Mid 80's Chrysler Turbo Ceramic-Coated Valve Cover

[hml1061]

Date: 07th May 2015
Username: hml1061
Full Name: Harrison Langley
City, State, Zip: Pamyra, PA 17078
Contact: Jeff at 717-867-1322 or e-mail him at info@powder-house.com (Annville, PA area)
Price: $50

Description: Mid 80's Chrysler Turbo Ceramic-Coated Valve Cover

*Posting for a friend of mine*

I am a long time turbo Dodge enthusiast (86 Daytona Turbo Z, 88 Daytona Shelby Z, 89 Spirit ES, 90 Daytona C/S package) that sometimes monitors this forum and just joined it.

My friend owns a powder coating business. A customer dropped this Chrysler Turbo valve cover off to have it ceramic-coated.

The customer never came back to pick it up and it has been over one (1) year so my friend would like to sell it as it is gathering dust and cluttering up his shop.

Neither of us know what model this valve cover came from but suspect it could be a '84-'90 vintage Turbo I-powered Daytona/Lazer/LeBaron with either a 2.2l or 2.5l turbo engine (it looks exactly like the valve cover on my long-since-departed but still-missed '85 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z).

A photo of the valve cover can be seen in the following link (I could not figure out how to insert a picture from my computer into this thread-sorry!):

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/pts/5013197297.html

[ajakeski]

There are numbers representing yeas cast into the rear rail of the valve cover. What are these numbers?

If you post a photo of the engine side of the gasket rail, we can see if it takes a one piece gasket or multi piece gasket.

Demand for one piece gasket valve covers is higher than or multi piece units.

The biggest issue you will encounter with this sale is that everyone into Turbo 2.2 cars has a box of these valve covers already.

[turbovanman²]

Turn it upside down, if its got a channel for the gasket that goes all the way around, its a later one piece design.

[supercrackerbox]

Straight PCV tube means it's either TII, TIV, or at least '88-up TI.

[hml1061]

Straight PCV tube means it's either TII, TIV, or at least '88-up TI.

Sorry I haven't had a chance to respond. My mother-in-law is very ill in intensive care and I am spending a lot of time at the hospital. Just as soon as I can, I will get to my friend's shop and get the numbers off the back and take more pictures...

[hml1061]

There are numbers representing yeas cast into the rear rail of the valve cover. What are these numbers?

If you post a photo of the engine side of the gasket rail, we can see if it takes a one piece gasket or multi piece gasket.

Demand for one piece gasket valve covers is higher than or multi piece units.

The biggest issue you will encounter with this sale is that everyone into Turbo 2.2 cars has a box of these valve covers already.

OK I went back to my friend's shop and took additional photos of the back and underside of the valve cover.

And since it doesn't seem that I have permission to post photos on this forum, I uploaded the new photos into the existing CraigsList ad:

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/pts/5013197297.html

Also the following numbers are stamped into this valve cover: "4315870 1 09104", "CS10996-1", "4105481 F".

Although I am not an expert, it seems to me the gasket design might be single-piece which would make this the updated-design valve cover.

With this additional information, can any of you experts/enthusiasts identify the engine displacement/type, model years and models that this valve cover might fit?

And keep in mind that since my friend owns a powder coating business, this valve cover could be re-coated in another color for any project car/restoration needs that may be out there. A nice red (like the new Spirit R/T that I test-drove and should have purchased) with either silver or black-raised lettering might be real sweet...


But you would have to work that out with my friend Jeff at 717-867-1322 or e-mail him at info@powder-house.com.

[hml1061]

Serial numbers form valve cover added and price dropped to $50...

[hml1061]

I posted additional pixs in the Craig's List add but have received no replies.

Can some definitely ID this valve cover based on the pictures?

Also is this ceramic-coated valve cover worth anything at this point?

Or is this a case where my friend eats the cost of the ceramic coating and trashes the thing?

[mopar-tech]

I posted additional pixs in the Craig's List add but have received no replies.

Can some definitely ID this valve cover based on the pictures?

Also is this ceramic-coated valve cover worth anything at this point?

Or is this a case where my friend eats the cost of the ceramic coating and trashes the thing?

FWD Mopar stuff has not a lot of value unless it is prototype or Shelby, its just a run of the mill turbo valve cover.

Get what you can get for it and call it a day. Not sure why you would trash it when you can get some money for it which is better than nothing.

Gary D.

[going4speed]

What would you want a ceramic coating on a valve cover for?

[hml1061]

FWD Mopar stuff has not a lot of value unless it is prototype or Shelby, its just a run of the mill turbo valve cover.

Get what you can get for it and call it a day. Not sure why you would trash it when you can get some money for it which is better than nothing.

Gary D.

Thanks. The only reason my friend would trash it is if it truly has no value to anyone.

I am afraid that the ceramic coating is worth much more than the valve cover itself. My friend gave up the ceramic coating as it is expensive and he wasn't seeing much demand for it.

What do you think it is realistically worth?

[hml1061]

Well I can't speak for the FWD mopar crowd but ceramic coating is big in the snowmobile performance world: "The key benefit of this ceramic coating is it insulates the pipe or silencer body to create more stable, consistent power. As an added bonus, it substantially reduces radiant heat from the pipe or silencer body. This results in a reduction of underhood temperatures for cooler intake air as well as cooler running fuel and ignition systems. It also reduces the chance of heat related damage to the belly pan and hood when used in severe conditions like breaking trail in deep snow. The high gloss appearance of this durable finish is an added bonus. It requires minimal maintenance to keep it looking good, and life expectancy is increased".

Obviously, some of this is not applicable, but the "substantially reduces radiant heat" and "high gloss finish" probably is.

I'm thinking that if I still had my '86 Turbo Z with its black plastic hood vent I would want this valve cover...

[going4speed]

This one is high gloss? The one for sale? It looks dull gray in the pictures.

[thedon809]

I would say its worth maybe 40-50 shipped.

[mopar-tech]

What do you think it is realistically worth?

Ebay it with no reserve and you will find out.

I'd be far more interested in one that is powder coated, don't have to worry about the paint coming off.

[hml1061]

This one is high gloss? The one for sale? It looks dull gray in the pictures.

It is dull gray but that is because it is unfinished (not detailed).

According to my friend, if you rub the ceramic coating with steel wool and then polish it with aluminum polish, a beautiful high gloss shine results.

Keep in mind that powder coating melts off at ~450dF while ceramic coating not only dissipates heat much better, it melts off at a much higher temperature of ~1200dF.

if I still had my 86 Turbo Z, this ceramic coated valve cover, shined up as described above, would already be on it...

[hml1061]

We may eventually E-Bay it but I thought this forum was a better bet as it is populated by true enthusiasts. Also I have had a lot of luck previously with CraigsList.

As I stated in the post above, ceramic coating is way more heat resistant (2.7x) than powder coating is.

If someone wants this powder coated, my friend is willing to sand blast the ceramic coating off and powder coat it the color desired for an additional $50 ($100 total). But you'd lose the heat shedding capability and potentially lower oil/engine temperature advantages that ceramic coating provides.

My friend recently red powder coated the brakes on my 14 Fiesta and they look great with my black OZ Racing wheels. He is an artist with powder coating...