Heat Exchanger Install, Paint Bracket?

[serper3]

Hey guys, I am going to put my heat exchanger in tomorrow, it kind of bothers me that the bracket holding the oem one, is nasty looking. i am putting in the afco dual pass h/e in btw.
anyway, i was thinking of sanding it down, and rattle canning it black. (car is black) but i figure a flat black will look nice and stock/unsuspecting.
thoughts? any body make there own aluminum bracket?

 

[TRBO VNM]

Some people have polished them, others paint, some leave them nasty and myself, I powder coated them.

 

[joseph.devenney]

I pulled my bracket off a couple months ago, sanded them down pretty good and painted them flat black. Before they were silver and very corroded, now you cant even notice them. Hard to find a color that wouldnt clash with the MC, so I figured flat black would be the least noticeable. I'll see if I cant find a pic.

 

[Quagmire]

I used my sand blaster, and semi gloss black looks great, just make sure you do several coats because that part is exposed to a lot of wear.

 

[joseph.devenney]

Here's a before and after, I know I need to get back in there and straighten out the fins:bash:

Hope this helps with your decision:thumbsup:

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

I sanded and painted mine with a spray can of aluminum paint so they were the same basic color as the new bare aluminum H/E.

The original H/E and brackets were black so you basically did not even see the brackets.

That's what I wanted when I switched it to the bare aluminum H/E also. I don't care to be looking at black brackets on an aluminum H/E. They stand out too much.

 

[serper3]

thanks everyone!

I sanded and painted mine with a spray can of aluminum paint so they were the same basic color as the new bare aluminum H/E.

The original H/E and brackets were black so you basically did not even see the brackets.

That's what I wanted when I switched it to the bare aluminum H/E also. I don't care to be looking at black brackets on an aluminum H/E. They stand out too much.

I knew if i posted on here, i would get some ideas! i didnt even think about getting a metallic/aluminum spray paint. i think this is exactly what i will do!!
thanks Jimmy! i have actually been wanting to paint that bracket for a long time now, but since the thing will be apart, with the h/e going in, there is no way i am putting it all back nasty looking!

 

[03cobra#694]

Did mine with black Por-15, and it's time to do them again.

 

[MaximumVelocity]

^ I agree with Jimmy, high heat silver engine paint looks just like the aluminum HX. If the HX is stenciled with "COBRA" lettering, I also stencil and paint those bracket parts black so the lettering "shows through".

 

[101blur]

I sanded and spray painted mine. if you have the time powder coat them or maybe plasti dip them..

 

[black 10th vert]

I sanded and spray painted mine. if you have the time powder coat them or maybe plasti dip them..

That is a great idea, because the plasti-dip would bounce the sand, and pebbles off rather than collecting chips which cause rust. I sandblasted mine, primed, then painted with bright silver to match my bare aluminum, dual pass HE like Jimmy mentioned above. It has been a few years now and they still look perfect, but my car is not a DD, and never sees rain.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

I also hung a spring loaded rain gutter leaf deflector screen in front of it, to minimize the risk of stone holes. I used a pretty light duty screen with a pretty open design so as not to cut down on the air flow that much.

Apparently the screen has done it's job a few times, it therefore is not all that pretty anymore but it is still functional and it is still holding fluid. :-D

 

[utfan98]

Powder coated mine