Painted valve covers

[Valeria H.]

My original valve covers have been painted silver/grey for as long as I have owned my car which is 30 years. I am going to ask the person who is detailing the engine for the upcoming nationals to soda blast the paint off instead of buying repros.

Can anyone give me a possible reason that someone would have painted these valve covers? They are original ones, I am certain. The painting of them would have been prior to 1980?

I am interested to see what they find when then start the soda blast if I can find a soda blast machine in the Charlotte area.

Just looking for possibilities to this mystery???

Any thought to why this may have been done so long ago????

Valeria

[Joe L.]

Re: Painted valve covers

My original valve covers have been painted silver/grey for as long as I have owned my car which is 30 years. I am going to ask the person who is detailing the engine for the upcoming nationals to soda blast the paint off instead of buying repros.

Can anyone give me a possible reason that someone would have painted these valve covers? They are original ones, I am certain. The painting of them would have been prior to 1980?

I am interested to see what they find when then start the soda blast if I can find a soda blast machine in the Charlotte area.

Just looking for possibilities to this mystery???

Any thought to why this may have been done so long ago????

Valeria

Valeria------


I assume that you're referring to aluminum valve covers used for optional engines. If so, I would almost bet that the reason someone painted them was because the the natural finish became discolored and, perhaps, otherwise stained. The natural aluminum finish of these valve covers was quite susceptible to such. So, someone decided that they'd paint them to cover the discoloration/staining and "seal" them to help prevent further problems. Of course, doing this results in a very non-original appearance but some folks might not care about that.

[Jerry W.]

Re: Painted valve covers

If you have a low horsepower car, which i think you have, based upon previous posts. Then your original valve covers were stamped steel and painted chevy orange.

If this is the case, I'm thinking someone repainted over the chevy orange to simulate the high horsepower finned aluminum valve covers ( A BUBBA DRESSUP )

[Valeria H.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Thanks for your responses. I spoke with the man who is detailing the engine this morning and he is going to soda blast them. I wonder what he will find under there. I hope I am not sorry for doing this.

And yes, the HP on my car is only 245. Were the valve covers really orange?? All the replacement valve covers are aluminum, I think.

Valeria

[Edward M.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Single four barrel (base) engine used stamped steel valve covers with the word "Chevrolet" in script embossed into them.

All optional engines (including 245 hp engine) used finned aluminum valve covers with word "Corvette" cast into them. In your case, they would have been 7 fin valve covers with staggered bolt holes.

[Valeria H.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Single four barrel (base) engine used stamped steel valve covers with the word "Chevrolet" in script embossed into them.

All optional engines (including 245 hp engine) used finned aluminum valve covers with word "Corvette" cast into them. In your case, they would have been 7 fin valve covers with staggered bolt holes.

Ed,
The covers have Corvette embossed bilaterally. I do not know what 7 fin valve covers with staggering bolt hole mean and the car is down in South Carolina right now so I can not sneak a peak at the engine.

Thanks for your response. I will print this off and take a look at the car when I go down there to try to dress up the exhaust manifolds.

Valeria

[Jean C.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Valeria,

Staggered - think of the valve cover attachment holes on the intake manifold side being say 10" apart and the attachment holes on the exhaust manifold side being say 11" apart. The attachment holes would therefore be "staggered." Some year's production valve covers have staggered holes and on other years the inboard and outboard holes are directly across from one another (say both sides are 11" apart) thus the attachment holes are "in line" for want of a better descriptive word.

7 Fins - There was a change from 7 fins to 9 fins or vice-versa (I don't recall which) on the top surface of the aluminum valve cover at some point in time. Someone will chime in and state when the change occurred and which years are which.

Cheers,

[Joe L.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Valeria,

Staggered - think of the valve cover attachment holes on the intake manifold side being say 10" apart and the attachment holes on the exhaust manifold side being say 11" apart. The attachment holes would therefore be "staggered." Some year's production valve covers have staggered holes and on other years the inboard and outboard holes are directly across from one another (say both sides are 11" apart) thus the attachment holes are "in line" for want of a better descriptive word.

7 Fins - There was a change from 7 fins to 9 fins or vice-versa (I don't recall which) on the top surface of the aluminum valve cover at some point in time. Someone will chime in and state when the change occurred and which years are which.

Cheers,

Charlie and Valeria------


The "staggered" pattern was used for 1955-late 1959. Very late 1959 through 1967 (and later) used the "straight-across" valve cover bolt pattern.

