Chrome engine shroud

I have a few questions about chrome engine parts. I have a 1970 1600 stock engine, the large shroud or I guess they call it the "dog house" has a few dents in the top and I wanted to replace it, so why not chrome. This is a flaired speedster, so no need to keep it stock. My question is, I see different shapes of shrouds, sone round, some flat on top like mine. Are these interchangable? Can I use the more rounded top with my stock oil cooler and other tin? And the big question, has anyone found chrome shrouds, and engine tin that fit well? I see lots of ads for replacement parts, and hear lots of complaints but don't know which one to buy. Thanks for the help.

They make a chromed 36 hp-style (round top) shroud that will accomodate the later dog house oil cooler. They also make a chromed late model one.

None of the aftermarket shrouds fit as well as stock, most of them require aluminum shims at the sides to fill the gap between the shroud and the head/barrel tin. NONE of them are built as well, or cool nearly as well, as the stock late model stock shroud.

Fit and finish vary from one to the next. Sometimes they rattle, sometimes not. Sometimes the fan scrapes, sometimes not.
Plus, the cool chromed look is VERY fleeting as they usually have the same quality chrome as the replacement headlamp rings, or Beetle bumpers, or random "junk" chrome coming in from India or the far East.

I wouldn't recommend aftermarket at all when it comes to VW engine cooling.

But . . .

I had chrome tin on a couple of my cars and while it looks good at first there's a lot of oil that gets sprayed on it around the pulley areas. The oil mixes with dirt makes it a little hard to keep clean and shining plus sometimes if you're not careful you end up scratching it. If you still want to install chrome tin try using some door stripping, that plastic door guard you can slip over the edge of a car door to stop it from chipping the paint, around the edges of the tin pieces where they make contact with each other to stop any rattling. I used the chrome on my chrome tin and along the edge of a 911 shroud I had installed later. It helped dress up the engine bay and filled in any minor gaps.

Agree with the above posts. That's what I did in my car; I replaced the aftermarket unit for the whole OEM system including thermostat and shutters. There's a 36 hp style (round top) aftermarket unit that has been tested by Jake Raby that's as good or better than stock; he's not telling though because the manufacturer refuses to pay for the time and effort that was required to test it and for his endorsement.

Chuck,

When I got my car it had a chromed dog house shroud. Quality is VG however chrome does not reject heat a painted surface. Once I cured my cooling problem not related to the chromed shroud it functions properly and matches the adjacent chrome & polished aluminum components.

Jack

Quality of the chrome on most aftermarket shrouds is really bad plus they don't cool as well (due to internal vanes) as OEM. Buy a used OEM one and have it powder coated would be best dress up IMHO.

Wow, thanks everyone, I do want the engine to cool well and not rattle, so maybe just a paint job. But will the round top fit in place of the flat top, and match up to the tins?

It should; EMPIs and Scats are probably better than the rest...

Yeah, you guys are all correct. But you gotta look good too!

Greg

Looks kill.
Literally

This turbo motor has a fan connected right in front of the turbo. The tin is going to form a pair of plenum spaces around the cooler and the Holley in the upper left. This car is not mine, but my friend Kevin (owner) and Jim the mechanic have been planning this job carefully. As for looking good ... give us time ...