Finned aluminum valve covers

[Tom S]

Tom, Great score!

Maybe not as good as it looked. On top of his $20 shipping that was listed the guy wants another $34.43 to ship to Alaska via UPS or FedEx.  UPS & FedEx screw us on shipping. They are quite often 2, 3, & sometimes 4 times the cost of the USPS.  Told him to check with USPS first.  I bet it will be half the cost.

Zap, I think you have the same idea that I have had for years with that T-Bird emblem.  Started to try it once but never went very far.
Now if somebody would start casting a flock of these .... 

[Zapato]

Tom, I know practically nothing about casting or pattern making but since someone mentioned a t-bird valve cover for FEs its been spinning wildly in my head. NOT that there is a need for another project here in Zapatoville but ideas lead to learning and doing.

Zap-

[Tom S]

Tom, I know practically nothing about casting or pattern making

I don't either but, of course, somebody sure does.  From something I heard I don't think it's that hard to cast aluminum, but I could be very wrong.
Seems to me that the first thing you would need is an impression casting, or whatever it's called, a negative of sorts, of the bird.  Plaster of paris or whatever they use for that.   Probably ain/t Plaster of paris!
After they are made mill the fins off the middle of a valve cover & mount the T-Bird emblem.

[rmk57]

If someone did manage to mass produce cast aluminum t-bird covers for an fe I wonder if copyright laws would be a problem or if Ford would even care.

[Zapato]

Ford would definitely care, look at all the repro parts ads and the usually state authorized by Ford. I'd just want to make a pair or even one as a wallhanger and use it to mess with people's heads, Heck even just to build a wooden pattern and have it on my shelves would freak FE purists.

Probably be able to find all Information need to do some on youtube,

Zap-

[ragtop]

take a fe finned cover and a 61-63 t-bird emblem have the cover milled in the shape of emblem and  epoxy together ford put a t-bird emblem on the 3x2 air cleaner in birds with a t-bird only intake because motor sat at a diffrent degree

[RICH MUISE]

run a search on the Hamb..back a month or two ago a hamber did an in-depth thread on casting aluminum parts at home...including how to make a home made furnace, how to melt stuff like old alum wheels for the pour, etc.

[Frankenstein57]

The aluminum in wheels is a superior alloy compared to aluminum scrap that is around, one of the reasons it brings a better scrap price.

[Ford Blue blood]

I just carried in $50 worth of aluminum and pop cans.  The cans brought more then the "clean" aluminum which was several old screen door and window frames.  Read and article many years ago where a guy used only cans to make belt buckles....took a bunch of them per buckle.

[Ecode70D]

Jim
    Those rocker covers are going to look nice on your engine.  It's a bummer that the shippers treat you like a second class citizen (Pardon the pun.) because you live in Alaska.  Is US Postage just as bad?
Jay

[Tom S]

.. a 61-63 t-bird emblem ...

I don't think that would look anything like the T-bird valve cover emblem though.  I can't even find a pic of the T-Bird emblem that was on the 61-63 T-Bird 3x2 air cleaner.
Not sure where you would get one, didn't find any repos of those either.
Did they have the flags like these?

[Tom S]

Jim Is US Postage just as bad?

No, Jay.  Hey!  Pay attention, will ya.     Jim??

UPS & FedEx screw us on shipping. They are quite often 2, 3, & sometimes 4 times the cost of the USPS.  Told him to check with USPS first.  I bet it will be half the cost.

The guy took my advice & went to the post office & mailed them yesterday.     USPS  Parcel Post,  $28.85.  Just a buck .64 over 1/2 of the $54.43 UPS cost.  UPS sucks.  I sent him another 10 bucks.

[Zapato]

Did they have the flags like these?

Those emblems were not T-bird exclusive, did a google image search couple days ago and there is quite a variety of bird emblems thru-out the years. What does the one between the back seats of the early/mid 60s look like?

[Tom S]

Those emblems were not T-bird exclusive, did a google image search couple days ago and there is quite a variety of bird emblems thru-out the years. What does the one between the back seats of the early/mid 60s look like?

Yup.  Those appear to be fender emblems. Fairly common on a lot of Fords.  Don't know if they were even on Birds.

I can't even find a pic of the T-Bird emblem that was on the 61-63 T-Bird 3x2 air cleaner.

Found one ...



Yikes!  1600 bucks!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1961-1962-1963-Ford-Thunderbird-ORIG-390-6V-TRI-POWER-AIR-CLEANER-ASSEM-w-EMBLEM-/151024715105?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2329c64561&vxp=mtr

The 3x2s on the 406 in my roadster had a home build oval air cleaner. I found a factory finned top at a swap meet 'Outside' that some dork had cut a round hole into for a PVC valve.    Got it reeal cheap.  Had bunch of .013// thick aluminum sheet.
Glued some on to each side of the top &
painted/trimmed the outside edge with a black pinstripe.  Been on there for over 30 years & still looks good & the finish is smoother than stockers.  Don't recall anybody questioning it.

[Ford Blue blood]

The new issue of Hot Rod (June) has a "how to" on casting aluminum.  Includes making your own crucible......and for those of you lusting after something different.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-Lincoln-317-368-aluminum-valve-covers-1956-1957-hot-rod-32-ford-y-block-/290897218765?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43bad34ccd&vxp=mtr#ht_242wt_1240