Psychedelic Snakes

[Mark Clapp]

I had my exhaust system white for the past twelve years. I really liked the vintage look but got tired of painting them. A local shop that does industrial chrome and nickel plating did the entire system in nickel including bead blasting for $150. We didn't polish after the bead blasting so the pipes would have a brushed look, which I think is more vintage looking. They are completely maintenance free now and I can't even scratch the nickel. The colors change a little each time its driven and everyone says they think they add to the race look.

Thanks,
Mark Clapp

 

[Mike]

:thumbsup:

 

[Jim Cowden]

Looks like niobium.

Looks good

Jim

 

[Jack Houpe]

Mark that looks awesome, come visit me if your in the area.

 

[Larry L.]

Just for haa-haas, if you get tired of the bluing one day for whatever reason and feel you'd like to 'erase' some or all of it, you might try this stuff:

Simichrome

I used it on my Harley's pipes years ago and it worked like a champ. ('Had to use it quite frequently though.)

'Never tired the "Blue Away". ('Never heard of it before.)

 

[Mark Clapp]

Hi Larry, I used some "Blue Magic" by Turtle Wax and like you said, it erased all the colorations and the pipes were the tannish-silver nickel color again. But with the next drive, the golds, blues, and purples all came back so I'm just letting it go. Since the system was dipped, the plating is on the inside as well so there should be no problems with rust. I forgot to mark the postion of the collector/muffler sections so I had to slide them on and off the header pipe ends many multiple times trying to get them parallel and straight. I was surprised that the nickel didn't even scratch. I think plating is a great way to go with the exception of stainless steel pipes. The plater said that rust can form under ceramic coating and it is a bitch to remove.

Mark C.