Coming up for TB/WP, have a spare set of covers to get power coated, thinking of something different.
Please post pics of your setup.
Has anyone done white or silver?
Please post pics of your setup.
Has anyone done white or silver?
Looking for photos of non-red valve covers
- Thread starter boca rat
- Start date
I redid mine in silver, dont have a pic on my phone but pm me your # or email and ill try and send you some pics. I think the red only lokks good with certain color cars.
If you do a search for the gsrboy engine build thread, I think he had some pictures of his white valve covers.
I agree with PSHUMARD1. I don't think the red valve covers work well unless you have a black engine bay. My NSX is red, but when I rebuilt the motor I painted the engine bay black. With your BB you can do all kinds of colors and have it work.
Whatever color choice you go with, I recommend you take the oil baffles off the undersides of the valvecovers before stripping the old top coating. If you take it to a shop they will probably blast it with abrasives to strip it clean. I wouldn't want to take a chance introducing this into the engine (especially sand). It's a bit of work but worth it IMO. I just did mine myself with paint stripper and a lot of patience. I've heard stories on here that some shops weren't gentle with these fragile mag valve covers and chipped them or flat out cracked them. You're lucky to have spares!
The secret to a good paint or powder job on magnesium is to chemically passivate them. I learned this trick on other hobbies of mine - vintage cars with mag wheels as well as aircraft parts. Passivating helps prevent future corrosion and helps paint and powdercoating adhere better. It also eliminates the baking step some people do to "outgas" the magnesium. It's basically the DOW19 process. Below are two stripped and cleaned valvecovers. The yellowish one has been treated so you can see the difference between bare magnesium and the treated one:
I chose Duplicolor Mirage paint on mine to be a bit different. Depending on the light it is either blue or purple, which looks OK with the black engine bay. At my next valve adjustment I will probably go back to the OEM black wrinkle coat.
Dave
I agree with PSHUMARD1. I don't think the red valve covers work well unless you have a black engine bay. My NSX is red, but when I rebuilt the motor I painted the engine bay black. With your BB you can do all kinds of colors and have it work.
Whatever color choice you go with, I recommend you take the oil baffles off the undersides of the valvecovers before stripping the old top coating. If you take it to a shop they will probably blast it with abrasives to strip it clean. I wouldn't want to take a chance introducing this into the engine (especially sand). It's a bit of work but worth it IMO. I just did mine myself with paint stripper and a lot of patience. I've heard stories on here that some shops weren't gentle with these fragile mag valve covers and chipped them or flat out cracked them. You're lucky to have spares!
The secret to a good paint or powder job on magnesium is to chemically passivate them. I learned this trick on other hobbies of mine - vintage cars with mag wheels as well as aircraft parts. Passivating helps prevent future corrosion and helps paint and powdercoating adhere better. It also eliminates the baking step some people do to "outgas" the magnesium. It's basically the DOW19 process. Below are two stripped and cleaned valvecovers. The yellowish one has been treated so you can see the difference between bare magnesium and the treated one:
I chose Duplicolor Mirage paint on mine to be a bit different. Depending on the light it is either blue or purple, which looks OK with the black engine bay. At my next valve adjustment I will probably go back to the OEM black wrinkle coat.
Dave
Mac, that looks pretty neat. Any pics of it in the car? When is the next valve job....? Hint.....
Thanks, but I don't have any good pics in the car.
My engine bay is very "busy" with wires, hoses, and other stuff. It doesn't look as clean as OEM, and I never thought OEM looked very good either. I think the most impressive-looking engine bays are those with the GruppeM supercharger blocking the rearview mirror.
My engine bay is very "busy" with wires, hoses, and other stuff. It doesn't look as clean as OEM, and I never thought OEM looked very good either. I think the most impressive-looking engine bays are those with the GruppeM supercharger blocking the rearview mirror.
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Anyone else have something to share here?
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Wow, very impressive. Are you volunteering at NSXPO? Would be cool to see the car in person on the 17th/18th. Thx!
here's my contribution..... i went body colour, charlotte/brooklands green!
all the details here....
http://www.nsxcb.co.uk/showthread.p...ine-tweak-with-pics!!!&highlight=valve+covers
also made an alternator cover, just to tidy it up a bit!
all the details here....
http://www.nsxcb.co.uk/showthread.p...ine-tweak-with-pics!!!&highlight=valve+covers
also made an alternator cover, just to tidy it up a bit!
Thanks, somehow missed that. A lot of red out there!
If you're asking me, yes I'll be there and me and my wife are volunteering. I'll be there Wed night.
Yes, was asking you. Will you be at the dry run on the 17th/18th September?
I haven't heard anything about a dry run yet.
I'll be there with the car unless the weather is miserable. If it is I'll be taking the Explorer.
Thanks all. I got some good ideas from all of the above. Dark green looks pretty neat. I have matt black right now, should've mentioned that. I live down a long dusty dirt road so keeping the engine bay clean is a chore and it's all dark gray and black right now. So it always looks kind of grimy.
Still torn between red, silver and that dark midnight purple, and smooth vs.crinkle.
Dropping them off a week tomorrow so you have until then to sway me!
Still torn between red, silver and that dark midnight purple, and smooth vs.crinkle.
Dropping them off a week tomorrow so you have until then to sway me!
Since you have to deal with long dirt road, you may want to consider smooth finish as it will be far easier to clean then the wrinkle finish.
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