i was looking around and found this new colored valve cover for my civic and it costs 119.00. well i figured instead of wasting that money i might as well just paint it my self. so just a couple questions before i begin my "project paint". can i just use regular spray paint to color it or is there a "special" paint? has anybody else painted theres.any suggestions.

this is the one i was going to waste my money on.

http://www.zoommotorsports.com/images/Product_Pics/Valve_Covers.jpg


the red one.

Do it yourself... You need heat paint since the Valve cover gets pretty hot. You can use the same paint you use to paint your Calipers, they resist up to 900 degrees and it will do the trick.

Suggestion: Sand the valve cover a lil, put it on the Oven and heat it up before you paint it. Take the V.cover out and paint it while its hot..That way the paint will "Cure" and you prevent the paint from striping away fast.... You can take a sand paper and later polis where the H O N D A letters are to leave them like in the picture you posted.

I heard that if you apply paint stripper to the cover before you paint it, it will leave the cover looking like a mirror, like if you polish it..I dunno if its true though...

Just out curiosity where did you find those?

Originally posted by JayFidizzy
Just out curiosity where did you find those?
Ha ha youre buying one he he :D J/K

OK so like, under my name it does say "newbie".... where can I get the paint for the calipers and/or valve cover? Any hardware store is what I'm thinking but I really have no idea...

Originally posted by nw h-town
OK so like, under my name it does say "newbie".... where can I get the paint for the calipers and/or valve cover? Any hardware store is what I'm thinking but I really have no idea...
Any Raceshop,Performance Auto store..Even at Pep boys or Western Auto..

If you want it to kind off shine a lil get the one that is Gloss...It leaves a nice shiny finish..Usually you can tell by the color on the Cap...youll see if the cap is "roughy" or gloss like

Originally posted by nw h-town
OK so like, under my name it does say "newbie".... where can I get the paint for the calipers and/or valve cover? Any hardware store is what I'm thinking but I really have no idea...


Any Auto parts store should have it. I would get the Duplicolor 1200 degree engine paint.

Buennos nachos... much thanks :bandit:

I used high temperature primer and VHT Brake caliper paint. on mine and it came out looking stock.

Make sure you use Simple Green or some kinda degreaser. And make sure everything is dry before you paint.

When I did mine, I just went over the surface lightly with 400-grit paper, then spray the valve cover down with foam degreaser, wiped it off, then wiped the whole thing down with rubbing alcahol. If you have an air compressor, blow the valve cover off before painting... its pretty common to get unseen stuff in your paint.

almost forgot.... don't forget to plug the holes of the spart plug walls, oil fill, etc. etc. it helps to keep the threads clean and you don't want to run the possibility of paint chipping off into your head. It wouldn't be a big deal, just another precaution to take.

thanks for all the help. i dont know if i will be putting my valve cover in the oven, but i will definitly be sanding it and rubbing the alcohol and all that good stuff. oh and the valve covers in the picture are from zoommotorsports.com in the brand new section. you can sure save some money by doing it yourself.

Originally posted by fjt
Do it yourself... You need heat paint since the Valve cover gets pretty hot. You can use the same paint you use to paint your Calipers, they resist up to 900 degrees and it will do the trick.

Suggestion: Sand the valve cover a lil, put it on the Oven and heat it up before you paint it. Take the V.cover out and paint it while its hot..That way the paint will "Cure" and you prevent the paint from striping away fast.... You can take a sand paper and later polis where the H O N D A letters are to leave them like in the picture you posted.

I heard that if you apply paint stripper to the cover before you paint it, it will leave the cover looking like a mirror, like if you polish it..I dunno if its true though...
i didnt BAKE the valve cover and its been looking good for last 3 years.

I dont know whats with ppl lately they bake lights and now valvecovers

Oh and use Vaseline on the lettering that way you can just scrape it off with a razor.

Originally posted by kane2g

i didnt BAKE the valve cover and its been looking good for last 3 years.

I dont know whats with ppl lately they bake lights and now valvecovers
Kaneg....when you use heat paint you have to cure it, just like when you paint your headers. Now ,not everyone has an industrial oven to do this. You are supposed to paint and then cure but since you are not supposed to put the painted header or valve cover in your house oven due to toxic gases you heat the header or valve cover first unpainted and then apply paint while its hot so you can cure the paint in the process.

You don't know whats up with ppl who do that but that's the right way to do it...
Your valve cover is not like your interior parts that don't heat up and you just paint them and thats it.....If you want it to last a long time you have to cure it.

Originally posted by JayFidizzy
Just out curiosity where did you find those?
Zoom Motorsports (http://www.zoommotorsports.com/start.htm)

steps to painting my valve cover:
1. sand cover down with sand paper.
2. spray cover with some kind of degreaser.
3. rub cover down with alcohol.
4. make sure it is dry.
5. plug all spark plug and oil cap holes.
6. use heat resistent paint to go over cover.
7. sand letters to make them show.

to make it shine , what else should i do. somebody said used paint thinner on it before you paint it. anybody else done this or any other suggestions to make it shine.