Does Header Paint degrade performance?

I've had some conversations with the tech department at VHT. Here's as near as I can remember the pertinent stuff:
#1 Prep is VERY important. ZERO rust, whether by sandblasting or acid etching (muriatic or phosphoric) is absolutely required. If your chrome is pitted, there's a good possibility there's rust down there. CLR is good for this. BTW, they recommend sandblasting chrome for surface prep, especially chrome, 'cause it makes for a more uniformly rough surface.
#2 THIN coats! The paint will hold heat in direct proportion to the thickness of the coat. And the more heat the paint holds in, the faster it will fail.

As an aside, everything I've read says exhaust wrapping is a bad thing for the pipe itself. Yes, keeping exhaust gases hot is good, but overheating the pipes is bad for the metal. Race car teams ceramic coat their pipes on the inside, as well as the outside, to keep the heat in the exhaust, but stop it before it gets to the metal of the pipes.

Just my 2 cents.
Now back to our regular programing.

I've done alot of reading over the years about different coatings that are applied on and in the engines. I had some good results with the coated pistons (skirts) that I put in my 454. I think these days they have coatings for just about everything.


I've also read (and seen first hand) that wraps can quickly degrade exhaust manifolds because they can retain moisture between operating cycles.