ceramic headers worth it?

The alternative to the "ceramic" coatings that come from manufacturers is to have your headers plasma sprayed with ceramics. In the late 1980s Blackjack headers could be bought with this option (on their otherwise cruddy headers). But nowadays its all various versions of polymers with ceramic particles. A lot of people are happy with this. Others like Joe and me have found it doesn't always hold up as promised. Why? Dunno. Too many variables and too much smoke and mirrors.

Now if you want something different, then have it plasma sprayed with zirconium dioxide probably with ytrium. Its an industrial process so you might check into that way. Or, you can go to one of the very few companies that advertise they do it for automobiles. Swain in the US, which acts like like the process is a big secret or Ziroctec in the UK that tells you exactly what it is (but costs more).