Valve Covers from the 71' Olds

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Sep 25, 2002 | 01:07 AM

beastie

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Joined: Jan 2002

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From: New Orleans

Valve Covers from the 71' Olds

I spent an entire day making the valve covers look like new. I wish I would have taken a before pic, but I forgot. The car had sat in our driveway, for 12 years, so the covers we coated with everything you could imagine. Once I actually cleaned them, they were just black, and awful looking. I started with wet sanding the covers using an oribtal palm sander, grit in order --> 150, 300, 500, 1000, 2000. Once I finished this, I would come back and repeat the sanding process using Whenol metal polish, mixed with water. Once this was finished it gave the covers a great look. I had to use so many pieces of 150, and 300 grit, because they we so discolored. This part of the sanding alone took about 3 hours on each cover. One this was finished, I painted the entire tops of the cover with Oldsmobile blue paint, to match the engine block. I had the sides of the covers taped and newspapered. Once I had applied like 5 coats, I let them dry overnite, 30 min between coats. The next day, I just came back with the 500, 1000, 200 grit paper, and since the covers have the elevated fins, the sander sat flush with them, and only removed the paint I wanted them to. Oh to clean inside the fins, sandpaper couldn't get in their, so I used those little wire brushes, the things that have the wooden handle, with the metal wires. It lookes like a toothbrush. Well everyone knows what it is. So tell me what yall think about them.