Rocker cover and intake manifold paint / don't paint?

[Stevieabz]

I've got my rocker cover and intake manifold off ready to be blasted and painted (if necessary) to go back on my 325i concourse project.

I was wondering what the original look for these parts were. I see so many different examples I'm not sure what to do.

Are they painted? are they just aluminium with lacquer? without? I'm really not sure.

Any help appreciated.

[lammy]

Not an expert but I thought the original was non painted. But could have been black if it was a special edition.
Mine is not concourse but I think it looks good painted satin black with the raised fins & logo in bare metal

[minesapint]

I don't know what the concours judges are looking for, but for originality, my 86 325i cabby, which I bought brand new in 86 has both the inlet manifold & valve cover unpainted & unpolished.
As the comment above says, some later editions were painted black, but not Cabs in 86.
You need to provide details.

[minesapint]

I don't know what the concours judges are looking for, but for originality, my 86 325i cabby, which I bought brand new in 86 has both the inlet manifold & valve cover unpainted & unpolished.
As the comment above says, some later editions were painted black, but not Cabs in 86.
You need to provide details.

[minesapint]

I don't know what the concours judges are looking for, but for originality, my 86 325i cabby, which I bought brand new in 86 has both the inlet manifold & valve cover unpainted & unpolished.
As the comment above says, some later editions were painted black, but not Cabs in 86.
You need to provide details.

[Kedge]

Unpainted and unpolished is the factory finish. Only ones BMW painted were the ones on the M3. Think the black ones were sometimes done by Alpina.

[Stevieabz]

Thanks guys.

Its a 325i Sport from 1987.

I think I'll go with unpainted and unpolished then!

[biffer]

unpainted always looked a bit grubby to me,so i painted mine in Polaris-silver. Sod originality in this case.

[Yeti]

get your inlet vapour blasted it doesnt damage the aluminium that the inlet is made from i had it done on my M40