are usually stainless anyway.  They don't look shiny like you
> wouldexpect stainless to look, but they are stainless and
> therefore resistant
> to corrosion.  The flanges on each end are really the only parts that
> seem to rust to any extent.
>
> Don't expect too much out of the ceramic coating.  I have had exhaust
> parts treated with it from three separate sources and so far I am kind
> of disappointed. You get a nice shiny chrome looking part, that will
> quickly start to rust and within a few months the coating starts to
> discolor and peel off.  Any "lifetime" warranty that the coater will
> offer you is conditional on your removing the pipe or part in
> question,shipping it back to the coater, having him re-coat it,
> and then shipping
> it back to you.  Kind of a pain if you are driving the van regularly.
>
> Having said all of that ceramic coating may still help retard the
> rusting process in spite of all that I have said.  I have a tail pipe
> out there that I am still keeping tabs on to see what it looks
> like a
> couple of years down the road (they usually rust out at that point).
> Ceramic coating will disappoint on the purely aesthetic level.  It is
> almost worse to see a beautiful shiny exhaust system turn dull and
> rustthan it is to just bolt the stock gray painted pipes on and
> see them
> rust.  At least the dull gray pipes never looked like anything in the
> first place :-)
>
> Just my experience,
> Ken Wilford
> John 3:16
> www.vanagain.com
>
>