VHT exhaust manifold paint is available in a variety of colours. However, NEVER use exhaust manifold wrapping on a cast iron manifold.  It's ok for stainless steel though.
You'll need to get all the rust off first.
Of course, you could splash out and have the manifold ceramic coated.

Quote from: whitehillbilly64 on Aug 23, 2024, 09:54 PMOur elderly neighbour, when I was Living in Cornwall had an amazingly painted house.
I asked him one day if he had sprayed everything because of the finish?
No he replied, but I was a hand painter for Rolls Royce in my younger days.

whitehillbilly

Some time ago, I was duly impressed by this video on coach painter Ashley Brickman painting a classic bus. He does a tutorial too (paints and brushes to use, conditions to avoid, ...)
Richard

Quote from: H2 on Aug 24, 2024, 08:56 AM@BradfordS2 That's looking great!

What paint was used for the water pump / fan?

Do people paint their exhaust manifolds? I'm thinking about taking it off and removing the rust with a wire brush / converting solution, and then repainting.

I can't remember what I used to paint the pulleys and bits and pieces on the engine, the main block is painted in Smith & Allen's Tractol in Light Admiralty Grey. Incorrect colour for the age of my vehicle but correct for the age of the current engine!
The smaller black parts look to be Satin Black so will be from an aerosol but couldn't tell you what exactly!

I have painted my exhaust manifold and new complete exhaust system using VHT paint. The engine has only had a couple of test runs at the moment so I don't know if the paint will discolour or burn off yet. I can't see it staying on the manifold for long though.

The army used to paint everything under the bonnet duck egg blue !

By all means paint the exhaust manifold and keep the paint manufacturers in business.
You'll be back there repainting (and repainting) forever. The "finish" will soon burn off.

I painted mine years ago. The rust is forming around the flanges where it bolts to the head but the rest is still black albeit somewhat dull now.

You could ceramic coat the exhaust. I have heard good things about this process. I have attached a website to show the process....

https://ctc-powder-coating.co.uk/important-reasons-why-you-should-ceramic-coat-your-exhaust-headers-and-turbo-parts/#:~:text=This%20coating%20is%20highly%20recommended%20for%20steel%20or%20cast%20iron,for%20many%20years%20to%20come.

Quote from: H2 on Aug 24, 2024, 08:56 AM@BradfordS2 That's looking great!


Do people paint their exhaust manifolds? I'm thinking about taking it off and removing the rust with a wire brush / converting solution, and then repainting.

I tried painting my exhaust manifolds with a high heat paint on my Series 1 - but it ended up failing quickly and looking horrible.  I think if you wanted a clean look that will last you might want to consider a ceramic powder coating - as Talullah mentions above!

Quote from: H2 on Aug 23, 2024, 03:34 PMGood afternoon,

What paint have people used that has worked well for engine bay components?

Was the original engine compartment painted black?  The black really sucks the light out making it difficult to see anything.  I was thinking to paint it body-colour myself.

I painted all the bits I needed to using satin black as I tried to keep the engine bay looking as aged as possible and found that gloss black although no doubt the original finish made the original part that was sand blasted and primed stand out and look too new. It also emphasized the sometimes pitted surface texture whereas the satin seemed to lose the surface texture due to less of a reflection.

I used 2K spray cans from Buzzweld.co.uk......

Quote from: Rock Star Eddie on Aug 24, 2024, 12:38 PM

Quote from: H2 on Aug 23, 2024, 03:34 PMGood afternoon,

What paint have people used that has worked well for engine bay components?

Was the original engine compartment painted black?  The black really sucks the light out making it difficult to see anything.  I was thinking to paint it body-colour myself.

It would usually have been body colour I believe.

Body panels are painted the same as the outer panels as above ^^^

  The best paint for engine manifolds is the paint wood stove manufacturers use, available at your local wood stove store in a spray can in a variety of colors. I did my manifold 22 years ago and it still looks good.

  Victor

I had my manifold ceramic coated. It's not lasted as well as I had hoped, although it is holding up much better than anything else I've ever tried. To be honest, I have concluded that painting an exhaust manifold is a fool's errand, regardless of what process you use, how much you spend, and how carefully you follow instructions.

Far from painting the exhaust manifold, there is some benefit in wrapping the exhaust (this will hide the rust).

From the Internet:
Is it worth wrapping the exhaust manifold & downpipe?
From improving performance and fuel efficiency to reducing heat damage and minimising noise, it's clear that incorporating exhaust wrap into your vehicle's exhaust system can significantly impact its overall performance and longevity.

I use the graphite loaded paste sold to polish black ranges. It used to be called zebrite.
It buffs up to a nice graphite grey black finish.