lbell101

My repro side covers came in today - thanks David!
Now I face the painting procedure. I want to simulate the look of the chrome '69 covers in paint. I do realize that it's not 100% possible.
Has anyone done this with any success? I want to shy away from the spray can as I want durability and the best possible results.
How about a tricoat, pearl or Kandy simulating chrome?

ZD75blue

i think someone on here said that if you can find someone who will put copper on them, you can have real chrome...

I would think that body color would look good... see vinnies vette... but personally i like the hookers.... wonder if its the name :blueangel: J/K

Actually, you could buy some of the simulated chrome paint, with real metalic chips in it, and give it a try until you get something you like, not sure what brand to go with tho

ZD

73 Teach's Pet

I personally am not a fan of body color pipe covers, but what is a decent substitute and easy to do is to paint them Argent Silver. That is the name and color the factory painted the Ralley wheels. Painting them that color makes the pipes blend in with the color scheme used by the factory and looks right at home, down low, in between the Ralley wheels. I also taped mine off to paint the upper cove semi gloss black. My covers are chipped on some of the fins and need repair which is why I didn't take the time better prep them and pin stripe them in between the fins, but I only paid $30 for them at Carlisle 2 years ago. I can expell a little effort to fix them for the $270 savings.
As another suggestion, I put a layer of header wrap insulation cloth on the inside of the covers to help prevent them from getting too hot, resulting in paint blistering or discoloration. I adhered the header insulation with a thin light coating of fiberglass gel coat. If you put too much gel coat on, the header wrap will absorb it and render it less effective. Mine do not get hot at all, but the paint has wrinkled a bit on the top surface which is in plain view. I don't know if that is from the heat, or just because I spray bombed them for quick effect while I drive the car in gel coat and the solvents began to evaporate from the heat and lifted the paint. I chose to not wrap the exhaust pipe with header wrap because I did not want to keep the heat in the pipes, but rather wanted it disappate into the air to keep them and the covers cooler. So, be advised that too much heat may effect your paint over time, rendering them in need of a repaint job, which is another reason why I chose to not put too much primer, paint and clear on the glass covers, and is the reason I do my own paint work. I would be sick if I paid a bunch of money to have them painted and look great, only to have them blister or discolor in a year or two, throwing my money away.
Another option I have not done, but considered, was to cover them with stainless steel tape. The stuff looks alot like chrome, but I have only seen it in widths of like 2-3". Being this narrow, the tape would have to be overlapped and you may see the overlaps, which would look really tacky. That is why I chose the Argent silver paint route. I also attached my covers to the body drilling my own holes in locations I thougt were best. I used interior trim screws with the built in washer around the head. I didn't want counter sunk screw heads to pull through the covers and risk cracking the covers. The screws are painted semi gloss black because they are in the painted cove area, and are not an eye sore. Another benefit to this type of fastener, is if the screws become corroded, even though I coat mine with antiseize, you can still get a pair of vise grips on the screw head and twist them out, rather than have to drill the heads and risk enlarging your glass covers.
A final suggestion is to cut filler peices of wood and glass into the top hollow mounting area of the glass covers, so the wood rests up against the rocker panel when you tighten the covers up. Without these wood filler strips, my hollowed out top mounting areas would have been very prone to cracking if over tightened. Plywood glass filler and mounting strips are very common in street rod fiberglass bodies, which is where I got that inspiration.
I chose to use mid year chambered side pipes because of the small diameter muffler section increases the air gap between the cover and exhaust pipe, better disappaiting the heat. The only mod I had to do to the pipe was shorten them at the exit tip by about 2", then reweld the tip back on. I painted the turn out flat black. I only paid $100 for the used pipes, which bolted right up to my stock rams horn exhaust manifolds.
I hope that that insight may help you decide how to proceed with your installation and provide you with the enjoyment of being hypnotized by the side pipe buzzzzzz, like mine do. Honestly, I rarely drive with the radio on, just because I think the pipe sound is just as cool as the look of the body, and I can't get enough of either.
Be cool and be heard doing so!
"TEACH"


