Fan Shroud(housing) - original finish?(gold) (Type 4)

[SGKent]

[raygreenwood]

[orwell84]

I sandblasted my fan shroud and polished it to an almost mirror finish thinking that it was aluminum. It was a lot of work since it is such a rough casting. It looked great but of course it didn’t last. I will probably buff it out again and clear coat it with a lacquer that is easy to get off with a solvent wipe. Long ago I used POR15 clear on it. Most of it didn’t hold up and what did was a bitch to get off. It’s nice to shine it up after doing an engine build but keeping it pretty is a losing battle.

[ivwshane]

[SGKent]

[orwell84]

[SGKent]

Yes I understand. I started to put the shroud in the car to take to the powder coater but I just can't bring myself to drive over there. I know that when it comes back it will be beautiful, and likely remain that way for years - but when it gets a few nicks in it, and the O2 gets to the magnesium near those nicks, it will eventually delaminate at the nicks. When that happens flakes will come off and it will be a real pain to clean up. It will happen with the shroud having so much mag in it. This paint has held up for 10 years - I can clean it, lightly buff it and hit it with another coat of aluminum paint. That is easy to touch up if it ever gets scratched. And the next owner will thank me somewhere down the line.

Here is the look I think will go for - 1975 advertising literature

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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[SGKent]

Thought I would update this. Looking on some 914, 911 and other foreign car forums where the vehicles had magnesium in the shrouds, timing covers, valve covers etc, the general consensus is don't do it. Some powder coaters will refuse if they are told it is has a high level of magnesium in it for safety reasons, others will refuse because the blasting process can damage the item, and the high failure rate of the powder coating makes it a liability for the shop. On top of it, if you are the unlucky person whom it fails on, getting the powder coating off to redo it without further damaging the magnesium part can be a nightmare in itself. Paint it shall be. Maybe I can use some single stage I have lying around that was used on the wheels.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[raygreenwood]

[jtauxe]

Here's a photo of my engine as I got it. Someone had painted the shroud black:

Now, with a few years on the refit. I like the shroud in its natural finish (just sandblasted clean (I do not recall what blasting medium was used):

Here's another from an unmolested 1973 Wild Westerner:

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John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[notchboy]

Hanover Factory Shot - known finish we were not there to witness.

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[notchboy]

Pretty obvious.

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[SGKent]

[notchboy]

See this is the part where it gets interesting. Opening up for pages of debate and speculation limited to one's imagination based on their reality.

One may assume that the pictures are equal, being used in an official capacity by VW. But how is a static engine used for publicity equal to an off the line - made to use one?
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[SGKent]

this discussion is going in circles. It is getting to be like the mirror angle discussion.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[raygreenwood]

[notchboy]

There we have it. If I missed it in the past, I didn't this time.

It was coated. Due to the manufacturer process, and or even product sourcing, color varied from clearish to goldish.

Im taking that with me for now on.

Thanks Ray.
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[Jeff Geisen]

Only on the Bay Window Forum, four pages on fan shroud color. Closing in on 11,000 views.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[notchboy]