VHT FLAMEPROOF Coating, Flat Black

Easy to use and beautiful when done

Worked amazing. Only time will tell if it is long lasting

It is not the first time I am buying and using this High Temp Paint spray, either Flat Black or Glossy Black. It is relatively expensive and it provides good results on hot surfaces: it depends very much of the kind of the surface and the preparation work being done before the application. In my opinion, it provides longer durability when applied over a cast iron part (ex: exhaust manifold) than o a new exhaust pipe or muffler -- it will start to flake after several months, in particular off the aluminized or factory painted (exhaust) parts. On older exhaust parts, I had better luck after removing the surface rust and cleaning with good brake cleaner. Painted over the exhaust wrap... mixed results. It the wrap is in areas that are some more exposed to whatever flies under the vehicle, the paint and (later) the wrap is not going to last long, as they are not quite abrasion resistant. Otherwise: read and follow the instruction.

Very good paint. Easy to spray. Durable. Nice dark black color. Hasn’t gotten ruined from the heat yet. Just make sure to prep your surface properly and sand it down nicely and you’ll have no problems with this paint.

Got the paint, rattle the ratsh-t out of it for over the span of 2 days without a mixing ball. Said to heck with it since I'd like to wrap up my project and only need the paint and primer to function as a sealant of sorts. I used Rustoleum 2000F Primer and cured once at 250F, once at 400F and twice at 450F (my oven doesnt go up to the recommended 600F) The primers finish came out great, I received this can of VHT and after deciding to just "send it" despite the lack of mixing ball, off I went. I made sure to shake up the paint as good as I possibly can to give it (and myself) the best shot. I was expecting dribbly nozzle action. The can worked as normal, the spray pattern and atomization seemed unaffected (keep in mind I shook the hell out of it for at least 3 collective hours). I cured this the exact same as I cured the primer. The finish was pretty good except for a few spots where I may have oversprayed a little bit, only very slight miniscule bubbles on one or two areas. I let it cure again at 450F which seemed to harden up those bubbles a little more so I figured it was fairly well cured. Lots of off-gassing smoking when curing, do not do this indoors. I expect more smoke when the car is started. Other than missing a mixing ball, which the rustoleum primer definitely had, I guess the product speaks for itself. This part is completely hidden in the engine bay, this was just to help the 40 year old iron with heat dissipation and to possibly prevent a surface crack from spreading. The paint was used for it's utility and not aesthetics so I suppose it's not a bad deal. Shipping was awful, but again a fault on my part since I didn't bother to check local stores. Almost a week coast to coast.

Awesome product..

Unfortunately, I am unimpressed with the quality of the VHT paint products. THE PROCESS: I spent about 3 hours sanding the headers off of my 2006 R6 with sandpaper ranging from 80 grit to 180 grit. I also soaked the part in paint thinner overnight, steam blasted the remaining debris off and finished the surface with an alcohol wipe, wearing latex gloves, and let dry for 30 minutes before painting. I hung the headers with bailing wire and began the 3 step process that VHT recommends. I got 4 coats of the primer on the headers which was the entire can and it coated amazingly well, I was really impressed with the paint quality at this point. I painted in the shade in 80 degree heat and followed the paint instructions on the can TO THE LETTER, mind you. After the primer can was empty and the headers were dry to the touch I moved to the flat black can and replicated the same results. Great coverage and utilized the whole can. The headers had a beautiful dark look to them with a small amount of shine to them. I repeated the same process with the clearcoat can. Same results. Feeling good! THE COMPLICATION: So before attempting this procedure, I reached out to VHT and spoke with a nice woman named Megan. I asked her about the curing process for my street bike because I know the headers on the bike will likely get hotter faster because they are smaller, thinner, and because the bike revs higher. She informed me that she cannot guarantee results on the streetbike headers because of those reasons, to which I objected because VHT makes no differentiation between types of headers, rather they simply state that it works on "automotive" applications which I personally believe my streetbike qualifies as. So anyways, here is how I cured the headers. I let the headers air dry in the sun all day for the next 3 days. The paint was dry, but I could tell it was still not hardened. So after 3 days of drying I put the headers back on the bike and placed two box fans in front of them with the fairings off the bike. I started the bike and let it run for 5 minutes with the fans on high and the paint did release some fumes but it did not bubble or crack or anything. I let the headers cool and then started the bike up again and let the bike run for 20 minutes with the fans on medium. Again, some fumes came off but no bubbling or cracking. I let them cool to the touch and repeated the process, this time with the fans on low. Same results, except now the "shine" left the headers and almost all the fumes were gone. Everything looked real promising at this point. I let the headers cool overnight and the next day I repeated the same process, this time without the fans. 5 minutes, then cool, 20 minutes then cool, twice. The headers looked great, no shine, dark black, no bubbles or cracking, very impressed. 3 days later I decided to give the bike it's final test and actually ride it, albeit rather gently. I rode the bike about 8 miles, making sure to shift at lower than normal intervals and never taking it above 6k rpm which is low considering it redlines around 17k rpm. I never smelled anything burning or smoking which was reassuring. THE RESULTS: After my brief ride, I finally arrived a my destination, and to my dismay, the paint peeled. I gotta say, I am not thrilled with the results, and like other reviewers, I now wish I had saved my money and time and just took it to a ceramic coating shop and had it done professionally. I do honestly feel that I prepped and painted the headers to the letter and I have several years of paint experience and the results I got were the same as some of my friends who used regular engine enamel paint with far less prep work. I sent this same email back to Megan @ VHT with no response. I know some people have had good results with this paint and others have not. I was hoping to be the former, I was not. Buyer beware: $160 for professional ceramic coating vs $60 for paint and prep materials + effort... shoulda gone the professional route, IMHO. _Michael™