I will be purchasing some LBMs from RARE for my 400. Is the RARE ceramic coating worth it, or should I buy them bare and have them coated locally?

thanks in advance

I have a few friends that have purchased from RARE and had their LBM's ceramic coated through them. So far the coating has held up well and looks as good as it did when they purchased the manifolds. I also purchased a set of ceramic coated LBM's along with the entire exhaust system from RARE, but neither have been installed yet. They look beautiful, a lot better than the supercomp headers I bought some years back that were also ceramic coated. The headers started pitting less than a year after installation.

I got mine with the coating. They where installed for two years before I ever started and drove it and they turned to rust. My brother had a set of Dougs headers that did the same thing. They looked good the first year. Maybe in a dryer climate they would hold up better but I didn't have any luck.

I'm trying a 2000deg paint from KBS this time around. To soon to tell how it will hold up. But it hasn't burned off or blistered yet in the 6 times I have had it out.

I painted mine with the Eastwood coating as there wasn't time to get them ceramic coated in advance of Trans Am Nationals.

Did you purchase and have the coating done by RARE?

Sent my Hedmans to Jethot over 10 years ago and they still look good...coated inside and out, very important for heat control and longevity.

Those would be the six days it didn't rain there in CR this summer? Just kiddn', sorta, on my way back there in a couple of weeks, and would like to play some golf.

I am going to have them coated, just curious as to whether the RARE coating is worth the price. We have some very good aerospace coating companies here in Phoenix, would probably cost a little more, but really only want to do it one time.

Well, that is a tough one to respond to. I think the RARE quality is good, but I would be willing to bet that your aerospace coating option would be leaps and bounds above the alternatives.

Well, when I bought my LBMs for the Bird several years back I had R.A.R.E. coat them. Within a couple of years they rusted up pretty good. When I pulled them off the car when it was rear ended I called RARE and told them. They looked up my receipt and told me to ship them back. I did, they called me and said they would re-coat them free of charge and ship them back to me.

The LBMs are now on my friend's 61 Safari wagon that some of you seen at this year's POCI event in KY. They look great and have thus far held up better this time around then they did when I first bought them and put them on the Bird.

I am now just about to order another set, actually the H.O. manifolds for the early "A"-body cars which will go on our LeMans. I will most likely have them coat them as I can't imagine any process that I can do myself would or could be any better than their process...

I used POR Manifold paint (silver grey) on mine four years ago and they look pristine. Not a speck of rust despite being thru a few rainstorms...

Cost of the POR paint was about $15

POR is a amazing stuff. I covered every crevice of my old 68 with it and 10 years later it looks like I just applied it.

Great stuff.....

I have a slightly off-topic (but related...) question; I'm about to install my engine and was wondering if it is easier to put the LBMs on before or after getting the engine in (or if there is no difference)?

There were no installation problems encountered when the LBM were bolted to the motor before installation. However, headers are a different story.

Thanks, I have many bad memories helping "friends" putting on headers and I was hoping that this wouldn't be as bad.

No comparison in my mind. I hope to never work on a car with headers again. Make sure you have the oil filter adapter when installing the LBM's. I am sure you do but I always like to make sure just in case.

I've never pulled or installed with the mans bolted up just because I always figure less is less to go wrong. They are not that bad to bolt on over the fender. Only a couple you have to get to from underneath. I think one by the steering box and maybe one all the way in the back driver's side. A long extension and a wobbly helps.

Back when our 68 Bird was wiping out cams left and right (total of 4) each and every time my wife and I pulled the motor we did so with the LBMs attached. No issues and much easier IMO. Not to mention you can get everything nice and tight etc.