correct early manifold finish

[speedo]

I am sending some manifold (40s) to get bead blasted and powdercoated. I have seen these in two different early finishes...and a miriad of hack rattle can finishes. What is correct for the early weber/zenith cars? I think either satin black or aluminum?

Thanks

Speedo

[Bullethead]

Pretty sure they're not supposed to be painted at all... just my .2 cents but leave them natural.

[304065]

Lars, what year?

Early ones were cadmium plated which is not easy to replicate. http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...t=flash+copper

Later ones were black paint, a very, very tough epoxy coating. This has been replicated with black Imron.

Depends on your year and what you're trying to accomplish. If you just want functionality, have them electroless nickel plated.

[304065]

Here is what they look like when they are done.

[speedo]

The nickel looks nice. As to the question of leaving them bare or natural...the alloy is porous. Every set that I have taken off an engine during a rebuild has been ugly. Not that my engine compartments are pristene...I think a powder-coated or plated surface is less likely to absorb crap and become nasty. Besides...when rebuilding an engine, we can effectively clean/renew/plate everything that is visible...fan/ strap and housing, valve covers, tin, chaincovers, plugwires and even the shroud. The poor manifolds don't get much love. I was going to send some linkage sets to get re-zinc'd and thought about giving some attention to the manifolds that they attach to. Think I will nickel some, and black some.

Thanks

[304065]

Lars, just FYI those manifolds on my engine were blasted, copper plated, then cadmium plated (real cadmium) with a yellow chromate conversion coating. Electroless nickel allows you to skip the copper step and plate right on the mag. It has a shiny silver appearance and really does a great job of filling in the pits in the magnesium. That is what I would use if I were not doing concours.

[Chuck Miller]

Guys,

This might be of interest....

Vasek's 906 engine (shot by Bob D'Olivo) on the cover of the SCG July '65 issue...

BTW -This is a GREAT issue, among other cool articles, it has our member Davey Jordan's 3 page piece on our own 'American Invasion of Japan', when Davey, Scooter Patrick, Earl Jones, Bruce Eglinton, Rick Hilgers, Dan Parkinson, Dan Cozzi, Jim Adams, Ed Leslie, and Dick Guldstrand were invited by Honda to attend and compete in Japan's "Suzuka's Spring Racing Festival"