...after its gone brown?

 

All SS headers will bronze, there's no way around that.

 

You can give it a nice finish my pulling the header off, applying Mothers metal polish and wet sanding it with 1500 grit paper.

 

if you rub the header with alcohol (iknow its a waste id rather drink it too ) before you install will it get rid of fingerprints and cause an even color to be burned through?

 

anyone try that stuff on tv that they use to clean old pots and pans?

 

I know this info doesn't help you any, but in Japan they sell specific SS header and exhaust metal polishers... however, it never goes back to silver color... just takes a little bit of brown color off.

 

I used a metal polish on mine called Flitz...got it at a marine store...worked wonders for cleaning off some rust on my spoon header, as well as restoring a nicer shine to it...

upper primaries were the most affected (darker area), the lower piping remained a golden brown (with some purplish spots) color...

 

What makes headers turn that purple/bluish look? Kind of like the Ti mufflers?

 

Heat. Only Ti headers turn purple/blue/rainbow

 

.....my toda header turned all those colors. SS, I believe.....

 

heat makes it turn that color...you will only find the darker colors by the primaries, as that's where the exhaust is the hottest. The lower primaries and collector area usually turns a golden color as the gases are cooler in that area (even though it's not that much further, it does cool down quite a bit as it travels throughout the exhaust system)

My header is SS as well and did this, the "rainbow effect" is only going to be on Titanium...

 

Go to a motorcycle supply store and pick up some blue-off (can cleaner), or anything they have to clean the motorcycle cans. That stuff will make your bald head shine.

Peace to where the sun rises.

 

You could also try something as simple as a lot of windex and steel wool. That would take off any deposits that are on the outside of the header, although the color that the metal turns from the heat isn't ever going to come off.