•••Hildebrandt MFG. History and Show & Tell!!!!!•••

Alright so I may have picked up a set of Hildebrandt Valve covers for my 265 and it got me thinking about the company as a whole. I think I can only remember one instance of seeing their valve covers in an old magazine. The starter switch plates and the trans adapters seems to be far more common as well as the oil filters.

So what i am looking for is a complete history on the elusive company including old cars with their speed equipment, magazine articles, catalogs and the stuff you have now!

If you've got something show us a pic and if you have some info post that up too!

I'm looking for...

History (startup)
Products
Advertising
Features
Old Magazine feature cars that had them
etc.


The new Hildebrandt website states "Delivering Quality Products since 1949" so that's a start.

They also stated on their site...

Hildebrandt USA, a real American Accessory parts manufacture since 1949, is re-introducing itself to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry. The original Finned Aluminum Valve Covers manufactured by Hildebrandt in the 50’s are being produced again. Some of the applications are even being cast in the original molds. The same Handmade Craftsmanship makes this product perfect for the true HotRod Enthusiast. Three applications are available at this time, 55-58 Chevy small block V8 w/offset mounting holes, 59-86 Chevy small block V8 (tall enough to clear roller rockers), and the hard to find 49-62 Cadillac V8


Here's a link to 6deucecaddy's thread on a old parts catalog.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=353401&highlight=hildebrandt


Let's see what you've got!

-JJ

 

Just a couple pics to wet the appe***e...

 

so...how much did you say you wanted for them?

 

I'll let you know after I make my decision between them and a set of Offy's I just had polished. I really like the OFFY's especially because on the one cover two fo the fins have been ground down in the back to clear something back in the day and I just love that little detail. It's like folk art really....


....but the Hildebrandt's have been on my wanted list for a while now. They are just a really clean looking cover and I think might just be what the doc ordered for my '35!

 

You don't want those. Look at all the pictures you posted. Everyone has them. They would look much better on my 283. PM me when you come to your senses.

 

Haha!!! I'm lucky that you and Larry are such good friends. It's not like I had to look very far for them. They were in the HAMB cl***ifieds for about a year now..... I was just told that when Hildebrandt decided to remake the Chevy and Caddy VC's they only decided to produce a very limited run of them. The Caddy's mold got messed up so only 15 sets of those were done. No verification on how many Chevy units had been complete but they will not allow you to buy one pair through their site. You have to have an order of at least 10 before they'll consider it...making them elusive and rare even for a repopped part.


I really would like to find some pics of their equipment being used back in the day. Also perhaps a feature or ads!!!

 

here you go JJ

 

Thanks! Is that that starter switch plate for a Olds or Cadillac? The other piece is the oil filter byp***?

 

both are Olds. I have an old album cover at home with a T on it that is running the valve covers.

 

Olds.

 

Well I heard 15 new sets. That doesn't mean that there isn't 200 of the olds set floating around. But then again you are Mark Moriarity so even if there were only 1 set known in existence I wouldn't be surprised that you have them haha!!!

The guy that I got mine off said that he could not verify the 15 but the number was close to that if not right on the money. He said something happened to the mold which caused them to stop making the Cadillacs.

Now I know Hildebrandt's are cool but who would pay $1000 for valve covers??!!

 

Am I seeing a pattern? It seems like you never see Hilde parts on filthy unkept engines hahah!!! They're all so damn nice! Sloppy Seconds engine really rubs me the right way.

 

youre not kidding.I dont think any of my junk is worthy!

 

steves....Awesome car ****!!

 

Ya know I have been digging and digging online to find some sort of history and it's tough. Searches come up to a dead end. I'm going to start going through my old mags to find some examples.

 

***us is selling this Hildebrandt SBC to Hydro adapter currently in the cl***ifieds.

Hildebrandt
HA6295

 

Anybody else have some more info to add?

 

The Cal Custom's I have are same way...one cover is "clearanced"...I ***ume for a generator....
I dig well used parts too....

 

Ill post some pictures tomorrow

 

all i got are these dirty old olds covers

 

Here's a set of Caddy VC's that I picked up. They were never used and still had the 30 yrs of dust on them.

 

Here's a gauge panel I got off eBay from a dear old man who recently lost his battle with cancer. It was in a '40 Ford pickup he had once way back when. On the back it's stamped Hildebrandt as you can see (well hard to see but it is there). It's now on the bottom of the dash in my '57.

 

Damn it JJ......Yet another part I didn't know I needed. You SOB. Why do you do this to me. It's like every thread you start should be ***led " The mother of all things Hitchhiker now wants"

 

http://66.154.44.164/forum/showthread.php?p=3825587

Have you seen this thread? It has some good scans of a old catalog.



Edit: Should have read your entire first post, you've all ready seen it.

 

...found this 3 spd. stickshift 20 something years ago...only one I've ever seen.. got a crazy offset in it and a spring loaded gate. I wasn't sure what it fit until I saw the scan of that old catalog.....
'55-'62 Chevrolet Std.






.

 

SBC Timing Cover

 

Man I am sorry those are just pitiful.

Man the Original Cadillac units are probably the most scare valve cover ever.

Yeah I have seen an ad about that thing. really cool item.

Don't worry, they didn't make flathead **** so you won't need anything from them. That should save you money......until I start a KONG or GRANTENELLI thread.

That thing is so cool!!! Never seen one ever!

That one as well is really cool. Nice piece!