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Painted or Chrome valve covers?

qkcuda

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I will be changing the intake on the 66 this winter. I have a very nice set of factory chrome valve covers. With the large diameter air cleaner (I know it is not correct) and the factory A/C, about the only part of the engine you can see is the valve covers. Should I use the chrome ones, or keep the painted ones, so at least you can see some of the engine colour?

light blue intake.jpg new air filter.jpg
 
Painted... Looks cool to me when its all original and not chromed out.
 
I like painted. Others like chrome. Use whichever you prefer. Whichever will make you the happiest.
 
go with Powder **** our in house Cuda Chick
 
I like painted. After a while the chrome starts to rust or dull. Nice car. :thumbsup:
 
Will probably go with the painted ones. It was just a coincidence that the chrome ones I bought years ago actually had the same factory plug wire bracket on them. That got me thinking.
 
I will be changing the intake on the 66 this winter. I have a very nice set of factory chrome valve covers. With the large diameter air cleaner (I know it is not correct) and the factory A/C, about the only part of the engine you can see is the valve covers. Should I use the chrome ones, or keep the painted ones, so at least you can see some of the engine colour?

View attachment 1034918 View attachment 1034924

I like engine color. As an electrician, these catch my eye. The Positive battery cable should be routed along the fender well through clips (almost back to the firewall then down to the starter). The horn wires should be run through clips. The white wire on the coil should route under the coil (I like black wires). The windshield washer hose should be routed along the fender well all the way back to the firewall -- then up. The hood release cable where it enters the firewall is missing a grommet. The negative battery cable should be re-routed away from the power steering fill. Yes, I'm picky -- I was a Nuclear Quality Assurance Inspector.
 
The first picture is when I went to check out the car before I bought it. I have cleaned up some of the wiring already.
 
I agree with most others. I am a fan of painted over chrome.

Just my opinion of course. If you like chrome then do it. Certainly throwing them on there for a short time is easy enough to do to see how it looks.

Hawk
 
I like the stock chrome ones such as a Street Wedge or 67 R/T or GTX.
 
They are the stock chrome covers. This is a picture when they were on my other car. I actually have two sets and the other one has the bracket for the spark plug wires on the passenger side.

IMG_1196.JPG
 
Yes: Those look great. I don't like the later Direct Connection ones with the raised faces.
 
As long as we are picking nits, I prefer the painted look...it looks origional.....but, In addition, i would give some serious consideration to replacing the Edelbrock (aka "Eddie")/Carter carb and the spacer plate/adapter under the carb with the correct origional Carter carb AND fixing or replaceing the automatic transmission kick down linkage to provide correct up shift points, as what you now have is not even correct, and will likely csuse transmission failure or serious damage. Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON
 
The AFB carb is going away, as is the spreadbore manifold and adapter. The kickdown linkage, messed up as it is, actually works properly and gives full pressure. It too will be replaced when I change the manifold and intake. Correctness is not a huge concern, driveability is. This is a 361 after all and it won't be returning to a two barrel any time soon.

new intake.jpg
 
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