'58 Valve Cover Script Height

[Ted S.]

In the TM&JG it indicates '58s had the low script valve covers and '59s and up had the tall script valve covers. In Noland's book it indicates that GM had an engineering drawing change to tall script in January of '58. Since I have a mid August '58 built car which is 7 months after the engineering change it would appear that tall scipt valve covers would be correct. Any thoughts? Thanks, Ted

[Tony S.]

Re: '58 Valve Cover Script Height

Ted. Congratulations again on your Top Flight today. Your car is beautiful. Best of luck in St. Charles.

Tony

[Ted S.]

Re: '58 Valve Cover Script Height

Thanks Tony, Congrats on the top flight for the '65. I appreciate your help and the support from all of the KC chapter members for making it possible to get the '58 to the Nationals for flight judging this year. Hopefully we'll see the '65 on the judging floor also. Good luck.

[Jack H.]

Re: '58 Valve Cover Script Height

What we can't see from the engineering revision records are things like (1) once the change was released, how long did it take to modify the tooling and get it back up and running? and (2) how much inventory was in the pipeline that would have continued to have been used before being exhausted.

I know when we made changes to major tooling items at Texas Instruments (big/critical injection molds for product enclosure parts), we always ran off a BUNCH of buffer/safety stock before pulling the tool and re-working it... That was true UNLESS there was something VITAL about the change(s) being made or the tool 'cratered' like what happened in 1966 to the aluminum valve cover mold in this case.

So, both information sources could be correct: the change was authorized Jan, 1958 and most all 1958 Corvettes built had low-relief script on the cast aluminum valve covers....

Before you change parts on your car, I'd go get opinions from those who specialize in the field. Folks like Tim Mickey, the current National Team Leader.

[John D.]

Re: '58 Valve Cover Script Height

In the TM&JG it indicates '58s had the low script valve covers and '59s and up had the tall script valve covers. In Noland's book it indicates that GM had an engineering drawing change to tall script in January of '58. Since I have a mid August '58 built car which is 7 months after the engineering change it would appear that tall scipt valve covers would be correct. Any thoughts? Thanks, Ted

Ted, Being involved with way too many valve covers my personal experience is that it is not typical that a 58- even a late one at that would have anything but the low script covers.
Besides Tim Mickey being your team leader we all know he really is into the 58's. Let us know how this works out. Good post.
A typical 57-58 valve cover script is about .030 high. John D.

[Ted S.]

Re: '58 Valve Cover Script Height

I received an email back from Tim Mickey on the subject. He stated that all '58s had low script valve covers. Now the question would be when did the transition occur. Was it tied to the model year change? Did the part number change or were both script heights under the same part number?

[John D.]

Re: '58 Valve Cover Script Height

Ted, I would have been shocked if Tim Mickey had said anything but what he told you. I mean it's pretty late in this game for such a new discovery to come to light on valve covers. The change was tied to the model year.
If you want someone to machine a pair of high script down I am sure you can easily have that done. Then it takes sitting on front of the TV for a long time sanding the machine marks out. AS far as judging goes they just may fly or they may not. Some times when you machine the script down you end up with big ugly craters in the aluminum. Then you are out of luck and need another valve cover. Good luck, JOhn