chrome vs. ceramic coated

im looking at getting some chrome headers and i want to know how well the finish holds up. would ceramic headers hold their shine better/longer? which one has more shine from the begining anyway? i saw a set of ceramic headers around here that loked like faded chrome.... but they could have just been old and not kept up well... thanks for the help!

chrome turns colors when it gets hot, normally different shades of purple. Ceramic coating isnt that shiny to begin with but will withstand the heat much better and look better for longer.

how long does it normally take for them to get discolored and does it get real ugly in your opinion?

Chrome will start to discolor the first time you start your engine. It will get progressively more noticeable as you drive it. The ceramic coating is just a slightly glossy silver to begin with. It will dullen slightly during the first few trips with the engine, and then not change at all.

I have a nickel plated header. Its not as shiny as chrome, but it just turns blue and purle when its heated. Chrome will turn blueish purple, and orange-red when hot. It really doesnt look bad to me. And with chrome, I hear you can polish out the color discoloration. But its supposedly a good amount of work.

how much of the header do you think will discolor? all of it or mainly closer to the heads?

look at any of west coast choppers bikes w/ chrome headers, those all have the discoloration and I think it looks good. It's only the first 8 inches or so I think. I've got black headers so I'm not positive on how long the discoloration is but I know it is because of the heat and will turn it soon as it starts getting hot(first run) and will continuously get more discolored

I used Ceramic coating on everything I had coated on my engine. Shit works great.

My nickel plated header has turn a bit on the bends by the motor, and a bit by the collector. Thats all. Its just a light blue so far. With more run time it will likely get darker. I think it looks good.

a chrome header will start to go like this:

There is a stuff called blue-away you can use to remove the discoloration. All chrome will discolor from heat. Cerama-coating will help disipate heat from the headers.