[1971455HO]

I understand and don't blame you. Unless you can do it like it needs to be, don't even attempt to. It will look worse than it did before you even started. Botched paint looks worse than the old original to me.

[transam1972]

I am guessing this is how it should be...

[transam1972]

Originally Posted by 1971455HO

I understand and don't blame you. Unless you can do it like it needs to be, don't even attempt to. It will look worse than it did before you even started. Botched paint looks worse than the old original to me.

...yeah so I checked out your engine compartment FASTEDDIE, and of course you have (whats considered correct, painted valve covers)...on the other hand ,your engine is totally painted in a restored engine bay ,so like I was saying..it works!!..my original engine paint was all peeled in the front and the intake looked all aluminum as all the paint had burned off..in fact I left it like that til I joined this site and found out they were painted!!..so a painted intake is a new thing to me..and of course the original painted covers looked bad so 20+ years ago they got chrome..I have the lazy man as much unrestored as possible. or do I??

[1971455HO]

transam 1972,

I'm not sure what you meant when you responded to my comment about old & new paint. I can't tell, I hope I haven't offended you. Just a simple comment about new paint next to old unrestored parts makes the old look really bad. Its what drove me to spend way too much money for a guy like me with my budget. I too, have a poor mans garage!

It's all in the eyes of the beholder (owner).

I personally wish Pontiac had continued for 1971 with chrome valve covers for the HO engines, but they didn't. They also went with the 10 bolt posi unit instead of the twelve bolts. They dropped compression.... and on and on.

I stripped all the unneeded stuff off my engine and engine compartment over thirty years ago for ease of maintenance and because myself and thousands more like me liked that uncluttered look under the hood. I slapped on a pair hooker headers and chrome valve covers, rerouted wiring and vacuum hoses to out of site areas, the whole deal. Only when I decided to put her back like she came did I realize I had to comply with how Pontiac originally designed and built these model cars if I wanted my car to be correct. Its been fun learning what is right. But I'm not by the book, I raised my C.R. up to 9.2:1 and installed a RA IV cam. That's sacrilege to some here. It's all up to the owner.

This section (70-73 Firebird & TA Tech) of PY Online Forums that we all love and enjoy has attracted a large gathering of people that are highly focused on correctness. No room for error kind of guys. They're not being mean, they're just dedicated people to authenticity. Most of us are conditioned to someone jumping in and saying hold it...that ain't right!

However, not everybody here is gravitating toward total correctness. Lots of guys here just want the outside of their car to look original and under the hood doesn't matter to them as long as it runs great. Some guys have Formulas with rear spoilers. Some hate it...some love it. Its all up to the owner.

I hope I've explained myself. BTW...you have a great thread going here. Love all the pictures.

Eddie

[transam1972]

actually I just meant painted valve covers work, especially for you because your entire engine is new blue..plus everything else is restored so it compliments each other...really the chrome valve covers are the only highpoint of my engine bay!!!..but in my reach to be correct, it backfired as new painted valve covers don't match the rest of the engine compartment..it woujd be a sin to restore and mess anymore under my hood(if 24 years ago I knew how important untouched would be, I wish I never touched anything!!) my unrestored looks as when I got the car in 1985, it has not been used and always garaged..unrestored is safer as no qustion regarding original finish!!..chrome valve covers are not incorrect in my resto world..they are an owner added upgrade...RAM AIR IV had them...just a cost saving measure..its like if I had a BREWSTER green T/A/ and I installed a functioning shaker..how is it incorrect..I would rather have a flap that is/was supposed to open than riveted shut I am striving for 100% correct and the 7 things that are incorrect I will share with the world!!!...actually 1971455HO,do you paint?..what blue did you use for your engine?..any left over?..I think you know where I am going with this line of questioning!...if your interested,Im buying!!

[transam1972]

I found this new repop of a heater hose bracket that is very similar to the purge hose bracket I am looking for..in fact it was probably made from the same type of steel with the curved edges..hopefully one day I find the correct one...only a/c cars got them so if anyone has one please let me know..I will never give up the search!..I also reinstalled my original oil pan bolts..damn close to underhood nuts & bolts engine hardware being what it should..I use the ribbed heater hose but I do not care about vacuum hoses, gas hoses etc. being N.O.S...close enough is fine.yellow striped for air cleaner though..





.I would like to see detailed photos of the 5k mile S.C.C.A. car for a restoration guide

[Pepi]

Originally Posted by transam1972

Attachment 357790

I think I still have one that I had gotten powder coated semi flat black, for the heater hoses. I'll have to try and look for it.

