valve cover paint jobs

[300zx_tt]

my buddy wants to paint his valve covers on monday so i was thinking od doing just a coat or two of primer and a couple coats of color.
anybody have any tips or info or any brand of paint they used and it turned out well? this is the first time both of us will be doing it haha any help is much apreciated!

[R_Rambo]

if you are just trying to rattle can it your best bet is to use an engine enamel like:
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/engine.html

But I would recommend getting it powdercoated, check some of the vendors on this site they do fantastic work, and it will look a whole hell of a lot better then just rattle canning it

[300zx_tt]

well he is short on cash and he said he doesnt care haha i told him no guarantee's with spray paint. we'll see how it looks. ill post up pics if i ever figure out how to hahaha lol

[ViRuS]

VHT wrinkle plus spray paint is the best stuff ive ever used, you dont need to use primer and it looks like factory when done, its on my car and it turned out great! Did my valve cover and my ram air intake tube with it and its under 10 dollars a can from advanced auto parts.

[ViRuS]

Oh and vht is a higher quality longer lasting paint than duplicolor, i have used both and duplicolor is awsome but vht is still a bit better..

[300zx_tt]

thanks virus. do you have a pic of you vc? did you do the diff. color letters in the valve cover or all one color?

[JeremyPA]

make sure you dont paint the INSIDE.

[OutToWinPAHC]

I painted mine with epoxy for appliances. It takes 48 hours to harden, but it dries smooth, very very glossy, high temp, and looks awesome.

[Excel_Collision]

you never have to use primer unless you're covering up body work. a light coat of etch primer over bare metal is the only thing you really NEED to do. personally, i'd use Duplicolor engine enamel if i wasn't going to use real automotive paint. obviously tape off the important areas, like the inside, but then prep and paint/clear the entire valve cover, letters and all. put it on the engine once it has dried to the touch (1 hour+). make sure not to get any oil or anything on the VC when installing it. you need to 'bake' the engine enamel, so drive around for a while and make sure the cover gets nice and hot. you want to get it up to temperature and then let it cool for a long time until it's actually cool to the touch. assuming the clear isn't tacky yet (never know with spray can crap lol), you can then tape off the majority of the VC except for the letters. just tape a rough rectangle around the letters and cover the most painted surface that you can (don't go nuts here, just protect it). grab a hard block and some 180 grit sandpaper and start carefully sanding the letters. GO SLOW , go one direction (left/right) on the VC, and don't dig with the paper, keep the block flat. once all the paint is removed, step up the grit until you get the finish you're looking for. you could take it all the way to 2000 grit and polish it if you wanted. carefully remove the tape and you're done.

with that said (and a very basic explanation at that), i'd still recommend using real paint or getting it powder coated, but since money is a concern duplicolor engine enamel should work the best.

[LPC]

+1 and good advice from Excel and in the end it is better to get the real paints or powder coated.

[ViRuS]

I did the whole thing black, i am eventuallyyyyyyy going to paint some of it red,mine doesnt have any letters it has fins, ill take a pic of it and post it tommarow and you will see what i mean.

[Chris B.]

Years ago, I use to paint custom valve covers with duplicolor and sell them on automotive message boards. Sometimes, I'd have to do multiple colors by taping off an area. When everything dried, I'd sand the raised lettering or logo and polish it or paint it a different color with a small brush and a small amount of paint on the brush. Sometimes, I'd finish it with high temp clear. They did hold up quite well.

Here is one that I did and the dark blue Ford logo with the raised areas sanded and polished.

[max2k1]

Originally Posted by 300zx_tt

well he is short on cash and he said he doesnt care haha i told him no guarantee's with spray paint. we'll see how it looks. ill post up pics if i ever figure out how to hahaha lol

If he doesnt care about it, then why even do it at all? When it comes to car stuff, you might as well do it right the first time so that you save money in the long run. My suggestion is have your friend save up some money and take it over to LPC. That way it gets done the right first time and will last a long time.

[JimH]

Originally Posted by Chris B.

Years ago, I use to paint custom valve covers with duplicolor and sell them on automotive message boards. Sometimes, I'd have to do multiple colors by taping off an area. When everything dried, I'd sand the raised lettering or logo and polish it or paint it a different color with a small brush and a small amount of paint on the brush. Sometimes, I'd finish it with high temp clear. They did hold up quite well.

Here is one that I did and the dark blue Ford logo with the raised areas sanded and polished.

Are you by chance Chris Bonner / Boss122 from the old zx2.com boards?

And I have used all kinds of paint on valve covers and have always found powdercoat works best.

[300zx_tt]

thanks guys! its gonna turn out good, i am a perfectionist so its not gonna look like ****. he also doesnt have the time to powder coat it he comutes to school so he cant really go with out a car for a week or so

[jpalamar]

It will cost more money to buy cleaners, can of primer, can of paint, and clear then it would to just have it powder coated.

[SovXietday]

Don't use just the standard spray paint. It will melt, bubble, and crack over time. Like mine is now, haha.

[300zx_tt]

yeah he already picked up the stuff mentioned a couple posts up.
max2k1 were also doing this for fun/ something to do im all for getting it pc but were bored, broke and 18 haha what else can you expect?

[ViRuS]

Originally Posted by jpalamar

It will cost more money to buy cleaners, can of primer, can of paint, and clear then it would to just have it powder coated.

I see you already got the stuff now but anyhow i went and took those pics for you so i might as well post them lol

[VictorSmalls]

Usually HOK paints and clears

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