'67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

[George W.]

I have a set of 427 valve covers. The passenger side has the welded bracket for the diverter valve.

Problem is, these covers are chromed.

Questions:

1) Were there ever chromed valve covers in '67?

2) Are these re-pops?

3) If these are original, can the chrome be removed without damaging the pieces?

4) Were these for another GM application?

5) Does the Tonawanda sticker look to be original?

Thanks,
George

[Michael G.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

I have a set of 427 valve covers. The passenger side has the welded bracket for the diverter valve.

Problem is, these covers are chromed.

Questions:

1) Were there ever chromed valve covers in '67?

2) Are these re-pops?

3) If these are original, can the chrome be removed without damaging the pieces?

4) Were these for another GM application?

5) Does the Tonawanda sticker look to be original?

Thanks,
George

No chrome valve covers in '67, should be painted. Your covers appear to be orginal but that's best guess.....probably C-3 stuff.

[Wayne M.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

George -- just a thought, as I'm no '67 guru. I see that in Noland's vol. 2 that there were two L89's with A.I.R. produced, ECL K19HA.

In the 1970 P&A30B catalog, it shows for '67: Corvette w/Sp. H/Per., A.I.R. (427) ... # 3902390 ... Cover Assy., right (chrome plate) (w/aluminum head).

I feel that GM sold many of these OTC in the late '60s as a dress-up item. My 396 had a chrome # 3925574 on it when I bought the car (owner-installed around 1969). It sold very quickly at Bloomington, in the early '90s, as I recall. Probably a lot less demand for the ones with the K19 bracket, though.

[George W.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Thanks guys,
Further research suggests that these may be Camaro covers?
Interesting L89 comment.
G

[John H.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Thanks guys,
Further research suggests that these may be Camaro covers?
Interesting L89 comment.
G

George -

Someone mig-welded that mixture control valve bracket and plug wire retainer tab on that cover and then had it chromed; the original chrome covers had the brackets projection-welded to the cover prior to plating, and there's no evidence of any projection-weld marks on the inside of the cover.

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

I have a set of 427 valve covers. The passenger side has the welded bracket for the diverter valve.

Problem is, these covers are chromed.

Questions:

1) Were there ever chromed valve covers in '67?

2) Are these re-pops?

3) If these are original, can the chrome be removed without damaging the pieces?

4) Were these for another GM application?

5) Does the Tonawanda sticker look to be original?

Thanks,
George

George------


1967 Corvettes with L-89 and K-19 used a valve cover generally configured like this one EXCEPT as John mentioned they didn't have mig welds like these for the brackets. The valve cover was GM #3902390. The same valve cover was also used for 1967 Chevelles and Camaros with big block and K-19.

[Patrick B.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

George -- just a thought, as I'm no '67 guru. I see that in Noland's vol. 2 that there were two L89's with A.I.R. produced, ECL K19HA.

In the 1970 P&A30B catalog, it shows for '67: Corvette w/Sp. H/Per., A.I.R. (427) ... # 3902390 ... Cover Assy., right (chrome plate) (w/aluminum head).

I feel that GM sold many of these OTC in the late '60s as a dress-up item. My 396 had a chrome # 3925574 on it when I bought the car (owner-installed around 1969). It sold very quickly at Bloomington, in the early '90s, as I recall. Probably a lot less demand for the ones with the K19 bracket, though.

You are right about OCT sales. I ordered chrome valve covers for a 427 in the 70's and was disappointed that one side had that clunky bracket in your picture welded on.

[George W.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Patrick,
Did the above mentioned OTC covers you purchased in the '70's have the "mig" welds for the brackets?

On another note, did the original "projection" welds ever fail, resulting in the need for "repair?
G

[Patrick B.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Patrick,
Did the above mentioned OTC covers you purchased in the '70's have the "mig" welds for the brackets?

On another note, did the original "projection" welds ever fail, resulting in the need for "repair?
G

I don't remember any welds except the usual spot welds.

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Patrick,
Did the above mentioned OTC covers you purchased in the '70's have the "mig" welds for the brackets?

