chevrolet script

[Randy Mitton]

Was the script on the valve covers painted anything but orange from the factory...I've seen several painted black or silver....is this just a personal touch?

[68camaroz28]

Was the script on the valve covers painted anything but orange from the factory...I've seen several painted black or silver....is this just a personal touch?

Never saw any painted other than orange, originals that is!

[69Z28-RS]

Was the script on the valve covers painted anything but orange from the factory...I've seen several painted black or silver....is this just a personal touch?

Never saw any painted other than orange, originals that is!

In the classic chevy world ('55, '56, '57 Chevys), some restorers do 'paint' the raised script on a painted stamped valve cover either silver or black (depending on the year).   My take is this, and I've judged at the internationa conventions several years, both NNC, CNA, and CCCI.
1) I've never seen an *original* car with such script painted.
2) When I've asked 'why' they do it, the only 'justification'/reason I've ever heard are photos in the big Chevrolet Dealer manuals for the various years, and in those photos, the scripts DO appear either 'lighter' or 'darker' than the remainder of the vc, depending on the manual being viewed.

My own *take* from viewing those same photos is that the apparent different shades
 are due to the lighting when those pictures were made, and which parts of the vc were 'shining' or glinting with the flash.  The other point I'd make is that Chevrolet (nor any manufacturer) would spend the time to 'paint' the raised script on any part of the engine like that... and they didn't do that for all 2 million plus Chevrolets built in each of those years.

[JohnZ]

The "Chevrolet" script on the standard stamped steel valve covers was painted a contrasting color at some points during the mid- to late 50's; photo below is the engine dress line at the Tarrytown, New York assembly plant in 1959.

[bertfam]

And here's a picture of two original 1967 valve covers I just picked up yesterday. These came off an early Los Angeles built L30/M35. (Ignore the Tonawanda label. It was added by a prior owner.)

Ed

[69Z28-RS]

The "Chevrolet" script on the standard stamped steel valve covers was painted a contrasting color at some points during the mid- to late 50's; photo below is the engine dress line at the Tarrytown, New York assembly plant in 1959.

John, that's better 'evidence' than any I've seen before, but I sure wish I knew what year that was..  or that the pix was high enough resolution to see more engine detail that might answer than question..   the file name of 'EngDressTT59800'  Is there a possibility that the 598 was a date?  ie. August of '59? or ?  What would be your opinion as to the year?

[bertfam]

It was 1959 as John noted in his original reply.

Ed

[69Z28-RS]

Sorry John, Ed,

I read that as '50's..  I'm old AND blind.. 

[jims69]

As a  small boy watching my dad and his brother work on dad's 59 Impala.   His Impala had the Chevrolet painted on the valve covers;
and I recall thinking, "I wonder how they painted that on there, to look so good."

Jim

[Kelley W King]

I don,t recall seeing a late fiftys engine clean enough to recall the lettering. There was no positive crankcase venting then. A tube down the bell housing drew air out of the engine and the breather was the oil cap. After the canister under the intake clogged up (not too long) crankcase fumes just came out of the breather cap and blew across the engine. Maybe the fumes caused the script to come off since it was over the orange engine paint.

[69Z28-RS]

As a  small boy watching my dad and his brother work on dad's 59 Impala.   His Impala had the Chevrolet painted on the valve covers;
and I recall thinking, "I wonder how they painted that on there, to look so good."

Did you ever figure out how they did it?   and it would have to be quick and cheap too.... 

[JohnZ]

As a  small boy watching my dad and his brother work on dad's 59 Impala.   His Impala had the Chevrolet painted on the valve covers;
and I recall thinking, "I wonder how they painted that on there, to look so good."

Did you ever figure out how they did it?   and it would have to be quick and cheap too.... 

It was done at 300 engines per hour, so it wasn't exotic - I'd guess they used a hard roller.

[Petes L48]

Oldsmobile was also painting their lettering, at least in the mid 50s on the 330ci V8 Rocket