thompson valve covers

Okay although Im looking for a set of early mt valve covers for a pontiac, and cant seem to find any, im going to start over and see if any body even has a picture of them, anybody seen a set on a car other than the challenger?? they were finned and slightly angled down with the thompson name on the lower edge,

 

You're talking about the REALLY early ones. I stock the newer style, but have never seen a set for a Pontiac other than the '61 catalog I have. I'll scan it tonight and post a pic if it helps.

 

thanks mr t body

 

I thought I was gonna win a set on Ebay around Thanksgiving. They were at 89 bucks with 2 minutes to go. They ended up at just under 400 bills...

I don't have a pic anymore, but Axle does. He also MAY have a set of two stashed somewhere....

-Abone.

 

By the way, what'cha puttin em on??

-Abone.

 

trust me, he's putting them on a car that really needs them....

 

AH HA!! I stole some pics from the Performance Years site.

I don't know the diffrence as far as which were early, late or whatever..

Squirrel says you are putting em on something cool, so 'cmon what is it??

I picture those covers on a nice front engine dragster with a non polished 6-71...

-Abone.

 

I think the ones on the right are early......but don't quote me.....
On a similar subject.....did MT make those valve covers (the ones with the THOMPSON) for other engines? I've seen 'em for Hemi's, and now Pontiac.....

 

The ones on the right are the early ones, I think 59 era?

 

I've never seen a pair of teh Thompsons live and in person, but I do have an extra set of these if you are looking to settle...



-Abone.

 

are these cal custom covers ?

 

Oooor... Edelbrock came out with thier "retro" script for Ponchos which is an EXACT rip off of the 40 year old covers in the above pic.

I kind of have a feeling you are looking for the Thompson covers for a reason, but I wanted to toss out some other options just in case.

The suspense is killing me, what are you building??

Here are the Edelbrocks..

 

B-juice.

I really don't know WHAT they are..some guys say they are early Cal Custom, some guys say they are Moon. They are not the "regular" Cal Customs you can usually find on Ebay.(the Gardenia Calif ones"

The only thing these say inside is " '59 Pontiac." Nothing else. As far as I can tell, they are pretty old..Edelbrock TOTALLY stole these covers and is calling them thier retro design.

Hell, for all I know they could have been Edelbrocks all along..

-Abone.

 

They ARE Edelbrocks. I've got a few old speed equipment catalogs with a complete illustration guide of all the Edelbrock covers, and the ones for Pontiacs and nailhead Buicks were devoid of any Edelbrock indentification. I've got a set of the "59 Pontiac" covers, as well as a later "61-2 Pontiac" set.

 

So the 59 Pontiac covers ARE Edelbrocks?? Well I guess that gives them the right to make an exact copy...

I'm still a little testy about Edelbrock doing these covers. I waited TWO years for em to come out and they are exactly like the ones I already had.

For waiting two years, I kind of expected something really cool.

Heathen, thanks for the info, that clears up the mystery covers.

-Abone.

 

are they no name(fins only without the e-brock script)?
are they for sale ? if so, how much ?
thanks.

 

Wow I've had a set of the '59 pontiac' deep fins for quite a while now, I always ***umed they were early Cal Customs. Thats what is so great about the HAMB, always something new to be learned.

 

I have a set of the early EDELBROCK's just like them, I also have a set of early MOON ones and the fins DO NOT go all the way down the side, they are just on top.

I also have a set of the THOMPSON ones but the bummer is someone ground off the THOMPSON on the lower edge & polished them sometime way back.

Also have a set of early OFFEHAUSERS, All my covers are for the '55~'60 heads.

JUST LOVE THEM EARLY PONCHO's

 

There was a really *****in set of early finned Weiand covers at the LA Roadster Show swap meet for Pontiac...they had the early "Say Why-And" logo. Only set of those I'd ever seen...I want to say the asking price was $175.

I have a picture somewhere out of a catalog of the early Mickey Thompson covers...they made them for Pontiac, Chrysler Hemi, and Chevy with the "Thompson" lettering.

 

are 55 - 60 heads different as far as valve covers go? I had some Cal Customs but they were for the 400 - 455 type motor. seemed to be more square?

 

...and 4 thompson braeathers on each side.

 

Thanks for all the info and the pictures, that dragster is cool, got to love those poncho's,

 

I need them for this, in a g***er, full fendered choppped 31 chev vicky, blown pontiac power, clutched 400 turbohydro and a olds rear

 

i don't know about that. my pontiac motor is a 55 287".
i had a set of chrome 55-60 pontiac valve covers on it (no names).
i bought a set of finned aluminum ones, said to fit 350, 400, 455 motors. they fit my 55 heads perfectly...i don't think the shape, or bolt holes are any different from one year to the next...i think the majority of pontiac heads are the same shape (for the valve covers anyway) except maybe the wheezer 301 motors.
i am not a pontiac expert by any means...this is just an observation on my part.

 

You guys are talking Pontiacs, but if anyone ever comes across a set of the Hemi valve covers, with the work O**** cast in it above the spark plug holes, I'll pay a finders fee for them.

-Brad

 

family heirlooms brad?

 

The biggest difference is that the later valve covers on early heads tends to leak oil out the back corners unless you use plenty of goop. Especially with cheap valve covers. Yes, I'm cheap and I wanted to get rid of the out-of-place Moroso valve covers really bad, so now I have a little leaking.

Anyone want to sell a decent pair of finned or chromed early covers? I'm not to picky about brand. *cough*De Soto*cough*

 

Yup. Short version: drag racing uncle from Ft. Wayne Indiana knew a guy who salvaged Thompson's old molds after Mickey sold his company and name. Dude told my uncle for 30 years that he re-tooled the mold and cast a set with O**** in raised letters, and he'd get them to my uncle. Never did.
a few years ago, a mutual friend in Michigan who has tons of vintage speed equipment gets a call from another guy in California who was restoring a Mazmanian car (Austin, I think) who found a set of the correct valve covers at Pamona, but he had to mill a word off them.
Some parts swapping took place, and now the covers are on a wall in Lansing, Michigan, tormenting my uncle.
Long version is, this set still had casting sand in them and weren't machined. Somewhere, there's either another set, or the original molds.

-Brad

 

Pssst...there's a pair of (repo?) Thompson Pontiac covers on ebay right now.