So I went to look at a 66 coupe that was great but when we drove it around it was smoking a little bit from the engine bay. The owner said that the Tri Y Headers were brand new and that the smoke was the paint buning off?? Never really heard of this but the smoke def smelled like burning paint and not burning oil. Although there is a small oil leak coming from the oil pan but nothing serious. Have ya'll ever heard of the tri Ys burning up?

 

Sounds like they were not painted with high temp exhaust paint, just basic engine or body coat. I would ask where they were purchased and contact the supplier. Otherwise, they could have been older Tri-Ys taken off someones car or left sitting around and repainted incorrectly by the installer. Some high temp coatings will smell a bit when the engine is fired up the first time and the paint cures. But I have never had a lingering smell on my Tri-Ys which have replade twice. Standard ones rust out unless powder coated.

 

hmmmm I see