kmakar89

I can't seem to locate any info on the the paint code for the air cleaner and valve covers. I've already purchased the red paint for the engine from Fusick, but can't find anything on the silver.

Anyone have any info on that silver paint?

442Harv

Not a Starfire expert, but weren't they plated, not painted?

Weezer

I used Dupli-Color DE 1615 Aluminum for the restoration of my 64's air cleaner. Take a look at the pics in my album and judge for yourself, but I selected it based on the recommendations of other guys that have owned and restored 64's thru the years.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/g/picture/21378388

Weezer

For 64, no.

kmakar89

Color looks spot on. I'll get a couple of cans. Thanks. Had to buy all new decals (metal) for the air cleaner as they were falling off and bent. Since the valve covers are leaking (was a one owner car when I bought it), I'll paint those too.

Just going through everything since it hasn't been on the road for 10 years (or cleaned under the hood all of its' life).

Weezer

I kept the old pie plates and will stick them in the trunk when my car finally sells, but it made such a big difference in appearance under the hood. I might pull my booster/master off and send out for a rebuild/restore. I have used a combo of low gloss and high gloss Dupli-Color black under the hood, too, depending on the components. Buy the high-heat versions.

Prep is everything, of course, but I was able to avoid having to use a primer on the air cleaner with a little extra effort running thru different grits.

Here's an underhood shot from before I started detailing: https://classicoldsmobile.com/g/picture/19387132. A little bit of effort goes a long way, I'm not trying to make it look like a show car, and won't be pulling my engine and detailing/painting it, but a little bit of masking and painting sure does make a difference.

kmakar89

I'm not pulling the engine either, but am doing a number of repairs that were either neglected or just didn't care as long as the car ran.

I'm at the point where I've pulled the oil pan, water pump (was seized), the timing cover (installed a new steel set as it had nylon), and will have to pressure wash under the hood for years of neglected oil leaks. I've already bought a number of parts from Pat McMillan and Fusick to replace missing or broken parts and all toll I'm 4k into parts now, but I bought the car for 5k, so I'm still ahead in the game. The idea is to fix it mechanically, fix the spots on the body (the owner had undercoating done when they bought it so the underside is solid as can be) and enjoy the car for a bit.

I really enjoy fixing even more than keeping and driving them, but I'll keep this one for a little bit.

Charlie Jones

In '61 & '62 Starfires , both air cleaner and valve covers were " unpolished chrome "
In '63 the Starfire air cleaner was unpolished chrome and the valve covers were painted silver
In '64 Starfires both the air cleaner and the valve covers were painted silver .