Technical Chevrolet 327 valve covers question?

Just to start some discussion while we are here ,I was shown that the 1962 covers are different . Seems the tapered sides on the square that hold the decal ,they are different on that one year ,anybody verify?

 

Sounds good! Where they available in chrome from the factory? Interesting. I didn't know.

 

Affirmative
I had bought and sold many sbc valve covers over the years before I knew about those 62 covers, probably had a set and didn't even know it.

Yes
Standard on:
65 Chevelle 327/350 hp.
66 Nova 327/350 hp.
Thousands of sets sold through Chevy parts departments also.

 

@xhotrodder :
Today I picked the covers up at the customs office.
They are wonderful for my need.
Perfect patina.
Thanx a lot!

 

I bought a pair at the Portland swap meet many years ago for $50, looked a lot like these.
They had some staining from an exploding battery, I liked the look of them.
Those bright, overchromed reproductions have no soul like these Steffen.

 

I have the ones with the Script on them 327/turbofire
on them, the other day when I was Looking under
the Hood at NAPA some Kid says those Valve Covers are
worth a lot of Money because of the Script, they came with
the Engine 63 Chevy. Impala.
I have a Freind of Mine that wants to give me the Corvette
valve Covers for my Car.
he said it would Dress up the Engine, I don't really Care
about dressing up the Engine.

just my 3.5 cents

Live Learn & Die a Fool

 

I have a great set of the 62 valve covers so what are they worth since they are a one year only? I really don't care to sell them just wondering what they are worth.
Thanks

 

We used to stick breathers in the rectangles. The 327 Turbo Fire stickers are pretty easy to come by.

 

I had a big bucket full of valve covers at the last swap I sold at. I forgot I had a pair of 62's in there, and after selling several pairs throughout the day I noticed I only had one of the 62's... so someone bought a mismatched pair and didn't know it. I must have sold 20 - 30 pairs on ebay of various steel valve covers over the years. easy to find at Bay Area swaps, but when you live in ***stain Nebraska, they are not so easy to find. seemed like early staggered hole ones sold the best. I was selling them for 20 bucks a pair for whatever type they wanted at the swap, usually got 30 - 40 on ebay, but that was pre 2008 and the ebay screw the seller policies they have now

 

Is that near Climax Michigan?

 

Next to ***********, PA.

Almost forgot Blue Ball, PA!

 

In Germany we have swap meets every weekend and they sell the 62's for 10 - 15$ in mint condition.

 

Steffen
Tell us a little about the car scene in Germany and the interest in U.S. cars.
Has it always been popular to collect parts and restore old Chevys for example?

 

American brands were very popular in the 20s. Sepcially the luxury cars. It was an interessting market for foreign company because of the the taxes. Germany lost WWI and the where not allowed to make protection taxes etc.
And Ford & GM started to produce here. Ford with Ford in Köln, GM bought Opel.
Because of our tax (the taxes you have to pay as the owner of the car every year to the gorverment) big cube cars were always a luxury thing, bcause you pay the tax per cube.
That's a main difference and explains the very different developement of cars in Europe and the USA
-------------WWII---------
Do you know why there is no hotrod culture in Germany after WWII?
There were no cars!
Everything was confi****e. All cars were destroyed or otherwise lost.
Here you can see: There were many US-cars in use before WWII and you can also see: Everything that was able to drive ended in the Wehrmacht.
http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Hauptseite_deutsch/Kraftfahrzeuge/kraftfahrzeuge.html
http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Hauptseite_deutsch/Kraftfahrzeuge/USA/usa.html
http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Haupt...USA/Cadillac/Cadillac_1935/cadillac_1935.html

 

