Airbox powder coating - before and after

[howieb4]

I just picked up the box after powder coating and what a difference! It looks like I'll be polishing up the valve cover just to match the shine. I had them coated by Dave Harrelson at PowderPro in Troy, Michigan. Dave's a real gearhead with a shop full of parts and stories to go with them all. Look him up at Powder Pro Home

[papajam]

Looks GREAT!

And now the fun begins. You see, now that the airbox is done and with the cam cover next in line, the parts next to these parts won't look as good as they used to. So those parts will need to get detailed. Then the parts next to those parts. May as well do these other parts too while I'm here. Next thing you know, you've taken the car to pieces to do a full resto!

AMHIK!

[RIQUE]

Looks very nice. I am a pro powder coater and I use it for all my cars. Just can't beet the looks and longevity of the material.
Rique

[iachella]

What does it cost to power coat an object of that size?

[fluffy]

Nice job on the airbox. Can't help but notice the airhorns though, hopefully not playing dudes of hazzard theme tune

[howieb4]

Stefano - I was charged $60, but when I picked it Dave said jokingly I should of charged $100, since the part required alot of degreasing.

Fluffy - no Dukes of Hazzard here! A previous owner puts those on. I am taking them out this spring. They're not even connected. The low tone original horn is broken, so the high tone horn makes me sound like the Roadrunner. beep beep!

[Pat Padden]

The airbox looks great. I agree with Papajam...it could be the beginning of a great resto!

[gprocket]

Howie:

Airbox looks great. I powdercoated my cam cover wrinkled black, high temp pc on the exhaust manifold and aluminum wheel pc on the intake manifold. The high temp didn't last but the rest looks as good as when first painted. I prefer the painted cover to the polished ones - zero maintenance.

[howieb4]

Rich, I like the powder coated cam covers, but I really like the polished ones. I know they are a pain, but they sure dress up the motor. I've looked closely at the covers and there does not seem to be a lot of casting marks in them. So it may not be as big of a job as others have dealt with. Still a lot of work, though. I may try to polish up a small bit of them, in situ and see how much sucess I get, before yanking them out. I guess if all fails I could always try the WD-40 and wire wheel trick.

[gprocket]

Howieb4:

I would recommend taking it to one of the many polishing shops in the Metro Detroit area. They have the equipment and know-how. PM me and I can give you the name of the guy that did mine. I even gave one of my covers to an importer to see if was practical to get them polished in India - it wasn't.

Yes, that's right - before I moved to the dark side (powdercoating that is) I ran with polished covers. But since I use my Alfas as daily drivers it took no time for the cover to tarnish. I am way too lazy for that.

I have never tried it but I am curious if a clear coat powdercoat would be a practical compromise. I would imagine it would take perfect prep work and an A*** retentive mindset to protect it from scratches but powdercoating is pretty amazing stuff when done correctly. Maybe we could get Bill77 to try it

[endel]

I've polished the cam cover on my car, even removing the mold/casting marks for smoothness. It takes a lot of work to keep it up. I am considering having it powder coated in clear. I have seen great examples of clear coating on motorcycle parts, which normally are exposed to a much harsher environment. If it's done right, you can't tell the difference between powder coated or polished covers. My car is a driver, and not a restoration to original spec. I can always buy a 2L cover that's "original".

[howieb4]

Rich, for giggles I polished up the oilo cap just to see how much elbow grease is needed. It shined up nicely without breaking a sweat, but I think it's steel as opposed to aluminum. I took it up to 1000 grit and that put a decent shine on. I'm not overly concerned with time it will take to polish the covers(that's what winter is for), I just don't want to lose the shine to tarnish. I'd still like the name of your polisher, just in case. I'll also get a quote on a clear powder coat. Finally I'll talk to my back doctor.