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[jkuchta]

I want the stainless most because it can put up with the higher heat of trackdays a lot better.

[WolfWings]

Originally Posted by jkuchta

I want the stainless most because it can put up with the higher heat of trackdays a lot better.

That's flatly wrong. Both have a melting point north of 2500 degrees farenheight. Mild steel and 304 stainless steel both don't give a damn, most mild steels are in fact good up to 2700 degrees F, same as 304 stainless steel. High-carbon steel's are the ones that melt around 2000 degrees farenheight. Both also conduct heat almost identically, so there's no difference there either. Coat the mild steel version if you're concerned about heat-containment for track use.

Only reason to go with 304 SS on an exhaust is for rust prevention at exhaust temperatures or for cosmetic reasons. It may be possible to wrap and coat an exhaust to get the same rust prevention as 304 SS, but it's one of those "do you trust the coating to be water-tight and road-salt-proof, versus being able to rely on the underlying metal?" concerns.