Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Can you help identify these chrome BBc valve covers?

Bowtieman427 · Active Member

If they are the real deal they may be off a BBC Vette '68-69 with standard brakes ? I do not think GM made chrome ones Vettes 427-454 68-71 and I thought only on Vettes (I could be wrong). '68 Vette with standard brakes or other Vettes with standard brakes. I would really like to see a photo. Are these forsale ?

jim larson · 2K+ Club

I bougth them at a swap meet yesterday, they are chrome, I though corvettes were painted orange. I bough them in case I wanted the drippers. I'll see if I can somehow get a couple of photos to you.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

From looking at the crane corvette site they appear to be:

Jan 68-69 Corvette, Passenger Car, or Chevelle BB covers

Bowtieman427 · Active Member

Is there a way to restore them ?

jim larson · 2K+ Club

dashboard wrote:
This valve cover? $50-$150 for repos. Chris is right, way to costly to rechrome.
http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvette-valve-covers-chrome-non-power-brake-big-block-1965-1974.html
http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvette-valve-covers-chrome-with-427ci-1968late-1969.html

Hope your not putting china covers on that 454. But you got me thinking.

In 68 and 69, did the El Camino come with painted or chromed covers.?

If you can straighten and rechome a bumper for $400, shouldn't you be able to do a pair of valve covers for less?

A guy here in Lake City get parts for his T-bucket rechromed for $40 to $75 dollars all the time.

Crane covers are $474 plush S&H.

I can strip them with a little sandpaper. The guy that does my other stainless stuff say $40 to take all dents out. Paint would only be $10. Crane wan't $375 for the painted ones.

-- Edited by jim larson on Tuesday 12th of June 2012 07:45:53 AM

jim larson · 2K+ Club

I would guess that you would strip the flash chrome, then have any dents taken out by someone that does that on stainless moldings (windshield for example), then have a chrome shop flash chrome them.

Or if some of the corvettes or passenger cars had them painted you could just do that. I just not sure which ones were painted and which ones were chromed.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

t costs way more to restore them then to replace them. Even for the exact production 500 dollar Crane ones. Already checked into that years ago and things were cheaper then, it was still outragously expensive. I can only imagine it costs nearly double now.

dashboard · 2K+ Club

This valve cover? $50-$150 for repos. Chris is right, way to costly to rechrome.

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvette-valve-covers-chrome-non-power-brake-big-block-1965-1974.html

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvette-valve-covers-chrome-with-427ci-1968late-1969.html

SShink · 3K+ Club

I think Corvette Specialties had a set of chrome GM BBC ones with drippers for $150 that I saw at the Nov. meeting?

Kevin, Chris, and I were looking at them. Maybe they remember.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Its obsurd to pay big bucks for painted covers IMO. Ive seen the covers that are economically priced like Kevin mentioned. They are nice for the price. For a high caliber restoration though, I would have no problem dumping that kind of money for the Crane covers. I hear thats the only cover thats 100% perfect to original and has the perfect finish on it that will keep the judges happy on that 100 point car.

I think you will be more then happy with the covers that Larry has though like Stan mentioned. 1970 was the last year the valve covers were chrome for the Chevelle model. Maybe even for other models too but I could be wrong about that part.

dashboard · 2K+ Club

Jim, I’m not real familiar with 68-69 Elky valve covers but I think they would have had some chrome ones. Only differences I know of in the valve covers are, I think one had a dip in the back for the power brake booster. I’m sure there are some more differences when you get into the Corvette or large passenger cars for wire harnesses.

Chris, I think the last year for chrome covers on the Velles was 71 but I could be wrong.

Please let me know where your buddy has his parts chromed, I have some pieces I want to get done. Also let me know what the estimate is for chroming your valve covers.

Last price I got for re-chroming was high enough to prevent me from doing it. I’d really like to know where your buddy gets it done, and get an estimate from them.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

dashboard wrote:
Jim, I’m not real familiar with 68-69 Elky valve covers but I think they would have had some chrome ones. Only differences I know of in the valve covers are, I think one had a dip in the back for the power brake booster. I’m sure there are some more differences when you get into the Corvette or large passenger cars for wire harnesses.

Chris, I think the last year for chrome covers on the Velles was 71 but I could be wrong.

So its 71 that was the last year for chrome valve covers then? I wasnt really sure after 1970. I guess I always pictured 71 and 72 with the painted valve covers. Learn something new every day. I would say the El Camino followed right along with Chevelle. I havent seen any 396 or 454 El Camino's with painted valve covers prior to 1970 either.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

According to Crane, 66 different than 67, which was different than 68-60, then 70 different and 2 different ones in 71. They have exampes on their website. And other differences for Camaro.

Also they seem to indicate that 65- 71 passenger cars were painted orange.

They also point out the differences in the other aftermarket covers.

dashboard · 2K+ Club

Jim, that’s all nice to know trivia, please see if you can find out where your buddy gets his re-chroming done.