After WWII no one was interested in american cars.
It starts in the 70ties.
American cars always where exotic.
The tax system was the same. So driving a car with 400 ci was expensive. Most cars in Germany had 70 till 130 ci 4 Bangers.
Also the idea of Motorsport was completly other.
No dragracing, no nascar oval etc.
Roundcourses like what you know from Sebring and the other popular thing was Rallye.
Also here UScars were always outsiders.
And there was also no real dealer network. The market for UScars was not interesting enough.
I'm An Opel guy, my dad worked for Opel/GM. We were often in the USA.
Arizona, desert proving ground etc.
But it was not possible to get an Chevy, a Corvette etc. at an Chevy Dealer, because there was none.
So most UScars were self imported second hand cars.
The UScar Youngtimer scene was mostly a "show and shine" scene.
1979 Camaro with Hi-Jackers, ugly paint jobs and cheap chrome ****...
Real historic interest was less (The same also in the normal carscene).
The idea of historic correct, traditional etc. is a thing that came since the 90ties.
"Matching numbers" is a thing I first learned from the UScar scene.

 

.
.
.
.
.
That's what Motorsport in Europe means:


.
.
.
.

 

When I say "no historic" interest we should to make a difference.
It's the same problem like the discussions here.

Driving around with a cool car as lifestyle and part of a actual youth culture
is something completely different
than trying to conserve this culture and the cars years later.

The difference is absolutley perfect discribed with one sentence from @porkn******:

XY: "I sold these really rare valvecovers for 600$"
Porkn******: "We used to stick breathers in the rectangles."

 

This statement just seemed a little odd to me Steffen.
Those one year only (62) valve covers are fairly sought after here in the states, I wouldn't call them rare, just harder to find, so curious why they would be so easily found in Germany as well as being so reasonably priced.
Take some photos of parts (with price tags) the next time you go to your local swap meet, many of us would find it interesting to see the kind of things being sold there.

 

I am with you DDDenny why are they over there and so hard to find here in the USA? As far as ***stained Nebraska it beats the **** out of GAY Cal.

 

Butch....email me regarding Pontiac valve covers. I have a pair.
jarvis210@shaw.ca

 

It was a joke!
Sorry.
After @49ratfink talk about where to find them and "***stain Nebraska" I wanted to make a joke.
Germany is far beyond ***stain Nebraska, Climax Michigan and ***********, PA.
Here we have not even swapmeets with parts.
Most parts I have to buy here in the HAMB, via ebay and hope not to be ripped off and if no international shipping is offered I must find someone who will help me to get the stuff over here!

 

You sure know how to ****er a guy in!

 

Sorry. It was with no ill intent.

 

Is it correct, that the O-Stamp shows to the intake side?

 

I had a set of the "62" covers that I sold at the swap meet. After the buyer paid me, he said that they are rare. He went on to explain that they had a tendency to crack along the short side. That is why GM went to the new style. I have no idea if it just BS or not. Don't shoot the messenger.

 

Here's one of each. The lower one is a '62 - note the lack of the triangular transition at the ends of the rectangle.
I got this pair for free but found that they were different. I went to a local swap meet and bought another nice set for $40 that were the later style. I'll get them chromed and add the stickers, they look cl***y and not store-bought.

 

That's a nice story but I asked: "Is it correct, that the O-Stamp shows to the intake side?"

 

I will search for some used stickers and take them that they will match the patina.
@bchctybob : Do you know the mounting direction? Is it correct, that the O-Stamp shows to the intake side?"

 

LOOK AT THE COVERS. THAT LITTLE CLIP THAT IS WELDED ON, GOES TO THE INTAKE SIDE. WHAT SQUIRREL SAID. HOLD UP THE COVER AND LOOK AT THE END. THEY CAN BE PUT ON WRONG. THE HIGH SIDE GOES TO THE INTAKE SIDE. I PUT A SET ON WRONG BACK IN 1965. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THERE WAS OIL ON THE INTAKE SIDE OF THE COVERS. THE ROCKERS RUBBED THROUGH THE METAL. I WAS NINETEEN THEN, AND REALIZED WHAT A DUMB*** I WAS (AM).

 

Thanks @bschwoeble I will check it. Good advice.

That's the best age to realize. I was 39. And many people I know are older and didn't realize it yet.