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Painting Cam Cover
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:13 pm
by 325iSportMark
I've just bought some crackle finish paint to do my cam cover from Demon Tweeks, question is, do i need to use primer at all? If so is it a special kind?
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:19 pm
by tbmw
am about to do this myself and i plan on usin acid etch primer
dont know if it's entirely nec but thts what i'm doin
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:42 pm
by egk2
I just did mine, scuffed it down with a 3M pad, polished out the ribs/bmw letters, sprayed it with self etching primer and crinkle paint. It's more durable than w/o the etcher.
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:28 pm
by nav786
sorry unrelated. egk2 what wheels are they on you car and what size. they look nuts.
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:44 pm
by egk2
16x9 Cr7's et 15
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:15 am
by buster
i cleaned mine up by sanding it back and just used it as is.Looks really good.
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:13 pm
by Kedge
I know this is a stupid question but can i leave the cam cover in place or does i need to remove it if i want to paint it all?
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:24 pm
by M3GTR
Take it off to do it mate... there's no way it will be clean enough to accept paint without a good clean up and you'd get overspray everywhere anyway. New gasket when you put it back on too remember!!
BTW... Crinkle finish paint works fine, but BBQ paint from B&Q works just as well too...and probably cheaper!
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:27 pm
by Kedge
I take it it's pretty simple, just undo a few bolts and lift it off(was well easy when i did my Mk1 Golf) Haven't looked at it, only just started thinking about doing this.
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:05 pm
by johnono
did mine the other day, used heat resistant paint , same as what is used on old fashioned log burners, good to 400 degrees and has a priming agent mixed in as its specialy designed for spaying directly on metal
and cost me £4 , yes only £4!! (coz they dont know what it can be used for ;)
we blanked up all the engine bay, after giving the inlet and cam cover a GOOD scrubbing down with course grit paper (cant remember grade) and blasted with high press. air, cleaned it up with spray on degreaser ( body shop extra ) removed the bracket for the accel. cable bit.
engine was still a touch warm, so helped drying (almost instant) and gave it about half a cans worth, waited a half hour to dry, and then hit the ribbing with a sanding block , as the surfaces were level to each outer they didnt take long to clean up, as with the inlet also
now i have my cam and inlet matt black with mottle finish (surface of the metals) and i am FUKKIN APPY

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:24 pm
by Andy335Touring
This is mine after i used some VHT wrinkle paint,its good stuff but takes ages to cure properly.
I didn't use any primer,i bought it from here.
https://www.usautomotive.co.uk/Scripts/default.asp
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:30 pm
by rob320is
email me at
sarob@skimber.fsbusiness.co.uk and i can show you boys what i can do for you for £40 i did E30 ADAMS 328 cover and manifold or alternatively tell me how the hell i can get pics on here , Rob

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:31 pm
by rob320is
email me at
sarob@skimber.fsbusiness.co.uk and i can show you boys what i can do for you for £40 i did E30 ADAMS 328 cover and manifold or alternatively tell me how the hell i can get pics on here , Rob

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:37 pm
by Andy335Touring
rob320is wrote:email me at
sarob@skimber.fsbusiness.co.uk and i can show you boys what i can do for you for £40 i did E30 ADAMS 328 cover and manifold or alternatively tell me how the hell i can get pics on here , Rob

Upload the pics here
http://www.imageshack.us/
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 11:25 pm
by Kedge
Has anyone got any pics of a M42 painted up, and any recommendations on doing it, wot to take off/out etc.
Cheers

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:06 am
by buster
i did have a cam cover which i used vht paint on.It was shiney black but only lasted about 4 months and it started to lift so i got it powder coated.Looks really good but i liked the look of the wrinkle stuff so i got another cam cover off an old 525 i had and wrinkle painted it and it looks the same as andy335touring's cover.Still haven't fitted it mind,but i do preffer it.Still got the powder coated one on at the mo.Cost £25 to get it done.The wrinkle paint was i think £8 from a contact Ian332isport put up,can't remember who it was now,car builder solutions or something like that.
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:25 pm
by Simon13
Kedge Demlot crew has sprayed his M42 rockerbox black looks good too, not sure if he has done his inlet manifold though
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:31 pm
by Kedge
Yea, think i might have have seen a pic of it on the old forum. Am i right in thinking that he's got a radiator that's got no fan, if so that looked sweet.
I'm thinking black and silver at the moment as its got that horrid lacquar on it thats starting to flake and go yellow.
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 6:52 pm
by Simon13
thats that protective crap they sprayed every where in the factory, yes he has an electric fan in front of the rad. Not an easy job so i hear
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 10:12 pm
by sc26
can anyone post some before and after shots of what this looks like??!!
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:26 pm
by Demlotcrew
Kedge wrote:Has anyone got any pics of a M42 painted up, and any recommendations on doing it, wot to take off/out etc.
Cheers

A pic of mines

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:25 am
by johnono
looks v. nice

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:04 am
by Guest
top advice - i wanna do this, any1 dun any paint jobs or jus stuck wiv black?
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:05 am
by tbmw
doin mine techno violet bex to match what the outside colour is gonna be
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:07 am
by Guest
sounds gud
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:37 pm
by Kedge
Cheers Demlotcrew. Don't suppose you've got a pic of the other side have you?
Going to start cleaning mine up tomorrow(will do some before and after shots on my phone), will stick with the black but keep the raised lines silver i think.
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:00 pm
by rob320is
ANYONE FANCY ONE OF THESE ALL COLOURS AVAILABLE

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:13 pm
by johnono
how much
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:09 pm
by rob320is
Ԛ£40 + POST THIS IS PROPERLY PREPARED , ETCH PRIMED , PRIMED, THEN SPRAYED WITH 2 PACK AND HEAT ERSISTANT LAQUER , MANIOLDS ALSO Ԛ£90 THE PAIR

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:32 am
by Demlotcrew
Kedge wrote:Cheers Demlotcrew. Don't suppose you've got a pic of the other side have you?
Going to start cleaning mine up tomorrow(will do some before and after shots on my phone), will stick with the black but keep the raised lines silver i think.
Dude i took everything appart and then blasted it clean and polished and matched the Inlet manifold. Then while it was all appart i got High temp Paint from BMW Ԛ£9 a can needed two cans for the whole lot.
I think that Silver is not the best raised colour to go for. I might try white.
Andrew
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:57 am
by E30Adam
I can vouch for Rob's work, top bloke and a totally professional job. Here's a pic of my engine bay with his rocker cover and manifold installed

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:22 pm
by Kedge
I was actually thinking of just sanding back to the metal on the raised parts, do you think thats a bad idea?
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:32 pm
by johnono
adam, mine looks almost exacly the same, exept in mat, get some pics on somehow
what air filter set up have u got fella
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:41 pm
by Kedge
Heres a couple of pics before i started cleaning my engine today,
forgot to take some after pics will do that in the morning before work and post them up.

Doesn't look as yellow as it does in the reality, the BMW letters are actually yellow not white, really need to get hold of another clip for the spark plug cover.
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:16 pm
by Demlotcrew
I got a new Spark plug cover, the letters are white.
Also to do a good job you will need to take everything off.
I also prefer the Matt Effect and not really shiny like Adams.