Definitely go w/the ceramic coating & heat shield. The header wrap was initially used on the Porsche turbo engines that utilize a stainless steel exhaust system. However, your basic over-the-counter header is not stainless, but merely steel tubing. And, in most instances, thin wall at that! The constant heat cycling & the trapping of moisture will eventually destroy a tubular header using header wrap. Never heard or saw header wrap catch fire, but, from what I have read here, it's easy to visualize. No longer involved w/in-line engines, but has anyone ever thought of using header wrap on the intake manifold (vs. the header) to prevent heat transfer?