I am finishing up a 1969
Dart GTS (340). I am told
that the exhaust manifolds
were painted along with the
assembled engine, but how
does the paint not burn off?
How does this get handled?
Yes, the manifolds, along
with the left side gasket (heat
shield), and all fasteners,
were painted engine color.
And, yes, most of it burned
right off. The exception were
the areas very close to the
cylinder head, where heat transfer (to
the water-cooled heads) kept temps low
enough to prevent burning. Duplicating
this is the only 100-point way to do your
restoration.
Having said that, the 99-point
approach, which will keep the manifolds
looking fresh much longer, is to paint the
manifolds, before installation, with a hightemp
cast iron-look paint. Then, once
installed, paint the engine, and the areas
of the manifolds adjoining the cylinder
heads, engine color.
See photo below. This is about as it
gets for a real-world, non-trailer-queen
restoration.