[Modified by 73 Teach's Pet, 7:27 PM 1/15/2002]

Shutdown1

.....Thanks Teach,


Very useful information from the voice of experience, obviously.
My covers are custom made so my application differs somewhat from the "factory" set up you guys are dealing with. I like your idea of insulating the covers with header wrap. I might try that, but right now I am resigned to just touching up my covers once or twice a year before the shows I go to. I have noticed that the more space between the pipes and the covers the less blistering I get. On my car the driver side doesn't blister or fade at all, but the passenger side does both. Why, I don't know.
LIke you say, the sound from our side pipes is the best music of all! I can honestly say that I don't know if my radio works or not, and I don't care! Regards


'74 Turbocharged 350, "Molested to Perfection," class of '71

lbell101

Thanks!
Sounds like some good ideas.
I REALLY like the idea of using actual chrome but I don't want to spend the $$! Right now I'm just hoping my wife doesn't figure out that the real reason I'm on my new diet is so I can divert the food funds to vette parts - LOL.

I like the argent idea and that's the direction I'm heading. I'm just hoping to find a paint that simulates chrome a little better. There probably isn't one.

Excellent idea to put a heat shielding in the cover. Will certainly do that.
Thanks!

73Ken73

I don't like the body colored pipes either. I painted mine silver and black. I just used regular primer and Enamel paint that my friend had at his body shop. My paint has lasted for about ten years now.

lbell101

Hey Ken!

That's the look I'm shooting for right there. It was just regular silver paint hey? Thanks!

Mr69Vett

I'm with Ken and Teach, no on the color match side pipe covers, and yes to either the Argent or I used silver metalic, then alot of taping and black on the rocker edge and inbetween all the fins. get the good fineline taping tape, paint will not seep thru the edges. I also cleared mine and have not had any problem with peeling, flaking or blistering. Good Luck.

Mr69vett

Smokehouse69

I think a good quality bright silver automotive enamel would look good, especially if you took the time to polish and wax them to a very high gloss. I think the key to them looking good is the black stripping inbetween the fins.
But then again, I'm a sucker for sidepipes even the cheap J.C. Whitney variety. Hookers are outstanding, the factory are great, heck I love 'em all!

Binnie77

The decision to paint mine body color with black accents came after I looked a three different silver paints. I had the body shop show me examples of each and they looked too bubba like for me....ok for stove pipe but not my cup of tea. I am sure there is paint available out there and looking at some of the other cars with silver pipes here they obviously found it. I am concerned about keeping the chips off the front of my covers as they pick up all the road debris from the front tires.

lbell101

Thanks guys - looks like it's possible to get the look I want.

Mr69 - I'm glad you posted. I looked at the pic of your car and almost emailed you about the color on yours. But yours look so good that I thought they were real chrome!

Binnie - yep - I think chipping will certainly be a problem. I'm thinking about usning some clear chipgaurd OVER the paint on tha fron corner. That or a big mudflap on the front wheel well!

Alwyn678

Go for the Mudflap :lol: with naked chicks on it

Leo001

I had mine painted silver with somw custom flames. They really look great, the guy that painted them said he used a high temp. paint. I have had them on 1 season and the hav'nt blistered or cracked an any way.
Email me and I'd be happy to send you a few pics

Email add Leo001@adelphia.net

livin

Lets see MOre :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

the silver painted ones look great. You could chip them and replace them 3 or four times before you had as much money as it takes to put real ones on.

dcornelius

Larry,

Just got back. Hope everything is going well. FYI...Argent silver base with clearcoat looks very good on the side covers.

You can paint the tops of the fins back to make them stand out as well.

Let me know how they turn out.

David

Shutdown1

Alwyn,


I thought I smelled diesel fuel coming from your car! :lol: Regards