RABVET427

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a 1967 Corvette Roadster with the 300HP 327 base engine.---- So lately I have been looking at quite a lot of pictures of these cars and I have noticed that approximately half of all the 300 HP engine pictures have the orange painted steel valve covers and just as many have the aluminum ribbed style. ----- I would have assumed that the orange/steel ones were factory correct, but the fact that so many of them have the aluminun covers is now making me wonder if the factory delivered the base engine cars with either or?------------ OR is this just a popular embellishment ???

Thank you for your all your help!

climbabout

The correct covers for a 67 300hp is the orange painted steel with the word "Chevrolet" stamped in script.
Tim

62Jeff

Very easy and popular upgrade, and in the 40+ years since the 67s were built, there's been plenty of time for any one of the owners to replace the painted covers with the finned aluminum ones.

BrettG

Further to Tim's explaination, I am relatively sure all non-base small block engines had the aluminum valve covers.

BarryK

the SHP SB motors had the aluminum valve covers - the L79, L76, L84's.
The lower HP motors, 250hp, 300hp, all had the steel covers painted engine color.

Stingxray

The 1967 finned valve covers should have the casting flaw in the "O" corvette script. This is to be chronologically correct.

BarryK

would still be "wrong' for his car since the 300hp motor should have the steel covers, not the aluminum finned ones, regardless of whether it has the casting flaw or not.

gjfeng

Here's a picture of 67 base engine valve covers:


The finned aluminum valve covers were only on the optioned small blocks. Base engines 63 to 67 had steel covers. The 63-66 steel valve covers were different than the 67's. In 67, they went back to the 1961 283 engine valve covers, identical to the picture above.

JohnZ

Actually, the '67 stamped valve covers were new, and different from the older 283 stamped covers; the old 283 covers were almost vertical on the ends, and the '67 327 cover ends tapered back at about a 15*-20* angle from vertical.

DZAUTO

Regardless, if I owned ANY Corvette with a SB (and I do) and it had steel valve covers, they would immidiately come off and go into the trash and be replaced with the finned alum covers---------------------------------that also includes pass cars!!!
My 70 Chevelle with a SB400 and 51 Chevy are prime examples!
Oh ya, and the 420SB in the jet boat!
I've thrown away more stamped steel valve covers than I can count.

gjfeng

Greetings John,

Have seen that picture before. In fact, used your picture to detail my 67 327/300 Now it looks just about like yours except for the Vintage Air pulleys and system.

Here's what it looked like with the finned aluminum, over the counter, valve covers:



The prevoius owner put these valve covers on in early 68. When I took them off, I found "Made in Japan" inside. Would gladly trade them for a set of throwaway original steel covers. Any takers here?

Here's a shot just after replacement and engine painting:




Having fun,

Jerry Fuccillo

avideo

they look especially sharp polished.