327/365 Valve Covers

[65stinger]

I have cleaned these things up real good, but I'm looking for that new finish. Can someone give me the paint color, #, and brand recommended for these valve covers. Thanks

 

[Sams '66]

I have cleaned these things up real good, but I'm looking for that new finish. Can someone give me the paint color, #, and brand recommended for these valve covers. Thanks

Shouldn't they be bare aluminum??

 

[JohnZ]

If you plan on having the car judged, painting them will cost you points - they were natural aluminum, not painted. Best way to restore the original texture/appearance (assuming they haven't been blasted or polished) is to send them to Jerry MacNeish ( www.z28camaro.com ) and have them "re-skinned"; they'll come back looking just like this (photo is of the earlier staggered-hole low-script cover):

 

[65stinger]

John...again thanks. Actually I think I'll just leave them the way they are.....like I said, they look great..I just wasn't sure if folks were painting them or what. Never-the-less, I bookmarked that site for future projects.

 

[Ronald]

Just a dumb question here, but what is the difference between the staggered holes and the non-staggered holes, and what is the flaw I hear about on these valve covers?

 

[BarryK]

Ronald

not sure about the staggered holes vs nonstaggered holes, i guess it depends on what heads they were going with.
I believe the flaw being referred to is a crack or seam line along the cover. My understanding (i'm sure others here know much more about this than me and will correct me!) is that the casting mold for these covers cracked but GM continued to use them. The crack in the mold created a "line" that is visible on the top of the valve cover. It shouldn't effect the cover at all but it does help to "date" the cover and to know if you have covers that are within a certain time frame of production for your car. I forget the casting dates these "flawed" covers were produced but if I'm not wrong at least most of the '65 year SB cars should have them. Not sure how early or late the production on these were to know if they should be at all on any '64 or '66 model cars.

 

[hansenisu]

My original '65 covers don't have the casting flaw. I thought that was just how you tell repros from originals

 

[JohnZ]

The staggered-hole finned covers were used from 1956 until late March, 1959, when the cylinder heads were changed to re-space the bolt holes on the bottom to match those on the top.

The casting flaw (crack in the die-casting mold) occurred very late in 1966 production, and is seen on some late '66 cars and most '67 cars; it's a vertical line through the "o". That mold is still being used (by Paragon) to make the reproductions.

 

[BarryK]

John
I knew someone would correct me on my dates

my '65 is back at the shop so i couldn't look to see if it had the flaw or not. I thought it was in '65 it started so thanks for the correction.
Serves me right for thinking i might actually know something LOL