So, the headers that came on my Camaro were very rusty.

My dad had them sandblasted (along with our wheels).
The guy informed us that we needed to do something with them as soon as possible or else the rust would start back.

We went to the local auto parts store and picked up some header paint, rated for 1300-2000 degrees Fahrenheit.

We had originally planned to put header wrap on them, as it was supposed to help keep the heat in. But, I heard that header wrap could also damage the headers. And seeing as there is already a crack in one of them (which we are having fixed), I don't want to damage them anymore. Otherwise that'll probably be five or six hundred dollars that I wanted to spend on seats or some other different mod.

So, anyway, does anyone have experience (good or bad) with header wrap?

 

Header wrap won't cause the headers to crack, but it will help to make them rust out faster. The wrap material collects moisture and keeps the headers nice and humid when the car is left standing for a long period of time.

 

The car is probably only going to be driven during spring, summer, fall.
As an inexperienced driver, I don't want to be driving a powerful car during the winter.

 

I used header wrap once, but it wasnt on any of my camaros. To me they screwed with my o2 sensors they were not functioning right because they took forever to warm up. I would see wrap more for turbo intalls or such.

 

I'd say go for the header wrap after you do the header paint. If it is the same paint I've used, make sure you properly do all the stages of paint curement before you wrap the headers. Otherwise, the paint won't last as long/keep your headers from rusting again.
Make sure you spend the extra money on metal clamps on the ends of your wrap, and do every section of wrap in one piece. Header wrap will keep the engine a little cooler and also wrapping your intake, if you can, will decrease the temperature of the air coming into the engine.

And if nothing else, wrapped headers look sick!!! haha

 

I'm getting ready to wrap my headers which are Hedman Elite coated headers since I am trying to take some of the heat out from under the hood. These cars have so little room and not much ability to get the heat out. I had wrapped headers on this car before and I had no issues with them at all, albeit the car was not driven in the rain or snow. The headers didn't rust or get brittle or anything like you hear. When I went with these larger headers, I didn't wrap them but it gets too hot, so I am wrapping this winter while the car is being stored.