"Champion" aluminum head covers for flathead FORD

I saw a picture the other day of a Flathead Ford engine wearing "CHAMPION" cylinder head covers. These aluminum covers had provisions for spark plug wires through the top unlike the solid "THICKSTUN" covers.
Does anyone out there know if these are available and if so from whom?

 

bttt

 

Joes Speed Shop. website doesnt show them now but thats who was making them

 

Well I got the scoop on the "CHAMPION" cylinder head covers for Ford flatheads that I was looking for. Yes Joes Speed shop did carry them (thanks Slick Willy) but they sold the rights to O'Brien Truckers who will have them available soon.

 

And we are now in production on those covers:

 

I didnt see any info on your website, are they available now and is there a 8BA version?

 

Sorry - just what you see is all we have available.

 

that are available, One, two month??
thanks

 

Hated those the first time around. Still do.

 

Thought flathead was the reason for one.

 

what`s the point?

 

Yeah, that's what I thought. Although I'm not a flathead guy, if I did have one, I'd want it to look like a flathead, unless I had a nice pair on Ardun heads.

 

HEMI envy. Reminds me of putting early Olds valve covers on a SBC.

Few engines look as nice as a Ford flathead.


Steve

 

These were tooled up by Joe Casto in Oklahoma 20-25 years ago. The story goes that he found a pair of similar covers at the LA Swap Meet 30 years ago that were made in Australia but could never track down the source. Of course the world was a lot larger then since it was before Al invented the Internet. So Joe had his pattern maker make new tooling with the Champion name on it since he was already selling the 5 and 6 hole Champion gauge panels. He also tooled up for a set of Champion tall SBC valve covers.

The idea behind the covers was to allow a guy to do a quick cosmetic upgrade to add some bling to his flathead without having to do any mechanical work. They are just a press fit onto the stock 38-48 head after a little die grinder work on the inside to allow for the variations in the finish of stock heads. The intent wasn't hemi-envy - just a quick polished add on with some traditional fins - not unlike the V-8 covers that Accessories International sold to go over your painted valve covers that attached with set screws (or the many radiator cap cover, coil cover, regulator covers used today).

I was talking to Joe at the LSR last year and he mentioned he had this old tooling that he was never going to do anything with and that I should buy it off him because he still got requests from time to time for the items. So I decided to buy the tooling and put them back into production for those that wanted to use them. Of the four items I actually expect the tall Champion SBC valve covers to be the best seller over the long haul for those that want something you won't be likely to ever run across due to the low volume made (Joe only made three pairs and at $295 a pair I probably won't sell many either - but they are made and finished in the USA).

So those of you who didn't like them before, please don't change your mind just because I'm making them. I'm sure there were guys that hated Thickston covers back in the day too - thinking they belonged on boats and gow jobs.......but that's why we enjoy this sport, variety.

 

Good looking work as always Dennis!

Yes, summer has me behind on pattern making DOH!

 

~ 59BuickWagon

Well said sir!

 

Can you guys make me a set of covers that look like SBC valve covers?

 

See what I said about variety

 

Well stated Dennis.

 

Macspeed in New Zealand has them. Not Champion, but with the V8 logo.
http://www.macsspeed.com/fuel_blocks.html

 

I guess you didn't detect I was kidding.

 

Thanks rockabillybassman.

Another example of the world being much smaller these days than 20-30 years ago. Bet those are the ones that the ones I bought the tooling for were patterned after.

And I guess he doesn't get any comments about looking like a Hemi with that V8 symbol on them. I could do that too, but I'd probably get yelled at by Ford, again

Dennis

 

Sure I did, and that's why I used a smiley face

 

Update: I e-mailed Joe the picture of Mac's FH cover from NZ and he said that that is not the one he bought and used for inspiration. That one was from Australia and said "Powered By Ford" on it.

So, anyone in OZ have a picture of this third flathead cover?

Dennis

 

wouldn't these covers contribute to higher head temps and vapor lock? just wondering...jack

 

These covers were first made by Berry and Chung in New Zealand in the 1960's. I can show you plenty of examples but my computer died so I will scan some stuff in the future and add to this thread. I don't think there was ever any Australian link, probably someone confusing their down under countries.

 

Have you got a picture of the Champion SBC covers? I don't see a pair on the website

 

Same reason people put chrome wheels on a buick or a chrome cover on a generator. It is a dress up part.

 

I think they're kinda cool.

 

I like them, simple and what a kid could have done back in the day.