For the first year of the V-8, 1955, only chromed steel valve covers were used. For 1956, the 9 fin aluminum covers were used for optional engines and the painted stamped steel with "Chevrolet" raised script for base engines. For 1957-67, all optional engines used 7 fin aluminum and base engines continued to use stamped steel. It's possible that early 1957 might have used the 9 fin, too. I'm not sure about this, though.

[Frederick W.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Charlie and Valeria------


The "staggered" pattern was used for 1955-late 1959. Very late 1959 through 1967 (and later) used the "straight-across" valve cover bolt pattern.

For the first year of the V-8, 1955, only chromed steel valve covers were used. For 1956, the 9 fin aluminum covers were used for optional engines and the painted stamped steel with "Chevrolet" raised script for base engines. For 1957-67, all optional engines used 7 fin aluminum and base engines continued to use stamped steel. It's possible that early 1957 might have used the 9 fin, too. I'm not sure about this, though.

Basically correct, but I would point out a small wrinkle:
In 63 both the base motor (250 HP) and optional High Performance 327 (300 HP) used stamped steel. The 340 HP solid lifter and 360 HP Fuelies used the finned aluminum.

[Joe L.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Basically correct, but I would point out a small wrinkle:
In 63 both the base motor (250 HP) and optional High Performance 327 (300 HP) used stamped steel. The 340 HP solid lifter and 360 HP Fuelies used the finned aluminum.

Frederick-----


Yes, that's correct. This was actually also true for 1964-65 as well as 1962 and 1963. The L-75 (i.e. 300 hp optional engine) for 62-65 used stamped steel valve covers. These were of a style different than the earlier stamped steel covers, though. 1966 base engine (300 hp) used the same stamped steel valve covers as 62-65 base engine and L-75. 1967 base engine (300 hp) used valve covers pretty much the same as 56-61 base engines.

[Edward M.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Charlie and Valeria------


The "staggered" pattern was used for 1955-late 1959. Very late 1959 through 1967 (and later) used the "straight-across" valve cover bolt pattern.

For the first year of the V-8, 1955, only chromed steel valve covers were used. For 1956, the 9 fin aluminum covers were used for optional engines and the painted stamped steel with "Chevrolet" raised script for base engines. For 1957-67, all optional engines used 7 fin aluminum and base engines continued to use stamped steel. It's possible that early 1957 might have used the 9 fin, too. I'm not sure about this, though.

Early 57s did use 9 fin covers for optional engines.. Some were machined to clear the air cleaner on the FI units. The carbureted optional engines cointinued to use 9 fin covers after the FI engines went to 7 fin covers. I guess they just continued to use them until existing supplies of 9 fins were depleted.

[John D.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Valeria, If your restorer determines you have aluminum valve covers and you want to go with them a pal of mine knows how to make them look very pretty.
In the old days we used to put the aluminum valve covers with the Corvette script on all small blocks no matter what the horsepower.
But if you are chasing the points Valerie and have the aluminum covers then they have to go.
I imagine if your restorer is soda blasting the covers a wild guess is that they are service replacment aluminum ones.
Sorry I sent you the wrong fitting. JD

[Michael W.]

Re: Painted valve covers

I am going to ask the person who is detailing the engine for the upcoming nationals to soda blast the paint off instead of buying repros.

If you're having the car judged at the national, surely this must have been brought to your attention at previous meets?

[Joe L.]

Re: Painted valve covers

Valeria, If your restorer determines you have aluminum valve covers and you want to go with them a pal of mine knows how to make them look very pretty.
In the old days we used to put the aluminum valve covers with the Corvette script on all small blocks no matter what the horsepower.
But if you are chasing the points Valerie and have the aluminum covers then they have to go.
I imagine if your restorer is soda blasting the covers a wild guess is that they are service replacment aluminum ones.
Sorry I sent you the wrong fitting. JD

John------

Her application is a 245 hp. It originally used the aluminum valve covers.

[Valeria H.]

Re: Painted valve covers

If you're having the car judged at the national, surely this must have been brought to your attention at previous meets?

Thank you Michael for your comment! I am not having my car judged!! Why do you have to be so confrontational??? I am asking you to not respond to my threads or even comments on any given subject as you always have a negative response to whatever I ask or say. I have become tired of your arrogance. You have not been one of the many forthcoming positive innovaters with Corvette quandaries and you do not seek to be an assistance in the restoration of vintage Corvettes. Please do not respond to any of my threads. Your comments are not levied in an account to assist.
Valeria

Valeria