BUILD THREAD Project Olds Cool (Recognition!!)

[mclellan83]

Huge fan of that color, they look awesome

 

[pagrunt]

I really need to get my head checked.

As soon as they find out you hang out here they'll just say you're beyond help & send you on your way. 🤪

 

[fleming442]

"Clearly, I can see you're nuts!"

I guess we all have our specialties. I'd rather fabricate and wire than paint or bang out dents.

 

[Texas82GP]

"Clearly, I can see you're nuts!"

I guess we all have our specialties. I'd rather fabricate and wire than paint or bang out dents.

I don't think either is a blast but come to think of it, I'd much rather wire than sand. I hate sanding.

 

[clean8485]

So how did you expose the gold fins on the valve covers Donovan? Sanding or wiping off the blue paint with thinners?

 

[fleming442]

60-120 grit sandpaper works. I've done both engines with a beltsander.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Good choice on the valve covers. Even though it is a sbc it will look different with nice finned valve covers? I thought your motor had center bolt Vortec heads? All looking great as usual.

Good catch Christian! I do indeed have center bolt Vortec heads, but I also have sneaky adapters from Trick Flow that convert from center to perimeter bolt pattern. Just a little something extra to mess with folks.
it wouldn’t be much of a sleeper if one glance at the valve covers gave away what was really lurking underneath.
😏😈

Looks awesome Donovan. Looking forward to seeing those installed. The Corporate Blue is going to look just right with your underhood theme.

Thanks Jared, that’s the plan. I waffled a bit on whether or not to paint them blue, but there’s already quite a bit of black going on under the hood so I decided to take a chance and go for it. If I hate it, it won’t take much to repaint them again.

"Clearly, I can see you're nuts!"

I guess we all have our specialties. I'd rather fabricate and wire than paint or bang out dents.

Indeed, we all have our specialties. Yours is definitely wiring and electrical, and everybody seems to think paint and body is mine. That’s just because I have formal training in it, and that’s all I’ve been doing for the last 3 years on this thing.

I can assure you though, I can more than hold my own when it comes to fabrication, spinning wrenches, electrical, and plumbing on cars too. You guys just haven’t seen much of it from me yet.

I don't think either is a blast but come to think of it, I'd much rather wire than sand. I hate sanding.

Jared, there ain’t nobody that likes sanding, me included. However it’s a necessary evil that’s gotta be done, like it or not. I’d still rather sand than mask tho.

So how did you expose the gold fins on the valve covers Donovan? Sanding or wiping off the blue paint with thinners?

Gold fins??? Maybe that’s what it looks like in the pictures due to the lighting, but they’re most definitely not gold. Just raw aluminum.
And the finish was achieved by block sanding across the tops of the fins with 80 grit. Lacquer thinner would’ve achieved almost the same effect, but I wanted the brushed pattern that sanding gave.

60-120 grit sandpaper works. I've done both engines with a beltsander.

Bruce, your penchant for using wood working tools to do automotive work is gonna give me an aneurism, I swear to god!
😮🤯🤣

 

[Turbo Zach]

I am also curious as to what you did to the fins. On my Buick six valve covers. I polished the fins first, masked them off, and then painted the covers. I need to redo mine because I must not have got them clean enough before I painted them. Paint has come off in places. Mine were pretty tough shape to begin with.

 

[Rktpwrd]

I am also curious as to what you did to the fins. On my Buick six valve covers. I polished the fins first, masked them off, and then painted the covers. I need to redo mine because I must not have got them clean enough before I painted them. Paint has come off in places. Mine were pretty tough shape to begin with.

See the above response Zach. I just sandblasted them first, then painted, then block sanded the blue off the tops of the fins once they were fully dry with 80 grit.
Easy peasy.

I hear what you’re saying about the paint coming off in places tho, I didn’t trust the wrinkle finish paint they came with. And sure enough, big chunks came flying off in places when I started sandblasting them because of poor prep and adhesion! Made me feel pretty good about my decision to blast them first.

 

[Turbo Zach]

See the above response Zach. I just sandblasted them first, then painted, then block sanded the blue off the tops of the fins once they were fully dry with 80 grit.
Easy peasy.

I hear what you’re saying about the paint coming off in places tho, I didn’t trust the wrinkle finish paint they came with. And sure enough, big chunks came flying off in places when I started sandblasting them because of poor prep and adhesion! Made me feel pretty good about my decision to blast them first.

Sorry I am a slow typer. I wish I had access to a blast cabinet. That would be the ticket. So the standing dust and such dose not mar the paint? That is why I did it the way I did, but masking the fins off socks.