well i didnt buy it for looks...i just wanted sound...my car is stcok exterior wise and i kinda think the cans overpower the smooth look i was going for...i wish i could photoshop it leaving the tips stainless

 

Something else to consider is that the exhaust get's much hotter than the engine block. So get a paint with a really high temp level. Though if it were my project, I'd just paint the welds with clear or a matching silver, and only to seal it, not for looks.

 

I've had an HKS on my S for the last year and I bought mine primarily for the sound which is great. I also like the canisters' positioning which helps to fill up the open/empty space under the rear end, making the car look less like a cat in heat with it's rear end up in the air. But like you, I'm not a big fan of bright, polished stainless at all. I've been considering different options for the cans/tips to make them stick out less like a sore thumb (especially under Berlina Black). Black chrome is an option I've been thinking about looking into...


ron

 

This sounds as if you were going to paint the pipes.

 

i was thinking of painting the piping from the cat to the canister and just leaving the tips stainless steel much like the way the factory mufflers are...but thats just minor details as im more concerned w/ the rust on the piping

 

well i embarked on my endeavor this morning and i couldnt be happier with the results...i sanded and washed, sanded and washed then let it dry in the sun...then i sprayed in parallel strokes trying not to have the paint run by moving the can rapidly as i sprayed..needless to say it looks factory new...ima let it dry all day and over night and then apply one more coat tomorrow morning and let it dry then reinstall...and no i did not paint the canisters

 

Good for you trying something out, even if it's not everyone's cup of tea.

I'm not sure it's gonna stick everywhere once the exhaust gets some heat cycles, but it's up to the paint now.

On my old Civic, when I swapped the motor it had an aftermarket header that was pretty scratched up. We got the highest temp paint we could find and painted it up black, but within 1 month it was looking pretty worn where the paint wouldn't quite hold on and flaked a little. Mind you, the header could be the hottest part of the exhaust.

 

yeah i thought of that as well...but i rarely drive the car...i bought the exhaust used thats y it was a lil rusty and my car never sees rain so hopefully the conditions i put it under will allow it to stay for awhile...im not afraid of doing it again in a year if worst comes to worst...just a saturday mornings worth of time

 

I'm pretty sure the engine block, where heat is actually created, gets hotter than the exhaust... where the heat travels.