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Hot Rods M/T FIRST GENERATION SBC VALVE COVERS

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by scrotilson, Oct 3, 2020.

  1. scrotilson
    Joined: Aug 8, 2009
    Posts: 174

    scrotilson
    Member

    Do any of Y'All out there have a picture of what I believe to be M/T's first gen. SBC VCs? They will have the 'THOMPSON' embossed in the center of the cover.

    Some years back, Kiwi Kev posted a page from an 1964 Thompson Speed Equipment catalog, that had what amounted to a drawing of those covers. I'd really like to see a photograph of the actual real deal valve covers.

    If you have one, please email it to: [email protected]

    Thanks guys,
    Doug Pratt
     
  2. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,751

    Deuces

    Oh, heck!... Post a picture on here if anybody has one.. :)
     
  3. lumpy 63
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 2,603

    lumpy 63
    Member

    I have a couple of early MTs the one's that only say MT without the circles for breather cut outs but have never seen any that said THOMPSON , I have liked these covers forever and look for them at swap meets...If someone has pics post em up:D
     
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  4. @scrotilson
    Here you go. Were mine but sold a while ago
    20201003_231934.jpg
     
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  5. lumpy 63
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 2,603

    lumpy 63
    Member

    Wow! and they appear to be straight hole too, I figured they would all be stagger hole.
     
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  6. scrotilson
    Joined: Aug 8, 2009
    Posts: 174

    scrotilson
    Member

    Howdy, Thank you so much for that picture..........truly appreciated !!

    Doug
     
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  7. scrotilson
    Joined: Aug 8, 2009
    Posts: 174

    scrotilson
    Member

    From the 'For What It's Worth' Dept.: I have an ad in Parts Wanted classifieds. I'm looking for some different pairs of Rare SBC covers, this style THOMPSON's among them. The beginning of the ad title reads: PAYING THE PAYING BIG BUCKS..............

    Thanks Again
    Doug
     
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  8. scrotilson
    Joined: Aug 8, 2009
    Posts: 174

    scrotilson
    Member

    If this style was indeed the 1st generation M/T vcs, then they probably were 'staggered' hole initially. As you know, GM changed the head on the 283 around the middle/end of '58. Then came the 'straight' hole. As I mentioned previously, I've seen M/T catalogs as late as '64, with this 'THOMPSON' vc in it.
     
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  9. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    Mickey might have produced that valve cover with staggered holes but I think he didn’t go into manufacturing speed equipment until 1960 or so.
     
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  10. Ok,
    I have found no evidence that he ever made a staggered SBC Thompson valve cover. But that doesn't prove anything because I've Seen many one off and or low production parts never in any Mickey Thompson catalog. I can however post what was advertised in catalogs.
    1) 1961 very first catalog

    20201005_165425.jpg
    Only valve cover listed is Pontiac
    20201005_170702.jpg
    2) 1962 second edition
    20201005_165435.jpg
    Still only Pontiac
    20201005_170724.jpg
    3) 1963 third edition
    20201005_165442.jpg
    First listing for Chevy is only one cover for 283 which would only be straight across bolt pattern in Mag or Aluminum from the picture
    20201005_170752.jpg
    4) 1964 fourth edition 20201005_165856.jpg
    20201005_165829.jpg
    1964 still shows only one cover for 283-327
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2020
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  11. B.SUTTON
    Joined: Feb 8, 2007
    Posts: 49

    B.SUTTON
    Member
    from Peoria, IL

    D76B3C04-512E-49F3-BC7F-BE99BBFCA1D7.jpeg 0DD7A9A4-C57C-47F7-88E0-268BC7053CD3.jpeg

    I have a set of these early M/T logo Chevy covers without knockouts for breather/pcv. As you can see by the photo of the underside, these were either tooled up for either staggered or straight pattern Chevy heads, or there was a design change sometime in production. Perhaps the Thompson logo covers were similar?
     
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  12. 1968 shows staggered and I have a set just like the above ones from B.SUTTON

    scan0015-7.jpg

    I think this one is from 1964

    scan0017-7.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2020
    Just Gary, egads, loudbang and 2 others like this.
  13. Here's those staggered ones that some imbecile drilled a pcv hole into, you can see the dual pattern and note the hold down groove is twice as wide as a standard M/T.

    20201007_202336.jpg 20201007_202309.jpg
     
  14. I know they later made staggered in die-cast the original post is about the original Thompson cover. The first covers were sand castings. I believe these came after the Thompson covers
    20201007_200447.jpg
    Then the M/T sand cast with no holes or engraving pad
    20201007_200150.jpg someday I will try to fix this one.
    Then came the engraving pad
    20201007_200012.jpg 20201007_200210.jpg notice this is sand cast and the engraving pad is much thinner than the mass produced die-cast later covers. It only goes up to the third fin and two fins above the M/T
     
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  15. continentaljohn
    Joined: Jul 24, 2002
    Posts: 5,504

    continentaljohn
    Member

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