vref

How do I make these valve cover, intake manifold and exhaust manifold



look like this

Cmacsvette

vref,

www.z28camaro.com Jerry MacNeish of Camero High Performance Inc, is your man! He has done mine and other forum members various parts. They do various restorations of alternators, manifolds, the list goes on and on.
Trust me you won't be disappointed.
Here is:
Phone: 410 781-0418
e-mail z28cameroman@juno.com

Craig

Paul L

Since that's my 1967 I can provide the answers. Keep in mind that I did not go for NCRS perfection, just a clean look. The ...490 intake is done with VHT high-heat, cast aluminum engine paint. The valve covers are powder coated. The exhaust manifolds were treated with graphite lube. The latter I reported on several months ago. The thread should be in the archives. Total cost of the above was less than $100. I keep things clean with diluted (50:50) Simple Green.

Cmacsvette

paul67,

Very very sweet! You got a three from me!


vref,
Paul's method works great too and gives you the look.
Just as an alternative, the way z28 does it, is called a reskinning process. There is no paint involved. If John Z is around and has time, I think he has some pics he can post. When it comes to exhaust manifolds you can have a ceramic coating done on them, for a long lasting look too. Just my 2.5 cents.
Craig

JohnZ

Here's my '69 Z/28 - Jerry MacNeish re-skinned all the aluminum parts (valve covers, intake, alternator, A.I.R. pump, etc.); the correct link for his site is www.camaroz28.com (not camEro).

glensgreen65

Hi Paul, Couple Q's. You wouldn't happen to have the paint number for the intake paint would you? If not that's cool, there's probably only one. I've noticed different numbers in Canada occasionally. The valve covers look great, I'm guessing the color to be aluminum or argent silver? What's the retail name of the graphite lube or is that it? Finally, are you satisfied with the colors of the parts being close to original? I'm not shooting for ncrs either but would like it to look really close to stock.

Paul L

I don't know the colour of the powder-coating on the valve covers. I picked them up on EBay about a year ago. I have posted a closer look in the pic below so you can judge. I sort of bit the dust on originality when I put the Edelbrock on in July in any case. But my original Holley was giving me fits: backfiring, blowing power valves, leaking, etc.) It has now been rebuilt in the USA and tested on an engine bed. Apparently it is working quite well. So I may re-install it in the spring to get back to the stock configuration (commercial winter storage is but a week away and no repairs allowed; fire regulations). I have all the Holley pieces tucked away in my workshop. But that Edelbrock sure does run well so I will be doing some navel gazing during the coming months.

Product numbers:
-VHT Hi-Temp, Nu-Cast Engine Enamel (SP-995 Cast Aluminum)
-Motomaster (Canadian Tire) Graphite Lube (spray, 38-1570-8)

Cmacsvette

Thanks John for posting that pic for the folks.
Nov. screen saver special is, engines , between Paul and yourself, I have some great pics to start with.

Craig

kenmo

Looks good Paul. That sure is one sweet ride...

Paul L

Thanks Ken. I had hoped for Indian Summer but....So the car will be gone from view for five months in a week or so. I've done the Corvette winter storage thing for 20 years but it is never easy to say good-bye for the winter period. In fact it makes me sad at my tender old age. Another driving season gone.



We all enjoy our cars and are proud of them. I am of mine. So just one last pic before storage. This was take two weeks ago. Allow me one more comment without excessive pride being shown (well perhaps). Damn these cars are pretty!! A GM designer in the year 2020 might re-create it. Its lines are timeless.

vref

Thanks for all the replies. I would like to keep the car as stock as possible, so powder coating is kind of out. What is re-skinning? I saw the website but what is the process?

Paul L

You may wish to consider buying a new pair from Paragon for $65.00 each. They have the original molds. I have a pair in the basement and in the natural alloy state they do look very nice. Paragon claims they are..."correct for judging standards." JohnZ is much more knowledgeable than me on restoration so I will leave the reskinning question to him.

65air_coupe

I don't know what the 're-skinning' process is, but a simple bead (not sand) blast job does a great job of cleaning and dressing up the surface without removing material. To this untrained eye, I couldn't tell the difference in surface texture between them after I completed the first one. A sand blasted finish is readily apparent and doesn't look like the original finish. You can always give it a try and if you're not happy, have 'em reskinned anyway.

Bead blasting also works great on the exhaust manifolds.

JohnZ

Aluminum "re-skinning" is a proprietary tumbling process. Jerry also has a totally different process for iron exhaust manifolds; here's a later photo with about a thousand miles on them after I had them done - they'll never rust again.

sweet66

my engine compartment 66 [350 hp 327] is getting some attention this winter ..to really cleanup the valve covers will require taking them off the engine .. do a google search on "aluminum polishing" and there are several sites with good ideas .. they involve buffing / using very fine steel wool .. getting in between the fins might find a Dremel tool useful with a small wheel .. Shaklee cleaners has a very good product "at ease' a paste cleaner which is partially pulverized apricot pits of all things that took a lot of grunge off my aluminum covers.. if you get them polished perfectly you can clear powder coat .. exhaust manifolds ? jethot coatings will for $200 put alifetime coating on them..
beautiful.. [ they are on the web] but that requires removal .. a coat of manifold paint can be applied carefully for a lot less $ but will need re-application from time to time..