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Just curious... how many "purists" are out there?
Nearing completion of our 427/390 rebuild. Engine goes into paint booth this week. I told the shop not to paint it "the NRCS way".
Purists insist there should be orange overspray on the intake and exhaust manifolds. I have a hard time doing that... the intake looks nice, and the exh manifolds just recieved a gorgeous flat cast grey ceramic coating. To me when I see the overspray it looks like the owner grabbed an orange can and did a quick touch up without bothering with masking tape.
Anyway, there's my confession. Yup we keep our '68 looking stock/original. But only to a point.
Curious how many of you are on either side of that fence...
If I took the trouble to get the intake and exhaust manifolds to look nice, I certainly wouldn't overspray orange paint on them to mimic the factory. Sometimes I think we get a little carried away. As a friend told me recently, after one of my **** rants, "It is only a Chevrolet".
I was thinking about keeping my engine stock but I sat down for a while and it passed.
I hear ya Vettfixr... while this engine is the original 427/390 to the car, I'm storing the original heads and crank. Went with Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminun heads, a nice matched cam, and 454 crank and .040 overbore (was already +.030). Also will exit via Flowmasters. To keep stock look they're filling in the Edelbrock logos and painting the heads with the engine. So it'll be an entertaining 462, dressed as a stock L36.
This is a fun hobby, isn't it?
I think it depends on what you want to do with it. If you want a Barrett-Jackson auction type of Vette that will bring top dollar, you want it the way it came from the factory. If you are going to drive and enjoy it, then the precise originality is not that important.
I have had two cars judge Top-Flight. One got a 98.4% the other a 95%. In both cases I painted the the differential, half and driveshafts, and coated the exhaust mainifolds factory gray and no overspray on the intake.
The points deduction if you plan to have a car judged is minimal if any for not having the overspray. Either way, there is no way I would look at ugly overspray on my car, especially on an aluminum intake, for an extra point or two.
But as stated, it's your car and do whst makes you happy.
It's YOUR money! Do what makes you feel good & let no one get in the way of having fun with however you want your car.
When I got my first Vette (76), I struggled with which way to go because it was an original car. Bottom line, I like "pretty"! Took off the cast iron intake & installed a polished 78 L-82 aluminum intake. Replaced the black air cleaner lid with a chrome one. Everything is clean & pretty. May not be to everyones liking but ...It's my money!
I needed to replace my intake gaskets on my 81 last summer, and I decided to paint the intake while it was out. I am trying to keep my car as close to original as possible, I wouldn't do any thing like custom body work that can't be undone.
I drew the line however on overspray. I mean if you think about it, you already painted the manifold already so it's really not original anymore, even if it looks it. I personally would not worry about it.
Just curious... how many "purists" are out there?
Nearing completion of our 427/390 rebuild. Engine goes into paint booth this week. I told the shop not to paint it "the NRCS way".
Purists insist there should be orange overspray on the intake and exhaust manifolds. I have a hard time doing that... the intake looks nice, and the exh manifolds just recieved a gorgeous flat cast grey ceramic coating. To me when I see the overspray it looks like the owner grabbed an orange can and did a quick touch up without bothering with masking tape.
Anyway, there's my confession. Yup we keep our '68 looking stock/original. But only to a point.
Curious how many of you are on either side of that fence...
A pet peeve of mine! Why do it sloppy like the factory. It's called a restoration, not a re-creation. When you rebuild your engine, would you rather blueprint it, ot slap it together in 15 minutes? Personally, I think these guys who mimic the overspray, and re-do chalk marks, etc. are the guys who are building the real clones. It's either original, or restored. Can't be both!! Okay, breath deep, it's cold today in Buffalo!
Here is my take on this. At somepoint someone bought a new 68 corvette for about $4000. they got the imperfections that come with a 4000 dollar car.
Now 40 years later someone spends $40,000 to restore that same car back to a 4000 dollar looking car. Catch my drift???? I would not leave over spray on anything.(unless of course one of my customers is paying me to!!!!!)
Last edited by Road-Race Vette; Feb 12, 2008 at 10:27 PM.
A pet peeve of mine! Why do it sloppy like the factory. It's called a restoration, not a re-creation.
I think you've tripped on your own terminology.
To restore is put something back to a previous state, irrespective of whether that condition was perfect or not. To omit certain characteristics of a former state is neither restoration nor re-creation.
To attempt to return something to a former state (successfully or not) is not creating a clone.
If you don't like restored cars, don't bother with them. Each to his own.
Leave the overspray off. If you ever get it judged well--take the small point hit or if it means that much to you do it then. The bottom line is it is your car though and you have to be happy with it. My experience is that 99.9 percent of the people (show and shines etc.) don't understand it's presence and you'll be explaining that godawful look the rest of the time you own the car. i.e.......
Car show attendee: Nice car, whats up with the overspray?
You: That's the way they did it back when.
Car show attendee: Wow, neat . (, Dude that looks like crap -- I'm so voting for the new C6)
Leave the overspray off. If you ever get it judged well--take the small point hit or if it means that much to you do it then. The bottom line is it is your car though and you have to be happy with it. My experience is that 99.9 percent of the people (show and shines etc.) don't understand it's presence and you'll be explaining that godawful look the rest of the time you own the car. i.e.......
Car show attendee: Nice car, whats up with the overspray?
You: That's the way they did it back when.
Car show attendee: Wow, neat . (, Dude that looks like crap -- I'm so voting for the new C6)
That is funny!!!!!! More funny because it is true most of the time!!!
Leave the overspray off. If you ever get it judged well--take the small point hit or if it means that much to you do it then. The bottom line is it is your car though and you have to be happy with it. My experience is that 99.9 percent of the people (show and shines etc.) don't understand it's presence and you'll be explaining that godawful look the rest of the time you own the car. i.e.......
Car show attendee: Nice car, whats up with the overspray?
You: That's the way they did it back when.
Car show attendee: Wow, neat . (, Dude that looks like crap -- I'm so voting for the new C6)
That's right, that's the way they did it back then and could partially explain why GM is in the mess they are in today.
Paint it neat. Paint it the way GM should have painted it!!
A pet peeve of mine! Why do it sloppy like the factory. It's called a restoration, not a re-creation. When you rebuild your engine, would you rather blueprint it, ot slap it together in 15 minutes? Personally, I think these guys who mimic the overspray, and re-do chalk marks, etc. are the guys who are building the real clones. It's either original, or restored. Can't be both!! Okay, breath deep, it's cold today in Buffalo!
If I'm spending 7-10 large on a paint job and it has orange peel, sombody's azz is gonna get kicked! I guess I just don't 'get' it.
I think it depends on what you want to do with it. If you want a Barrett-Jackson auction type of Vette that will bring top dollar, you want it the way it came from the factory. :
A "Barrett-Jackson auction type" has nothing to do with correct restoration. Half those cars are incorrect and overrestored. An "NCRS Top Flight" type Corvette would have this look.
Personally, I like the overspray. It's a cool correct-looking detail.
The more accurate the better.
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