Finish on 1962 Starfire Air Cleaner

[cmjplayboy]

What is the correct finish for a 1962 Starfire air cleaner. Mine had been painted to match body color. Pictures seem to show a chrome finish, but when I removed the paint only the intake bell seemed to have been chromed. rest looks like it had been painted as is not stainless and does not looke like it had ever been chromed.
Thanks
Fred

[rocketraider]

Starfire, Super 88 and Ninety Eight used chrome aircleaner housing in 1962. It is not a brilliant polished chrome finish but rather a dull chrome that almost looks powdercoated, though they didn't have that technology at the time.

Starfires also had chrome valve covers and road draft tube, as did all other series equipped with optional Starfire engine.

Or I think that's the way it panned out. Oldsfan will know for sure.

[starfireelvis]

1962 Starfire also has the chrome "paddle wheel" oil cap, in addition to the valve covers and air cleaner (no downdraft tube on the California-built cars from the South Gate plant, as already they had emissions regulations out there, from what I understand.

Don't want to steal Paul's thunder, but he has a complete explanation of the engines and their particulars from his fantastic 1962 Oldsmobile website, which is:

1962 Oldsmobile Information Page


Engine Number - The Rocket engine unit number on full-size models is stamped on a pad on the left (driver's side) cylinder head, directly beneath the rocker arm cover lip, in between the 3rd and 5th spark plugs. All full-size model engines have a displacement of 394 cubic inches. Full-size engine unit starting numbers begin at 300001.
Engine numbers are production sequence numbers only. Engine numbers are decoded as follows:

Prefix	Number	Suffix	Color	Carburetor	H.P.	Compression	Usage
F	300001		Red	2 bbl	280	10.25:1	Standard Dynamic 88
F	300001	L	Green	2 bbl	260	8.75:1	Optional Dynamic 88 (W-4)
F	300001	E	Green	2 bbl	N.A.	8.3:1	Dynamic 88 Export
G	300001		Red	4 bbl	330	10.25:1	Standard Super 88 & 98 Optional Dynamic 88 (W-3)
G	300001	S	Red	4 bbl	345	10.50:1	Starfire only
G	300001	E	Red	4 bbl	N.A.	8.3:1	Super 88, 98, Starfire Export

The 10.25:1 high compression 2 bbl engine standard in the Dynamic 88 was red with red valve covers and a black air cleaner.
The 8.75:1 low compression 2 bbl engine that was a no-cost option (W-4) on the Dynamic 88 was green with green valve covers and a black air cleaner.
The 10.25:1 high compression 4 bbl engine standard in the Super 88 and Ninety Eight, and optional at extra cost (W-3) in the Dynamic 88 was red with argent painted valve covers and air cleaner.
The 10.50:1 high compression 4 bbl engine used only in the Starfire was red with chromed valve covers and air cleaner.

Once again, living up to his name as Oldsfan...great to provide us with this information right at our fingertips

[cmjplayboy]

Fortunately original Warranty book and protecto plates are there and all the numbers match. they painted several items under the hood to match body color like pulleys, air cleaner, coil, water pump and the engine black. with 71,000 original miles engine must have been torn down and hot tanked as can find no sign of red paint on it anywhere. is a January/KC car.
Fred

[Hurst_Olds_1968]

I am shipping out the radio to you Wednesday!

Hey, show us some pictures of your Starfire!!!

[rocketraider]

I swear I thought Supers had the chrome aircleaner too, but maybe it came with Starfire engine option. At least we have people who have researched and know these things!

cmj, between Oldsfan, Starfireelvis and HurstOlds68, you have three of the best 62 Starfire guys in Oldsworld to guide you with this car.

[Oldsfan]

Glenn,

You might be thinking of '61. I had a '61 98 that had chrome valve covers, but I'm pretty sure it had a painted air cleaner. I don't know - that was a long time ago. Maybe Chuck T. will chime in, as he has a couple of '61 98s.

The Starfire engine was not optional in other models until '63 or '64, and I'm leaning toward '64.

By the way, the information included in the chart above came from the factory inspectors' guide.

I don't know what the term is for that chrome on the engine compartment items. I always called it flash-chrome. I understand it's not easy to replicate. Most of the re-chromes I've seen are way too shiny.

Paul

[cmjplayboy]

Took the air cleaner to the plater today and he says is not a chrome finish, but just nickle plated, also where somebody had sanded on it to remove dent you could see only one layer of plating on it.