Tint on Exhaust Tips

[NSX UNITED]

This is quite possibly a stupid question (but I must still ask in hope to make sure).

Cosmetic aside, is there any reason why some Exhaust Tips are tinted in multi-color?


Any insights will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Veleno]

The "tinted" color you are seeing is actually a burned tip (burned with a welder) at the time of manufacturing. It gives the exhaust a different look, and in Japan it seems to be popular, as well as here in the U.S. Also, you get those results mainly from Titanium, but it has now been copied onto stainless steel and other cheaper exhaust.

 

[NSX UNITED]

Thanks Richard!!

I was also guessing it is intended to separate Titanium from SS. Like you said, SS is now also capable of utilizing this tint so I don't quite see the point anymore.

 

[alexchannell]

It isn't tint, nor is it done with a welder (more to this though).
It is a thin oxide that shows differint colors due to chromatic abberation (thin film interference) the exact same reason oil spots, rainbows and bubbles have the color effect.
With stainless the same thing happens, but it's not as vibrant as Ti (I don't know why). Notice when you get your stainless headers, they are shiny and without color (most of the time) and after having them on the car, they change to blue near the heads to a tan further away.

 

[ajchang]

Does anyone know where I can buy SS tips that have this effect (or perhaps get them made)? I love the multi-color effect and had thought you could only get them from titanium tips:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75802

But if the look can now be achieved on SS, then I'd go that way--probably easier to find and cheaper.

Thanks.

 

[TURBO2GO]

Not all grades of SS are the same. While some can have the multi-color look, others just turn brown. But it can be achieved in SS like this:

 

[NSXDreamer2]

but the question is will those color fade to brownish with time and usage?

I believed those on the ss will turn brown...

 

[TURBO2GO]

Well, according to Hitoshi it depends on the SS. He said his will not turn brown.

 

[Hoover]

Stainless will eventually "brown" given enough heat cycles...period.
A polished stainless exhaust will "bronze", but still have a decent shine after useage.

That tip is purposely heat treated for that type of effect.

 

[alexchannell]

Yes the stainless will brown/bronze, but the temp will probably be low enough around the tips, you wouldn't notice it much. BTW, Titanium will do this as well. The color is determinate of the thickness of the oxidation layer, the hotter it gets, the more oxidation will form. (if you wanted, you could make the entire exhaust system that color blue with even heating, or doing it electrically.