Technical engine paint or don't paint

Trying to decide on how to paint engine. All one color and maybe painted valve covers to match.
I wanted to leave heads and intake plus water pump raw aluminum. Painting the block it won't show.
chrome valve covers with everything painted will look all right but maybe paint everything same color. Leave the chrome cleaner. I will try to hide as much wiring as possible.
The first picture is engine currently in truck. The other ones are black paint as I got it and almond I painted. The transmission will match.
Question is do you paint the heads and intake or leave raw so people know its not stock.
I like restored cars with everything painted but also like to see the polish and chrome highlights.

 

With the right parts on it, they look good with just the block and tin covers painted.

 

Yeah I was working on this last year.

 

I kind of like this for stockish engine.

 

Ok here is a update. Chrome valve covers or painted and maybe pinstriped?

 

The paper filter will go. I have a 10 inch round chrome air cleaner . The power steering pump is chrome. It was already on the truck when I bought it.
This will be the color of truck when done.

 

Here is truck right now.

 

Man, that's a real nice color.

 

Pick a theme and stick to it the entire build.

Is it a wild hot rod? Or just a mild one? Mostly stock with a few aftermarket bolt-ons?

Those polished 5-spokes and raised white letter tires scream mid-'60's to early '70's era. That's when chrome and aluminum were popular and pinstriping was less so.

Look at hot rod magazines from that era to help guide your build.

Hope this helps.

 

I’m not a fan of the Blueprint valve covers. I like the painted ones, maybe a period correct looking sticker on them

 

bottom photo, looks way better !
Did you paint your distributor cap also ? Looks good……

 

Almond is the color. Yes I painted the cap.

 

I have never understood why people wait to paint and engine after it is a ***embled.

 

I'm with @Oneball, no go on the Blueprint valve covers. I know they're not, but they look like something you'd buy at Harbor Freight.

This looks super!

It just needs a polished Carter AFB, a black batwing air cleaner, and black spark plug wires.

 

I just painted the block and heads, but not much later I picked up a pair of Dart aluminum heads so they got left bare aluminum.

 

Here in coastal Florida I'd paint all of it, oxidization in Mo. might not be a problem.

 

The blueprint covers came with the engine. I hate them. Maybe need some different valve covers.

 

Painted block with bead blasted intake

 

Painting them all together is how the factory did it, that's good enough for me.

 

Dirty Grease??