I'm looking for an aluminum valve cover for my 3800SC swap. I'm hoping to find one with "3800 supercharged" engraved on it that can also be painted to match the rest of my car (we're painting the supercharger as well).
This is an image I found of what I want my engine to look like, I photoshopped it to be purple. lol XD but yea, that's the valve cover I'm looking for :P
------------------ your Fiero loves you!!! <3
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09:17 PM
PFF
System Bot
IMSA GT Member
Posts: 10665 From: California Registered: Aug 2007
Damn Danielle, you're really going all out on this car I don't think you can buy the custom valve covers. They can be engraved or a decal can be made to mask off the lettering. The paint is then applied and the masking removed to reveal the raw aluminum underneath.
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09:34 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
Damn Danielle, you're really going all out on this car I don't think you can buy the custom valve covers. They can be engraved or a decal can be made to mask off the lettering. The paint is then applied and the masking removed to reveal the raw aluminum underneath.
LOL yea my dad told me to think of everything I wanted, so...I did lol how would I get a valve cover engraved like this?
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09:38 PM
IMSA GT Member
Posts: 10665 From: California Registered: Aug 2007
LOL yea my dad told me to think of everything I wanted, so...I did lol how would I get a valve cover engraved like this?
If I remember, those valve covers were from member "animul" on here but he didn't post much and then left. You can send a PM to Fierox on here. I think he is friends with him. He may be able to help you.
yea maybe I'll have to just get plain ones and have them engraved, unless that's wayy too expensive....lol I was hoping I could buy them made like that, oh well..not a big deal I guess XD
The fabricated covers I have are to thin to really engrave anything on, it would be more like etching but mine are different from the ones on ebay as well ------------------
87 GT series 1 3800sc (7.597 @88.53 1.579 60ft)
[This message has been edited by jb1 (edited 03-19-2012).]
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12:40 AM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
The fabricated covers I have are to thin to really engrave anything on, it would be more like etching but mine are different from the ones on ebay as well
do you have pics of them? engraving would be cool too, but would they be paintable? I want it to be purple to match the rest...lol
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01:18 AM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
If I remember, those valve covers were from member "animul" on here but he didn't post much and then left. You can send a PM to Fierox on here. I think he is friends with him. He may be able to help you.
I tried to PM FieroX but it says he's no longered registered.... booooo
You think the fiberglass ones dont look nice..Thats because I havent shown anyone (except RULOOKIN) how mine turned out..When the car is done you will see what I am talking about..Stay tuned!!
I never said it couldn't be done, its just something most don't do because of other factors, and maybe even peace of mind. Too easy to break or catch fire. But most of the time they are just fine.
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02:29 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
Fie Ro made his look VERY nice by filling in the "ribs" and made it all smooth ( I think) on his stock VC but with that same idea I bet you can do the same thing but use a stencil to say what you want.
I would look his build thread up for over the top custom ideas
isnt the point of the forum to ask questions and get answers? I won't ask anymore if you guys are gonna make me feel stupid.... yea I just wanted to know if the valve covers on my 3800 are the same as new aluminum/metal ones I would be buying to have engraved and painted.
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03:34 PM
darkhorizon Member
Posts: 12279 From: Flint Michigan Registered: Jan 2006
MOST of the aluminum valve covers floating around are aluminum replicas of stock ones. Stock valve covers are made of a fiberglass type material.
If you want pretty painted valvecovers, I would not suggest getting the aluminum ones, as it should be about as easy to fiber fill the stock ones and lay in some vinyl lettering between a nice coat of paint and some clear coat. It might not look "engraved" but it should look darn nice and give you some options to do some creative paint work on it in trade for the dang near $200 price tag that aluminum valve covers have.
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04:45 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
MOST of the aluminum valve covers floating around are aluminum replicas of stock ones. Stock valve covers are made of a fiberglass type material.
If you want pretty painted valvecovers, I would not suggest getting the aluminum ones, as it should be about as easy to fiber fill the stock ones and lay in some vinyl lettering between a nice coat of paint and some clear coat. It might not look "engraved" but it should look darn nice and give you some options to do some creative paint work on it in trade for the dang near $200 price tag that aluminum valve covers have.
hmmm...ok...so the stock valve covers on 3800SC engines are fiberglass? o.O what should I get then? just use the ones that are already on the engine? do you know someone who could help me get a stencil or even a decal or something that says "3800 supercharged"? XD the guy who will be painting my car will paint the valve covers, so I'm not worried about that....I dont even care if its engraved anymore, I just want it to say 3800 supercharged on the engine somewhere! haha
I saw someone took a mold of the "3800 supercharged" that is on the stock engine cover, you have that cover still I think. Then they made into a raised letter decal from some process I don't remember.
