I am not a fan of chrome--well i am if used sparingly in the right application. Do you know how hard it is to find things like budget priced valve covers that are not chrome for a chevy? Well, you could buy aluminum stuff i guess, but its usually got a hefty price tag.
And lets face it, Tall valve covers go a long way on the visual impact of making an engine look bigger---and to me, anything but a tall valve cover on a BB chevy (unless its a resto) just doesn't look right. And i like the look of how big this engine looks stuffed in the engine bay.
So, with those thoughts i searched my parts friend, Ebay. I found these particular ones, stamped steel and painted (will strip later), and new too---$29 shipped to my door. I like the look of them, with the slightly raised area like a small block has (this is a good area for logos and such)
I assumed right off the bat before i even got them that the drivers side was going to interfere with the brake booster---well, i was wrong---sort of. While i had no trouble getting them on over the stock rockers that are still on the mock up heads, and just missing the brake booster, there is going to be an issue when the gaskets go in--i only have about a 1/4" gap. So you have to figure, with a head gasket on and valve cover gasket on, its going to be real tight or just flat out hit.
So, the solution is going to be either notch the valve cover (initially when i bought them that was my first thought), go to manual brakes, or see if i can find a smaller booster---which is a available, but a little harder to find. Thinking about this more, if i can find a smaller booster, i think this is how i will go---although the manual brakes would be just as easy. More to come........
