Out of this World

I received my JBA 1650 headers from NitroPlate in Nashville with a new Bright Silver ceramic coating. The headers were stainless steel, and had thick 3/8" flanges (requiring 1" header bolts instead of the usual 3/4"). They had been fitted to the car by the previous owner by denting two pipes, although a fresh set of motor mounts would have helped more. Over the past 5 years, the original stainless finish had discolored, as stainless does, so an aerospace-derived ceramic coating made sense to brighten things up permanently.

The finished pipes look great and ran $180, which seems like a good deal. The gaskets are Percy XX Carbon for square-port small block Fords. I've heard they work well, so figured I'd try them out. I'm also reusing the 1" Stage 8 locking header bolts.

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Smithfield BBQ Car Show in Raleigh

I stopped by a local car show behind the Smithfield BBQ in Raleigh today. There were fewer than 100 cars, but there were some nice ones.

>> Check out my photo album (100 pix!)

(My '66 isn't drivable right now, or I would have brought it along. I'm expecting to get the JBA headers back from NitroPlate in Nashville on Monday, although it might be a week before I have time to get the car back together.)

Cover Yourself!

I decided to spruce up the engine bay, since I was digging into the intake manifold anyway. So I ordered a set of Ford Racing polished aluminum valve covers (M-6582-E302P). I got them on eBay from a drop shipper for $127, and will be replacing a set of thin stamped steel covers that are prone to leaking. These new ones have a 3/8" flange to help keep leaks at bay, (screw-in) baffles, and are 3.75" tall to clear most roller rockers.

The polish job was pretty good, but required some more hand polishing around the bolt areas. I also had to thoroughly soak the insides down with a solvent to clean out the grime and aluminum shavings (!) from the manufacturing and polishing processes.

I also bought longer stainless bolts than I used previously. I bought 1" bolts at the local Lowe's, but cut them down with a Dremel to 7/8" for a perfect fit.

Lastly, I went with a Ford valve cover gasket set (M6584A50) bought on Amazon. These things have a steel core and a rubber bead all the way around the perimeter for a good seal. Apparently they can be re-used too if needed.







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Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

So the new Talbot Jr's showed up yesterday, after more than a month. There aren't many suppliers of these, and they were made to order, so it took longer than I was expecting. But the good news is they are already installed. They install from below using a u-bolt (after drilling two holes) and need to be assembled on the car. They are fully adjustable and since they are aluminum they weigh just ounces. No directions or drilling template was included, since install is straightforward.