Yes stock 3800 valve covers are a fiberglass material and that is what you have. DH is right, you can make those look nice as well for a much lower cost. It would definitely "stick out" on your swap, in a good way.
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07:09 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
I saw someone took a mold of the "3800 supercharged" that is on the stock engine cover, you have that cover still I think. Then they made into a raised letter decal from some process I don't remember.
Yes stock 3800 valve covers are a fiberglass material and that is what you have. DH is right, you can make those look nice as well for a much lower cost. It would definitely "stick out" on your swap, in a good way.
hmmm...that's an option I guess. I'd rather just get a decal , making raised letters from the 3800 cover seems like alot of work for something I'm not THAT set on having. It would just be nice if the engine was marked what it is. lol Although I will have a "Supercharged" emblem for the decklid :P
so if I was to buff and paint the fiberglass valve covers that are currently on the 3800, that would look shiny and new? and then I could just stick an emblem or decal on there and it'd stay?
that first one is cool! but i wouldnt put flames on the engine...or anything on a fiero...would just be asking for "so your car DOES start on fire?" jokes....XD its a sweet paint job though.
the second pic is alright, if it was shinier it'd be better....lol I'm thinking of just getting an emblem to stick on the valve cover now....what would I use to stick it on so the heat from the engine doesnt melt it off or something? XD
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08:36 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
wait...why does the first pic, the valve cover not have that knob thing but the second pic engine does?? I dont want that thing there if I can choose....lol
The knob thing is the oil fill..and if you look closely, he just left it on the firewall side, like it is from the factory since it's FWD. Looks better, but it makes it more of a PITA to fill the oil...I prefer the ease of adding oil to the look in that case..doesn't change the looks all the much really IMO.
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08:49 PM
gtxbullet Member
Posts: 4180 From: Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA Registered: Apr 2008
wait...why does the first pic, the valve cover not have that knob thing but the second pic engine does?? I dont want that thing there if I can choose....lol
it's because the valve covers get switched around (the one with the oil cap goes on the side away from the trunk. it makes it look more "clean" at first glance after you open your decklid (the engine hood)
also.......WOOHOOOO!!!!!! I see Celsius in your profile pic here now. AWESOME!!!! Selene says "Hi" but she is upset, he 4-cylinder stalls out all the time. she wants her 3.4L back in...I keep saying I'm trying my best, but she's very impatient! sound familiar hehehe
hope Celsius's engine swap is going well. I know the engine cradle is done now, but they've got to start work on putting parts together
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08:50 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
The knob thing is the oil fill..and if you look closely, he just left it on the firewall side, like it is from the factory since it's FWD. Looks better, but it makes it more of a PITA to fill the oil...I prefer the ease of adding oil to the look in that case..doesn't change the looks all the much really IMO.
so you can choose which side the oil fill goes on ?? seems weird to me. lol I dont see where they put the oil filler in that flamey engine pic, but I believe you anyway :P
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09:04 PM
Oosky Member
Posts: 717 From: St. Cloud, MN, USA Registered: Oct 2010
it's because the valve covers get switched around (the one with the oil cap goes on the side away from the trunk. it makes it look more "clean" at first glance after you open your decklid (the engine hood)
also.......WOOHOOOO!!!!!! I see Celsius in your profile pic here now. AWESOME!!!! Selene says "Hi" but she is upset, he 4-cylinder stalls out all the time. she wants her 3.4L back in...I keep saying I'm trying my best, but she's very impatient! sound familiar hehehe
hope Celsius's engine swap is going well. I know the engine cradle is done now, but they've got to start work on putting parts together
yea I want the engine to look more clean if possible. if i have to keep the oil filler there for accessibility reasons, then so be it XD
Celsius has always been my profile pic on here, silly Steve. I've never changed that pic. haha Celsius says HI to Selene too! will she get her 3.4L back in someday? but without the trueleo intake? LOL fieros like having tantrums :P
the swap for Celsius hasn't started yet but it will VERY soon. we're going to talk about paint colors with the dude tomorrow at the shop woohoo! fun part! the cradle actually isnt quite finished being painted yet, we need a spray thing so we're getting that tomorrow and some solvent to mix with the POR15 so we can spray it in the areas we cant reach with a brush...fun fun XD
I don't think you can buy the custom valve covers. They can be engraved or a decal can be made to mask off the lettering. The paint is then applied and the masking removed to reveal the raw aluminum underneath.
booooo
