Topic: 65 200 - I6 Valve covers

[rntwinters]

New member here, and thanks for accepting the request to join (I'm on other Mustang forums as well).

I was looking for an answer to a question that's been bugging me.

Last year I bought a 65 Coupe with a 200 6-cyl through a friend of mine, the car was owned by his Grandmother since 1965 (and to keep this short she bought the car as a 'demo' from a dealer after the original purchaser returned the car after approx. 3 months - story is it was due to a financial hardship), So basically I am the second owner of this car since 1965.

What has been bugging me is the color of the valve cover on this car - As you can see from the attached photo it is Gold, yet the air cleaner is the correct color for a 200 6-cyl. The valve cover does seem to be the correct one for this engine and has the metal clip for the heater hose (and it's a closed system Canadian car with the road draft tube). I asked my friend about this and he said that his Grandmother swears she only had the car serviced at the dealer and then by another mechanic (close family friend) and she has no knowledge of the valve cover being replaced, repainted, or being anything other than original.

I read that Ford assembly plants (mine is a Plant F - Dearborn car / D.S.O: 81-Ford of Canada / Date: May 27 1965) would sometimes grab odds and ends parts off the shelf during production, and that Falcon or Comet parts were substituted once in a while, but I can't find any information where either of these models had a Gold painted valve cover.

Bottom line is I intend to paint the engine according to what is correct for the car, but this Gold valve cover has me puzzled and I was hoping for an explanation. (Maybe I'll never know).

Cheers.

[J_Speegle]

First welcome to the site - Hope you find the information and assistance here helpful in your concours related endeavours

I read that Ford assembly plants (mine is a Plant F - Dearborn car / D.S.O: 81-Ford of Canada / Date: May 27 1965) would sometimes grab odds and ends parts off the shelf during production, and that Falcon or Comet parts were substituted once in a while, but I can't find any information where either of these models had a Gold painted valve cover.

Welcome to the world of urban legends and stories. There are many cases where substitutions were made but we remember them since they stand out against the thousands or tens of thousands built as we expect and as planned. Some odd parts can be traced to a change during service or at the dealership that the owner never was aware of or simply something that the owner has forgotten after 50 year. At the same time, from experience allot of these cases are a case where the current owner just wants to believe or not change what they have found.

As far as we know the engine plant had no shortage of valve covers painted the correct color. Don't believe many of us at our daily job complete our tasks with what ever is laying around  - LOL 

I would suggest that there is likely a reason for the gold valve cover but its long lost and I would choose to go with what is expected rather than becoming the owner with gold colored valve cover