[1971455HO]

Originally Posted by transam1972

actually I just meant painted valve covers work, especially for you because your entire engine is new blue..plus everything else is restored so it compliments each other...really the chrome valve covers are the only highpoint of my engine bay!!!..but in my reach to be correct, it backfired as new painted valve covers don't match the rest of the engine compartment..it woujd be a sin to restore and mess anymore under my hood(if 24 years ago I knew how important untouched would be, I wish I never touched anything!!) my unrestored looks as when I got the car in 1985, it has not been used and always garaged..unrestored is safer as no qustion regarding original finish!!..chrome valve covers are not incorrect in my resto world..they are an owner added upgrade...RAM AIR IV had them...just a cost saving measure..its like if I had a BREWSTER green T/A/ and I installed a functioning shaker..how is it incorrect..I would rather have a flap that is/was supposed to open than riveted shut I am striving for 100% correct and the 7 things that are incorrect I will share with the world!!!...actually 1971455HO,do you paint?..what blue did you use for your engine?..any left over?..I think you know where I am going with this line of questioning!...if your interested,Im buying!!

First, NO, I'm not a painter.

Give me a little time to go back through my receipts and I'll be glad to let you know. It was special 71-72 Pontiac Teal Green. It was very dark while painting. But it lightened up when it dryed. It was not cheap and it came in rattle cans. I thought I would need four, so I bought six. Good thing I did.
It was a pain in the ass to make it look good on my block, heads & intake manifold. It was very splattery and thick. I warmed the cans and shook them for well over twenty minutes. Very thick. You had to spray it like it was DuPont Imron aircraft paint ('til it looked wet) any more and it would run. Looked great on the cast iron. Not so much on the smooth steel parts (oil pan & valve covers)

I totally screwed the pooch doing my valve covers, no runs or anything, but very orange peeled. It was to the point that my body man who painted my car said. I'll repaint those if you have any more paint. He stripped my covers and oil pan and repainted them. They were beautiful. He emptied the aerosol cans into something and shot them with his gun. So it must have not been the paint, maybe the cheap lousy spray nozzle on the cans?

The color is really pretty much dead on, based on all the color charts I studied, but tough to paint with the rotten rattle cans they come in. I wish I had known ahead of time. I would have gotten my body man to have done the same thing and paint the whole engine.

I will be glad to give you any information you need about what I have used. If I were to do it again, I am sure I would purchase a gallon from someone who has the correct formula and buy a fair to decent paint gun and do it myself. I'm not advocating the rattle can route even though it did turn out well.

Finding the right engine color paint, will be one of your hardest jobs with this car. There are many opinions about it.

Eddie

[transam1972]

is what I used on the intake and front..I was very happy with the results/colour..BWB had a engine colour thread and that's how I found out about it..nice to hear someone else had the same problem!!..I left my oil pan original..intrsting to hear the solution with the painter...well for now I will keep the chrome(which is all the right parts,$60 oil filler cap!)...that's what I mean though..in real life(not photos)..the valve covers came out bad..they need to be shot..in the future I can get someone to do what you had done, or score some of Scotts paint as I think it is a close match..really I got a couple of more important things going on so this project is on hold for now..thanks to FUNCTIONAL SHAKER he is sending me a correct oil filler cap for the painted covers(an original too!)..on Monday I will post a photo of the repop, correct NL on bolt head, longer style valve cover bolts that THE PARTS PLACE just came out with..a cool company that gets these special detail parts restorers need manufactured..a nasty,rusty set sells on E-BAY for $90..the repop set is $20 for 8..thanks 1971455HO for all the input..atleast I know it wasn't my fault!!

[transam1972]

I SHIPPED MY T/A DASH BEZEL,A/C CONTROL PLATE & SWITCH PLATE TO RANDY COMBS TODAY FOR THEM TO BE STRIPPED & CLEAR COATED..THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE RESWIRLED..HIS COMPANY TRANS AM DASH BEZEL RESTORATION IS KNOWN TO BE THE BEST AND AM CONFIDENT IT IS IN GOOD HANDS..I HAD A PEPOP OF THE SWITCH PLATE BUT IT WAS MADE OF A REAL FLIMSY METAL..EVEN IF THEY EVER COME OUT WITH REPLACEMENT DASH BE







ZELS, I FEAR THE QULITY WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS A GM ORIGINAL..SO THAT IS WHY I CHOSE HIS SERVICE..CROSSING MY FINGERS THAT IT COMES OUT PERFECT!!!..NEW STARTER BRACE & REAR ALTERNATOR HARDWARE VS ORIGINAL SLOTTED NUT & LOCK WASHER