****Valve Cover Picture Thread!****

Wierd - Yep!

Off Topic - Definitely!

Ridiculous - Absolutely!

Bizarre - Hell yea!

Ha Ha! I like it!

 

Uh Valve covers?
What are they for?

 

Mr Gasser those are real sissy looking rocker covers. Don't ya think you should send them to me?

never seen a set all I got for mine are some real cryusty lookin' old tin covers. Nice lookin' covers for the almost forgotten Olds motor.

 

I invented this two piece valve cover in August of 1968 and manufactured three sets for the Small Block Chevy engine in early 1969. Once I completed the patterns and cast the twenty four pieces I made a set for display and took them to Mr Gasket Company. At the time the four pieces per set, two tops and two bottoms cost $10.56 to cast in aluminum. When I met with Joe Hrudka at Mr Gasket Company he liked my valve covers, but the first thing out of his mouth was "how much to produce and you have to get rid of the fins there to hard to clean". When I told him $10.56 per set he said "great idea but you have to get them down to $1.25, or $2.50 per set ". It was my first attempt at bringing a product to the market place and it might as well have been a million dollars. The only way to get the price down to $2.50 per set was die casting molds and the molds at the time would have been around $5,000.00. $50,000.00 in today's money. I had just got out of the Army a few months earlier and was back in Engineering School, and as far as I was conserved my education was the most important thing at the time.

Years have past and I've went in many different directions and was lucky enough to live the American dream. It took years for another company to come out with the two piece valve covers. Did they copy me? No I don't think so, history has shown us that many people can come up with the same idea, but only a few make it to the market place. I learned a lot from my valve cover adventure and if anyone is interested in the design, development, and production process I went threw I could write the story. If I learned anything from the experience it was that if I could invent something totally new and build it from nothing but an idea, then what else could I design. It's been forty plus years and I've manufactured hundreds and hundreds of parts/products and never looked back. It's been one grand ride that may have never taken place if it hadn't been for a picture in a Hot Rod magazine so many years ago.

 

Morton & Brett

 

That is an awesome story. And awesome that you kept them for so many years.
I love how deep the fins are. I'd love to see a polished set sitting on a motor.

 

That is a bad ass Yblock man!!

 

Do you know if the Lincoln Yblock covers would fit a ford Y? Those are pretty!

 

225 slant 6.

 

Here's some old 427 ford valve covers sitt'in in the shed.

 

BBC M/T 427, Chrome plated Aluminum V/C's & M/T breathers

 

Scored these recently.

 

that thing is awesome. I wish i had it sitting in my display case

 

I. Am. Jealous.

 

these are AWESOME Weasel. I'm very jealous. i'd love to have those hanging in my garage or even bedroom

 

here's a couple hemis....

 

here's a photo a friend sent me of Norwell's "man cave"....I'm speechless....

 

My favorite 9 fin Corvette.

 

Offy on Y block head

 

11-11_POTTSTOWN_039 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr


09SAAC34-0376 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr


08_FORDS_AT_CARLISLE0113 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr


08_FORDS_AT_CARLISLE0057 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr


11-07PUMPKIN_RUN0202 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr

 

Rob Lee's Hot Rod Lincoln Real deal - no el-fake-O's -- The Hoodlum's v.c. -- and a cool Buick nailhead ~sololobo~

 

Haha! porknbeaner, they're the only set I've ever seen also! Got them from a boat guy in Cali...:

 

331,365,390 Cad from Squeak Bell

SBF ford

 

M/T SBC...9-fin, no logo, only made two years, ('70-'71)...

 

Pretty cool. I guess John had a second occupation.

They are very sweet rocker covers you did good to find them.

 

Here's my mc gurk for my 6 banger

 

Sexiest valve covers I know of.. Off Jesse James's ride

 

how about a thunderbolt!