E30 Zone

I have done much searching on this topic and not really found an answer.

Has anyone achieved a factory look for the rocker cover and intake manifold?

I wish to keep the car as original as possible and was considering sand blasting or similar but have no idea what the finish would be?

All help appreciated.

Talking about m20

Gavia is your man.. drop him a PM.

Not sure what finish you are going for but i think the rocker covers were an unpainted metal finish originally

This is how i did mine and i think it looks pretty factory in the bay

i think as above they were originaly metal finish but had that wax stuff sprayed all over the bay from factory, if you just blast it then it will quickly start corroding/oxidising with the white flaky stuff with the heat and just wont last (looked in to it myself recently)

so just had some done myself at the body shop, dipped, aqua blasted, then painted and lacquered and baked, i replaced some that i had powder coated last year but it marked quite easily and was never happy with it


they look good

Here's an untouched inlet from a 325e.




I would blast them and paint them a thin layer of the best matching colour i could find.

The valvecover looks best in wrinkle black imo

looks great, never seen one of those black gaiter sleeve things on a throttle cable before , were they on all m20s ?

polsta wrote:looks great, never seen one of those black gaiter sleeve things on a throttle cable before , were they on all m20s ?

Cruise control cable? They always seem to have it.

Here's another untouched inlet & rocker cover, 325i Cab, as from the factory....minus the wax