Black stacks?

Heat paint will work. They make it for one reason to withstand heat.

So yeah you had the right idea.

 

You could go the expensive route and have someome like "Jet Hot" ceramic coat them, or the ultra cheap way and buy some bbq grill paint from wal mart.

 

Since the stacks are exposed to road debris I'd just rattle can them with high temp paint so you can easily touch them up when they get chipped. The backside of my muffler is exposed behind the sleeper so I painted it with some high temp flat black paint and it's held up perfect for the last year. I bought paint that has a working range up to around 1400* I think, I know it's rated for way higher temps then the exhaust will ever see.

 

Never heard of stripping chrome, you do know that chrome is electroplated, bonded at the molecular level, yes? Sand it, clean it, paint it.

 

or 500f marked black engine enamel spray..its cheap ...$8-12 !

 

That would work too, though I think it is not necessary to go down to bare metal.

 

Powder coat may be an option. Don't know if it will hold up against expansion, contraction and the heat though. I'd think paint would burn off and look like ####. Even high temp paint.