Ceramic is cheaper and once it wears out you could always sand the old off and reapply a ceramic coating to the headers. They are cheaper bc the steel in the header is not cheaper.
Ceramic Coated Headers Pros And Cons
Ceramic headers vs stainless steel. That is why they rust. Stainless will radiate more heat into the engine compartment than ceramic coated headers will. Stainless pipes will blue on you from the extreme heat. Ceramic headers can maintain their out of the box chrome like appearance for many years and the smooth surface makes them easy to clean. Some people do not like the coloration or bluing of these pipes. But stainless steel does discolor when the header gets hot and ceramic doesnt.
The ceramic actually blocks alot of the heat if they are coated inside and out. I also like stainless because i think they look better and they will last a lot longer granted if you buy the 700 dollar ones. I had ceramic they were light thats a plus but that bitch cracked on me after 2 years. Also since the heat is staying inside the headers the exhaust gases will be hotter and will flow more remember as air cools it becomes more dense. Ceramic coated headers are not stainless. Stainless is heavier but more durable ceramic is lighter and prettier.
A ceramic coated stainless header would be the ideal setup if money aint a thang. Neither stainless or ceramic materials corrode so youll never have to worry about rust. A full stainless header will not rust at all. The underhood temps with coated headers will be noticeably cooler than with stainless headers which run just as hot as the factory manifolds but without the benefit of the factory tin heat sheilding.
Gallery of Ceramic Headers Vs Stainless Steel
