Experience with chome options on Engine

I would like to know if anyone has experience with chrome parts for engine and extras ie alternator, fan housing etc. I am wondering if any quality problem or wear problems have been experienced and how much you guys dress up your engines and mechanicals.

Most speedster owners keep the chrome to a minimum in the engine compartment. Keeping the 'authentic' look is important to most of us and the more chrome you put in your engine compartment the less authentic it looks. But, if you like chrome...go for it...just don't chrome the fan shroud.
Ron

Ron,

Back in the 50's and 60's we had an expression. "if it don't go, chrome it". That may still apply. JPS does put some chrome pieces on their engines, dip stick, fan pulley and a few others but nothing garish. The Speedster has such clean lines I think chrome would detract from the "look".

Bruce

Chrome pieces just increase heat in the engine bay. I keep mine to a minimum... coil holder, wiring looms, Filler tube, gen to doghose plate, pulleys. The rest is in VW Black, with ceramic coated CSP exhaust with chrome tips. The case is unpainted, as are the manifolds.

Besides, I like a more period look and put my time in details and a sano look.

Jim

I have to admit that I do liked the look of braided steel lines with iodized aluminum connectors.
Ron

I agree Ron! Those are next on my Tub list. Am also thinking of Pertronix Braided Plug Wires.

I haven't seen a set of those on a VW motor yet, Jim. My old 2.7 Porsche motor in my pickup has braided spark plug wires They're starting to look ratty). I bet they would look VERY nice in a 356.
Ron

This thread brings to mind a hot-rodder's saying from the 1950's, "If it won't GO, chrome it."

I like the look of the Chrome sheetmetal. Maybe because everything else in there is black and the eng. compartment needs some other colors in there. Next time I have the engine out, I'm going to replace my chrome with Silver painted sheetmetal, for all the reasons cited in this forum.

Anyway, my point is not really the chrome, but the quality of the aftermarket sheetmetal. Chrome or Black, the stuff you get from the aftermarket guys is really bad.
It looks like the VW stuff but it sure don't fit. You have to custom fit ALL of the pieces. They're not even close.
I had to trim or cut EVERY piece just to get the tin to bolt together.
And.. you have to be careful not to cut too much so the sheetmetal and fan shrowd can do what it's supposed to.
The 911 type setups look like the way to go,but then you loose the look of the early VW|Porsche motor.
If anyone has a source of good quality sheetmetal (Dog house 36hp shrowds in particular) post a message where they are. I sure haven't found a good source.

Greg B

Greg, Glenn Miller posts as VWGLENN on the CLF and has a large stock of original VW engine tin. I would advise you to fit the tin, then remove it and have it powder coated, then final fit it. The powder coating will look better and provide better protection against rust.
(Message Edited 8/9/2003 1:12:32 PM)

I've got a 911 shroud in my IM and my rear tin (fits behind the crank pulley) fits like crap. Mine is from China, and really is a piece of junk. I needed a blank one, so the heater tube holes could be moved over to miss my custom headers. This winter I may get a custom piece fabricated out of aluminum and then get it powdercoated. It will probably cost a heavy coin, but I've done the back and side panels out of aluminum (and powdercoated) and I like the resuts.
Ron

When I bought the DTM business out last month I received a brand new TI DTM mold.....Right now I'm doing extreme testing with the TIV DTM agaisnt the 911 fans and other cooling kits..,... (30+ dyno hours)

Right nowI'm concentrating on proving what the TIV will do with different shrouds on a totally UNTOUCHED engine during all the tests, all we swap is the cooling systems........

I just got finished with all the 911 systems today, and have 45 pages of raw data in spreadsheets and weather plots to analyze...

I plan on doing this with a 2165 cc 10:1 Type I engine by the end of the yearand test the DTM against the stock system, all aftermarket shrouds, chrome Vs. black painted. and the works..

The big advantage that the DTM for a TI has is that it can use my hybrid fan, that is an intermingling of a TI fan rear plate and a TIV fan with a composite ring to aid with air entry..The stock TIV fan moves aboyut 1710 CFM at 4400RPM with just a 1:1 drive(mounted on the crank, Vs. 13-1400 CFM output of a std doghouse fanspinning at 1.6:1..

So imagine that fan that makes 1700+/- CFM at 1:1 running at 1.4-1.6:1 inside a shroud that totally matches the contoursof the cylinders "off sets".

And with the DTM, its a bolt in thing...I will have the raw dat to prove it all, in a very short while..all posted to my site!

Oh, as far as looks go...watch for a carbon fiber/ Kevlar version of a DTM coming soon! Even one done is silver Kevlar!It looks amazing!

(Message Edited 8/9/2003 5:53:55 PM)