On another note, did the original "projection" welds ever fail, resulting in the need for "repair?
G

George-------


I was incorrect in my previous post. The GM #3902390 valve cover DOES HAVE mig welds securing the brackets. When I last responded it was late and I didn't feel like going out and looking at an NOS example of the 3902390 I have. But, I have now (since it was fairly easy to get to). Lo-and-behold it does have the mig welded brackets. I'd completely forgotten about that since I have looked at this valve cover previously. The one I have is a very old NOS piece and probably dates back to the late 60's or very early 70's.

Given that the Tonawanda label looks to be original on the cover you have, I expect your valve cover was originally installed on a 1967 Chevelle or Camaro with K-19.
DSCN2691.jpgDSCN2692.jpgDSCN2693.jpgDSCN2694.jpg

[George W.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Cool!
Thanks Joe.
Wondering why yours do not have the Tonawanda sticker?
I have no use for these, so I'm off to a couple of the Camaro sites and see If I can sell these.
Care to opine on apx. value?

Thanks again,
G

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Cool!
Thanks Joe.
Wondering why yours do not have the Tonawanda sticker?
I have no use for these, so I'm off to a couple of the Camaro sites and see If I can sell these.
Care to opine on apx. value?

Thanks again,
G

George------


The Tonawanda label was affixed at the engine plant on valve covers that were part of an engine assembly. My cover is NOS and was not supplied as part of an engine assembly and never saw the inside of the Tonawanda engine plant.

As far as value goes, I really have no idea. Sometimes, the Chevelle and Camaro guys pay prices crazier than Corvette guys, though.

By the way, the reason that this valve cover was probably removed from the engine at a very early stage in the life of the car is because someone had removed the AIR system and they didn't want the now-unused, clunky-looking mixture control valve bracket spoiling the looks of their engine compartment. So, the valve cover was replaced and the old one became pretty worthless at the time. Things have changed now, though. For restorers, what was once junk can now be a treasure.

[George W.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Joe,
I did not notice these "indents" in your photos until I looked at mine again.
Please see photos below.








Below are some photos of what I believe to be the matching left hand valve cover (I do not know this as certain)

The plug wire support has a "tab" with hole, presumably for throttle return spring. There is another hole 3/4 up on the support tab.




The rear of this cover has a decided "slant" to it as compared to the cover in the foreground.




Finally, there is a "thumb print" raised area on the rear inboard portion of this cover.



This cover, unfortunately, is in poor condition compared to the right hand cover. But again, I am not sure this is the matching piece. I have a few of these, amassed over the years.

I like the decals on these next two covers:






These are both right hand pieces; neither have spark plug wire tower supports, one has three (two inboard and one outboard) wire support "clips" and the other does not.

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

Joe,
I did not notice these "indents" in your photos until I looked at mine again.
Please see photos below.








Below are some photos of what I believe to be the matching left hand valve cover (I do not know this as certain)

The plug wire support has a "tab" with hole, presumably for throttle return spring. There is another hole 3/4 up on the support tab.




The rear of this cover has a decided "slant" to it as compared to the cover in the foreground.




Finally, there is a "thumb print" raised area on the rear inboard portion of this cover.



This cover, unfortunately, is in poor condition compared to the right hand cover. But again, I am not sure this is the matching piece. I have a few of these, amassed over the years.

I like the decals on these next two covers:






These are both right hand pieces; neither have spark plug wire tower supports, one has three (two inboard and one outboard) wire support "clips" and the other does not.

George------


The number of variations, minor and major, in big block PRODUCTION and SERVICE valve covers over the years of their use and availability are HUGE.

[John H.]

Re: '67 427 w/A.I.R. valve covers?

The number of variations, minor and major, in big block PRODUCTION and SERVICE valve covers over the years of their use and availability are HUGE.

Joe -

A friend of mine who restores '67-'69 Camaros and '66-'70 Chevelles told me once that there were over twenty different big-block chrome valve cover configurations just covering those models when you consider all the different plug wire supports, plug wire retainers, types of oil fill holes, wire harness clips, and three or four different types of angled and surface indentations at the rear. I'm sure most of them were "consolidated" for GMSPO stock.