C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

[Dallas K.]

Will the C1,C2 alumnium valve cover reskinning technique produce the correct finish on the C3 LT1 valve covers? A member on this board reskins C1, C2 valve covers, but he is not sure his technique will produce the correct finish on the LT1 valve covers. Does anyone know? Are they all the same? Thanks

[Dallas K.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

Someone here must know this.

[Don H.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

Dallas,
if you make your thread title something like
LT1 Valve Cover Appearance ?
you will get plenty of replies from the LT1 gurus.
Terry McManmon knows these cars like the back of his hand for instance.
He will surely speak up and give you his insight.
in fact I am thinking this topic may also have been covered in the past and found via search.
good luck

[Terry M.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

I am not familiar with the original finish of C1 or C2 aluminum rocker arm covers -- at least not enough that I want to say here publically.

I have seen pictures of some reskinned C3 covers posted here and they are at some variance from the original C3 covers. You are not telling us who is going to do the work -- perhaps you might to post some pictures so we all know what is in the others mind. My crystal ball doesn't work real well when your image can't be seen by me. On the other hand if your C3 covers are all stained or maybe polished too much (like the newer SERVICE covers) you are better off from a judging points point of view with the reskinned covers.

I know there are images of original C3 rocker covers in previous threads. All we need is someone with the time and patience to search them out.

[Gene M.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

What is all this about "re-skinning"? All one has to do is blast the aluminum at 35-40 psi with glass powder or pulverized sand and set them out in the acid rain. They look perfect as if it was 1959 or the '60's all over again. No cost and no need to send them anywhere...........

Guys ask me how I got my valve covers so perfect looking like they were originally. The above description is all I do.

[John D.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

I am not familiar with the original finish of C1 or C2 aluminum rocker arm covers -- at least not enough that I want to say here publically.

I have seen pictures of some reskinned C3 covers posted here and they are at some variance from the original C3 covers. You are not telling us who is going to do the work -- perhaps you might to post some pictures so we all know what is in the others mind. My crystal ball doesn't work real well when your image can't be seen by me. On the other hand if your C3 covers are all stained or maybe polished too much (like the newer SERVICE covers) you are better off from a judging points point of view with the reskinned covers.

I know there are images of original C3 rocker covers in previous threads. All we need is someone with the time and patience to search them out.

Terry, Do the C3 valve covers have a polished look to them? The few sets I have seen here appear to have a slight polished look.
Your comments are appreciated since you are the C3 guru. Thanks, John

[Terry M.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

Terry, Do the C3 valve covers have a polished look to them? The few sets I have seen here appear to have a slight polished look.
Your comments are appreciated since you are the C3 guru. Thanks, John

JD
C3 covers are smooth, but not polished. They were die cast, so the surface finish is smooth, but the originals had no polishing done to them. I think confusion sometimes comes because the more recent SERVICE C3 rocker covers are polished, or at least appear to be. They are a considerable improvement in appearance from the originals.

I have posted rocker cover pictures in the past, and when I get the time I will see if I have some previously un-posted ones so I can do it again. I kind of hate that once posted we can not post that image again -- and don't tell me to resize it. That never works for me.

[Dallas K.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

John DeGregoey is who I have talked to about reskinning my LT1 style valve covers. He has asked me to do the research to see if the process he uses on C1 and C2 valve covers will make the LT1 valve cover look correct. I do not know the process.

[Dave S.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

John DeGregoey is who I have talked to about reskinning my LT1 style valve covers. He has asked me to do the research to see if the process he uses on C1 and C2 valve covers will make the LT1 valve cover look correct. I do not know the process.

I don't know if this helps but here is a photo from my 5 star 70 LT-1. These are the original valve covers and this is a low mileage original car.

[Paul O.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

Go to this link and there are 2 photos then second photo is an nos from the box for a 71 LT-1 car I helped restore the boxes were dated 1972. The finish is what I would expect to see. The first is of my old 71 LT-1 they are the originals with about 60k on them. Added the RT side cover that is NOS.

Paul 18046


https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?t=73765

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?t=68324

[John D.]

Re: C1,C2 alumnium valve cover finish vs C3

Terry, Your answer is exactly what I have been looking for. The confusion is that some of the C3 valve covers I have seen have the polished look while others have the same general appearance as the '67 down valve covers.
So the polished are service replacements.
The service replacement parts sure do cause us a lot of confusion don't they. Thanks, John