Which engine look do you guys like best?

[xaircav]

Modified or stock? Vote early and vote often.

[JimDirt]

I guess it would depend on the theme of the truck , but personally , i prefer the embossed covers , maybe you could switch it up , the embossed valve covers with the snorkel air cleaner , or if the aftermarket air cleaner was the same color as the silver valve covers

[xaircav]

Originally Posted by JimDirt

I guess it would depend on the theme of the truck , but personally , i prefer the embossed covers , maybe you could switch it up , the embossed valve covers with the snorkel air cleaner , or if the aftermarket air cleaner was the same color as the silver valve covers

I'm not sure of theme myself. It's not nice enough to be a resto mod but too nice to be a rat rod. I do have an air cleaner cover painted with Eastwood aluma blast.

[1project2many]

The "Corvette" covers used to be less common and I thought they were cool. These days they're cool but very common. This is one classic engine where they still jump out at me:


I have always liked the stamped script covers and I also like the early covers with the engine displacement decal in the center:


With either choice, I think it would look cleaner if you fabricate a steel section for the vaccum line to distributor and move the choke wire so it's less obvious.

[xaircav]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

The "Corvette" covers used to be less common and I thought they were cool. These days they're cool but very common. This is one classic engine where they still jump out at me:


I have always liked the stamped script covers and I also like the early covers with the engine displacement decal in the center:


With either choice, I think it would look cleaner if you fabricate a steel section for the vaccum line to distributor and move the choke wire so it's less obvious.

I'll add these to my to do list. I've got a black Delco distributor cap and black Delco coil to install and I need to run a steel fuel line.

[mr48chev]

Never much understood why a guy would want a pretty much stock looking engine in a modified truck unless it was intended to be a sleeper.

I don't like the looks of my truck with the hood open so most of the time at rod trots I left the hood closed except at a couple that required the hood to be open for judging purposes.

Jimdirt nailed it with the what is the them of the truck as the engine decoration or lack of decoration has to blend in with the theme of the whole build unless you never open the hood in public.

[MARTINSR]

Honestly, if you want the truck to stand out, you pick a theme and run with it. Every single nut and bolt needs to be that theme. And honestly, the aluminum valve covers are it, a sixties/seventies hot rod truck. The stamped steel valve covers, and stock air cleaner, there isn't a theme that they would fit! What would it be? Until people started restoring 68ish Chevys there is no way in living hell that stock air cleaner would have been on anything even remotely interesting. They were ripped off the stock car in a twelve and a half minutes after the car was bought and thrown in the garbage.

So what theme would work, a new 68 truck? That doesn't work, so I say the aluminum Vette ones.

You asked for opinions, there's mine.

Brian

[fisherman420]

I would say stock suits the motor better however, paint the lid to match the finned covers and that would look best imo

[Coach529]

Really depends on the truck I guess.

I am partial to something fairly plain.....

[GMtrucknut!!]

I like the simple but clean look

[GMCNUT]

Well, bolting cool valve covers and new breather on a dirty, oily engine with rusty exhaust manifolds is just not going to generate pride for you or much interest from anyone else - any set of valve covers can look good on a clean freshly done engine paint job. Eastwood makes a quality exhaust manifold high-heat paint that you can buy on a budget, or do like I do and shell out 225 or so for professional blasting prior to ceramic coating - then you never have to paint them again - makes a WORLD of difference in your engine bay.

so aside from efforts to do any of the above, I'd say stick to something like the finned covers but ditch that autozone-looking black air cleaner for one that closer matches your covers.

The stock air cleaner and script valve covers are popular on Ebay, and will net you enough $$ to do some of the above mods - good luck, and may the force be with you

[_Ogre]

anything fuel injected ogre hates carbs

[GMtrucknut!!]

I wanted the GM valve covers with drippers and I also like the thumping sound with a good cam , mine will draw attention and she has the performance to match !

[xaircav]

Opinions, everybody's got 'em and everybody's entitled to theirs. I'm going with the orange scripted valve covers and factory air cleaner because I want the engine bay to look like the V8 was an option in '53 (which of course it wasn't). I've got a few more details to refine like a black Delco coil and distributor cap, steel vacuum advance line and steel fuel line. The alternator while not correct stays. The engine is a little oily because it is a frequent driver.(petroleum patina?) Thanks for your input but mine is the only vote that counts. (Lol)

[mr48chev]

Thinking about it for a few days a well detailed stock V8 trumps an engine with get by cheapie chrome trinkets that were bought because they were cheap and the builder was desperate.

What I see way too much of lately at local car shows including the local big one is cars and trucks with greasy engines that show that the owner did not take any effort to clean the engine compartment up with the hoods gapping open to show off all the grease, boogered together wires and dirty battery top. Even if it is an untouched beater a guy can at least go to the effort of gettng a can of spray engine cleaner and making a trip to the quarter car wash for a bit of engine compartment cleaning before going to a show or just keep the blooming hood closed which looks better anyhow unless you have a detailed engine.

[dsraven]

I personally like the tidy look. whether you use tin valve covers or whatever. to me if the hoses and wiring is neat and tidy, rad hoses look like they should be there-not a corrugated universal hose, the heater hoses are clipped up, fuel lines are bent nicely and clipped up, vac hoses are short with nicely bent steel tubing connecting them, battery cables are clipped up and terminals look proper, nuts and bolts are installed with the proper hardware and everything is clean that would show pride of ownership. I have seen some nice cars but then the doors open and the guy couldn't even bother to clean the glass. that is a turn off. it could be sitting next to an unfinished or unstarted project but if the other one next door is clean and tidy i would strike up a conversation with that guy. we would probably end up talking about how the dirty one could use a new owner who would appreciate what he has.
just me talking though. hotrodding is about YOUR personal preference.

[Coupeguy2001]

I like a lot of glitz and a little down to earth parts. Here is the engine before the serpentine belt install.
Corvette rocker covers, chrome air filter, chrome alternator, brackets, etc.
Just a cheap tip, paint your exhaust with barbeque paint from home depot. They just turn gray black and no more rust. No glitz, but no unsightly exhaust either. unless you are running ported vacuum, get your vacuum from the back of the intake. that way you can run a short vacuum hose.
I put my PVC hose up front, but I could have switched the rocker covers and run it at the back. I chose the front location because the breather hose is away from the throttle.
Oh yea, aluminum heads help a lot for visual impact. aluminum intake manifolds can be purchased at swap meets for under a hundred. just don't buy a single plane manifold.
Essentially same air filter as you, just get a chrome lid for it at a swap meet.

[yossarian19]

I like them with sequential fuel injection and eight coils, myself.

[Bangkok Dean]

To me a stock Chevy V8 like this one looks best.

[iowaboynca]

wellllll....that'st not exactly a stock chevy

[mcmlxix]

I agree... stock Chevy

[Bangkok Dean]

Originally Posted by iowaboynca

wellllll....that'st not exactly a stock chevy

Its not

[Coupeguy2001]

Hmmm
you know that knocking sound you hear when you start it up?
looks like we found it

[whitedog76]

I'm going to say OEM style is the better option. I've always liked the looks of the stamped script valve covers. The finned ones aren't my bag.

You could always mix it up. Maybe accent the , "Chevrolet," script and maybe even a dual snorkel air cleaner.

[speesh]

No offense, but this is a nonsense question. It is like if you asked me " Do you like blondes, brunettes, or redheads?" My answer is ...."YES!!!"