Rocker Covers!!!

[n/a]

hi folks, is there anyone out there who can advise me on the finish which i want to get on my rocker cover. I have seen restored engine compartments where the injection lines have been cad plated and the rocker cover and manifolds are a beautiful silver color...are these painted or have they been blasted somehow?
Looking forward to your reply
regards
Tony!

[Tom]

When you refer to rocker cover, I assume you mean the valve cover in the engine compartment, not the rail on the lower outside of the doors.

When these are refinished, I have done it two ways.

1.  Bead Blast with plastic bead, then finish with a clear finish-tends to fade to a yellow look-not recommended.

2.  Bead Blast and paint with a silver high temp paint.  This is how mine is done now-too soon to tell how it will look in 2 years.

Best,

Tom

1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
1970 280sl Deep Red (Project Car)

[BHap]

I talked with an old Mercedes mechanic who polishes them and then puts silicone spray on to keep the shine...  never yellows, never chips and doesn't overdo the shine - next time mine is off I'm going to try it....

Bob Happe
Pittsburgh, Pa
1970 280SL, white/black 4 speed

[norton]

Here a link to an old thread on the topic http://sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=4155,finish

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[RBurg]

The cheifs of the world use a comerical pot cleaner that work very well on fry pans and post that get black from cooking. You just spray on - let it set a little and wash it off. Follow the directions on the spary can. Even works when you over heart a oil in pan and end up with a hard varnish like surface. Looks just lije new.

Ron
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
97 E420 Silver Mist

[n/a]

hey thanks guys for the great info on getting these things to look right!!!i have a few choices to make but will keep you up to date as to how they came out!!!
thanks again
Tony
1967 250sl
white and bamboo...at the moment!!!

[RBurg]

quote:Originally posted by RBurg

The cheifs of the world use a comerical pot cleaner that work very well on fry pans and post that get black from cooking. You just spray on - let it set a little and wash it off. Follow the directions on the spary can. Even works when you over heart a oil in pan and end up with a hard varnish like surface. Looks just lije new.

The product is "Carbon - Off."  Make alum and stainless stell just like new, even the not polished SS.

Ron
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
97 E420 Silver Mist

Ron
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
97 E420 Silver Mist

[Tom Colitt]

Hi Tony

I may have missed if you already got your answer, but here it is. The rocker panel covers that cover the outer rocker panels below the doors were finished with a semi gloss textured finish, which today can be approximated with a product commonly referred to as body "Schutz" (3M) coating in the paint and body business. Don't let anybody tell you that they ever were painted in the color of the car body (aside from two or three pre-production cars maybe). Most of the steel fittings, brackets and fuel components in the engine compartment were "yellow" cad plated, which is covered well by Michael Salemi's previous posts on the topic "cadmium plating".

Regards,Tom
Classic Autos, L.A.

Tom Colitt

[Tom Colitt]

Oh and yes, the cast alumin(i)um parts were left in their original unprotected finish and can be cleaned up by bead blasting with plastic media, so as not to remove metal or change the surface texture.

Tom

Tom Colitt